Most solutions are good enough. It alleviates the pressure, resolves the irritation, increases the output or capitalises on the opportunity.
For these situations we don’t need the best, we are merely looking for sufficient.
Then, there are other situations where adequate or acceptable will not suffice. Only the best solution will do. We cannot afford compromise. We cannot accommodate a margin for error. In these cases, it pays to search out the best.
This is not as easy as we expect. The first challenge we face is to understand the criteria for what is ‘best’. If we don’t, we are likely to mistake ‘ most expensive’ for ‘best’.
Once we understand the criteria that separate adequate or acceptable from the best, we realise the difference is much larger than we thought.
We invariably end up seeking out ‘best’ more often.
Simply because acceptable or adequate is appropriate much less frequently than we expect.