How To Live When You Feel Like You're Not Doing Enough

I’ve always had a satisfaction problem.

I could always be doing better.

I could always be doing more.

If it’s not perfect, it’s not worth it…

Sounds like a setup, doesn’t it? No matter what I do, I’ll never be satisfied with the quality or the quantity.

Especially when I’ve lost momentum and the future is out of control, it’s hard to feel like I’m doing enough. It’s a recipe for latent bitterness. And I’ve finally lost my taste for it.

So here are 5 useful tools I’m using to combat this feeling in 2020:

1. Ask The Right Questions.

   • What negative assumptions am I making about myself and my situation that aren’t 100% true?

   • What am I hiding from or running from?

   • Is there a more forgiving or more sustainable way I could approach this?

   • What would happen if I allowed the “little things” to be enough?

2. Identify The Need.

   • What void am I attempting to fill with ever-increasing work/relationship/ice cream? Could I imagine another way to fill it?

3. Keep It Simple.

   • When you’ve lost your mojo, it takes courage to not overcompensate or overcomplicate things.

   • Attack the emptiness with a simple reminder of your intention. What is the big picture task for today and only today? Pick one (1) to complete and be proud of and let the rest go.

4. Embrace Fluidity.

   • These times are undoubtedly different than the previous times. A rigid structure of guilt and overwhelm in exchange for self-worth will be outdated.

   • In other words, new world = new rules. Make your own.

   • There are other ways to grow than simply up the ladder of internet clout or corporate success. You can grow in and and you can grow out, spreading more energy across family, home, and personal projects. And those might be even more valuable to you in the long-run.

5. Exercise Patience.

   • Sit still and celebrate where you are now. Listen for your next move. It may take a while.

   • Not-enoughness is a feeling, not a fact. “This too shall pass.”

   • New mantra: I am a work in progress. Never finished, always complete.

What tools are you using to cope with “not enough” syndrome?

Let me know via comment, mail, or message.