Are we good?

Perfect, excellent, awesome, amazing, exceptional...
Good, ok, fine, alright...
Terrible, bad, pathetic, horrible...

The last set of words means there is dramatic room for improvement. Finding out we're a bad father, a horrible son, or a terrible employee upsets us. No one strives for badness, so we look for ways to get better.

The second set of words has become an acceptable achievement. There is still room for lots of improvement, yet there is a sense that once we get good at something, we don't have to get better. Let's break out what good really means.

The opposite of good is not bad.
Good is the enemy of great.

Most people use unrisky words when describing a person or a service. Good is an easy answer. Good is non commital. Good is safe. Striving for good is like saying all we want is for people to say we're "Not Bad".

Good tells us nothing. Good doesn't drive results. Good doesn't create memories. Good is just ok. In a world where ok is mediocre, we're setting the bar pretty low if we're striving for ok-ness.

Do you want to be remembered for being an ok person or a great person?
Do you want to be thought of as an ok mom or a great mom?
Do you want to be an ok employee or a great employee?

OK isn't memorable. Good isn't remarkable. Fine isn't shareable.

If you want to make considerable more money, you have to give considerably more effort. You need to do much more than fine.

If you want a promotion, your work needs to be remarkable. You'll have to do the opposite of good.

If you want everyone talking about you, your business, or your life, you'll have to do the opposite of ok.

Strive for perfection, excellence, awesomeness, amazement, exceptionalism and greatness.

It's the only way you will get noticed. It's the only way, you will get what you want. It's the only way you win at your life.

What's the definition of greatness? You decide. But you owe it to yourself, your family, your community and your coworkers to aim for it.

Greatness is in all of us. We just have to tap into it. We have to stop settling for good.  Good isn't good enough. Once you've achieved goodness in any task, ask yourself what you can do to make your effort even better.

Strive for greatness. The world craves it and will reward you accordingly.