Great is the Enemy of Good (2 Min Read) | Vol. 195

March 20, 2026

“You’re only as good as you’re willing to be bad…The fact that you’re not going to be good at something or that you’re going to fail at something—that’s OK. Because you’re never going to get good unless you’re willing to be bad.” — Randall Stutman

Great is the Enemy of Good

Jim Collins famously wrote, “Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great.”  While absolutely true in the pursuit of excellence, this mantra has created more harm than help. 

While a select few break free from average to excellent, far more falter out of the gates thanks to this relentless pursuit of great. 

No one can expect to be good in the beginning. Starting a YouTube channel, signing up for a writing workshop, or negotiating your first sale. We all stumble like a toddler in their first pair of shoes. This is normal. 

Failure is learning. And learning from failure gets us to good. For some, it’s a short trip. For others, building basic skills can be a years-long quest. Natural talent can speed us to good, but nothing but practice over time gets us from good to great. That’s the nature of skill acquisition.  

What I see most often in our training is beginners launching into a new arena with unrealistic ideas about greatness. They compare their initial results against their idols. How do you think someone’s first podcast would compare to Tim Ferriss and Brené Brown? Not well. Not even close. But that gap between just starting and greatness often stops them cold. They beat themselves up. They unfairly judge their work. Many see the gap and never even begin.  

We can’t let great be the enemy of good. Think big. Start small. Swap “most valuable player” for “minimum viable product.” Lower the stakes. Give yourself 30 days or three months to explore and discover. Let progress over perfection be your mantra. Small gains add up.

Just because you can see the potential, stop judging your progress against the wrong standard. 

One question to ponder in your thinking time: Where am I stalled because I’m pursuing greatness instead of progress? 

Make an Impact!
Jay Papasan
Co-author of The ONE Thing, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent & author of The Rookie Real Estate Agent