🎯 The Enough List
Read time: 3.9 minutes
Welcome to Better at Life, the weekly newsletter where I share one simple, actionable idea you can put into practice today to build better habits, sharpen your mindset, and live with more intention.
A friend told me something simple this week.
“I think I’m just tired of trying to optimize everything.”
Not in a dramatic way.
Just a quiet realization.
More habits.
More systems.
More goals.
Always one more thing to improve.
And on paper, it all made sense.
But in practice, it felt like never arriving.
There’s always another benchmark.
Another level.
Another version of “better.”
At some point, the problem isn’t effort.
It’s direction.
That’s when a different kind of list becomes useful.
Not a to-do list.
Not a goals list.
An Enough List.
A short list of things you’ve decided are already enough.
So you can stop chasing them.
Write this down:
Clarity is not just what you pursue. It’s what you release.
This Week’s Action
Create your Enough List.
Pick 3–5 areas where you’ve been quietly overreaching.
Things that feel like they always need to be improved.
Examples:
- how productive your days look
- how optimized your routines are
- how quickly you respond to everything
- how much you say yes
- how polished your work needs to be
Then decide:
What is “good enough” here?
Define it clearly.
Not vaguely.
For example:
- “I stop work at 6:00 p.m. without guilt”
- “I don’t need every task to be perfectly organized”
- “A clear response is better than a perfect one”
Write them down.
This is your Enough List.
Why This Works
Most people are not overwhelmed because they care too little.
They are overwhelmed because nothing has a ceiling.
Everything can be improved.
Which means nothing ever feels finished.
The Enough List creates boundaries.
It gives you permission to stop chasing marginal gains.
And when you stop trying to optimize everything, you get your attention back.
That attention can go toward what actually matters.
Try This
Use your Enough List as a filter this week.
When you feel the urge to overwork, overthink, or over-polish, pause and check:
Is this already on my Enough List?
If it is, stop.
Or at least stop sooner.
Redirect that energy.
Not everything deserves your best effort.
Some things just need to be done.
Weekly Reflection
Before you move on from this email, pause for a moment.
Ask yourself:
Where am I still trying to do more than necessary?
What would “enough” look like here?
What would happen if I stopped pushing this further?
Write it down.
Then let one thing be enough this week.
If this idea feels useful, feel free to pass it along to someone who might need it this week.
You don’t need to maximize everything.
You need to decide what’s enough.
See you next week — a little better at life.
______
Dr. Chris Mullen
Bring Better at Life to Your Organization
If these ideas resonate, this is also the work I bring into organizations and leadership teams.
I partner with organizations that want clearer thinking, stronger decision-making, and more sustainable performance.
Engagements typically include:
- Keynote speaking for conferences and leadership events
- Leadership development workshops for teams and managers
- Team strategy sessions focused on alignment and execution
For senior leaders seeking deeper application, I also maintain a small executive coaching practice.
