Right now we have Federal employees on our minds as the government shutdown enters day # 19 and over 800,000 employees will not be receiving their paychecks. As we well know, the impact of this is far-reaching as we all face the reality of life without many essential, valuable and much needed employees and the work they normally do for our country. Because of this, I have been thinking a lot about the phrase “good enough for government work.” You are undoubtedly familiar with this phrase and how it is used in the common vernacular. It is used in a very negative way, as in “Do you have more work to do on that?” “Nah, it’s good enough for government work!” The Urban Dictionary goes so far as to define the term as meaning “probably not the best, but what the hell, we got the job done” and is followed by the hashtag #slacker.
Even though I am now a Certified Health Coach, I had to go back to school to get specialized training to earn this certification because I did not take any health courses in college. I was a Political Science major and while I don’t remember everything that I learned in my International Law or Political Theory classes, I do remember a very lively discussion in my American Public Sector class about the true meaning behind the phrase “good enough for government work.” It dates back over 70 years and was originally not intended to be derogatory at all. It originated with the opposite meaning in mind! It was used during World War II to indicate that the work had been completed so well that it could pass the most rigorous standards. It was so well done that it was “good enough for government work”! The phrase represented the high degree of excellence and workmanship established by government employees throughout our country. Back then, working for the governmental was considered a highly prestigious job. Americans held public employees in the highest regard and trust in government officials was extremely high. Citizens were encouraged to become teachers, police officers, firefighters, and public works employees. Governmental employees were praised and appreciated for their outstanding commitment to our country, their work ethic and the services that they delivered. It is sad to see how under-appreciated public servants are in today’s world.
Have you ever caught yourself thinking “that’s good enough”? When something gets challenging, do you settle for not pushing through because whatever you have done thus far is good enough already? We have all adopted this thinking at one point or another. I myself recently talked my yoga instructor out of having us do the “pigeon pose” in class because in my humble opinion, it is just too hard, very uncomfortable and not necessary. Why can’t just doing downward dog be enough? In Yoga, when a pose is uncomfortable, you are encouraged to use a bolster or a towel for support. A good yoga teacher will tell you to take a deep breath, come out of the pose, do a sun salutation and then try the pose again. What a concept!...when you are struggling with something, you should surround yourself with the tools you need to get the job done, remember to breathe and try not to give up. This recipe for success can (and should) be applied to just about anything that we do.
In honor of Federal employees and their families, who need our support now more than ever, I think that we should all hold ourselves to the highest standard. When you begin to go down that slippery slope known as “it’s good enough”, turn around your “stinking-thinking” and ask yourself if you have done the job as well as a government employee would have done it. If the answer is no, then bolster yourself, take a deep breath and try again. While you are challenging yourself and pushing yourself to the next level, you will not be alone...I will be busy on my mat practicing the pigeon pose until it is good enough for government work!