Am I good enough?
I get that question all the time. It’s a common human insecurity.
Oprah Winfrey says when she finished recording episodes of her TV show, her guests would almost always ask, “How did I do?” It didn’t matter if the guest was a housewife from Sheboygan or a huge Hollywood star, they always wanted to know, “How did I do? Was I good enough?”
When I speak on college campuses I often ask the professor, “How was it?” Even if I know I killed it I still wanted to know, “How was it? Was I good enough?”
Don’t worry about, “am I good enough?” That comes from a place of comparison.
Focus on what you can control
Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden rarely scouted opponents. Instead, he concentrated on making sure the Bruins did everything to the best of their ability. If they did, he knew they were going to be good enough most of the time.
Listen for the whispers
Another thing to do if you wonder if you are good enough is listen to the job market. It whispers to you.
If you’re not hearing back from employers, the job market is whispering that you need to improve your work, your resume or your cover letter. If you are getting interviews without offers, the market is whispering that you need to change something about the way that you’re interviewing.
Don’t waste energy asking if you are good enough, worrying about what anyone else is doing, or spending time comparing yourself to others. Instead, concentrate on making yourself the best you can be.
That will be good enough.