’Enough’ is a limit, or something mediocre. It’s not particularly inspiring. 

Becky Hall, an accredited executive coach and the author of The Art Of Enough, wants to change that perception. In fact, she wants us to celebrate ‘enough’, and believes that aiming for enough could make us happier. 

“One of the concerns that people have about the concept of enough is that it represents mediocrity – settling for average – not striving,” Hall tells Stylist. “I think the reverse is true.”

Hall wants us to reframe ‘enough’. How? 

“Enough is a state where each of us feels that we are at our core already enough,” she explains. “When we believe that we are enough, we can find freedom and flow that allows us to shine. Enough is a place of fullness. It’s a generative state, full of stretch, growth and ambition to fill our potential – because it has moved us beyond our limiting judgments. Believing that we are enough (by adopting what I call an ‘enough mindset’) offers us a way of being that is sourced by self-love and abundance. There is enough. There will be enough. We are enough.”

Many of us base our self-worth on external factors. We think we’ll be deserving of good things as long as we’re productive, or as long as we get a good job, or as long as someone else thinks we’re brilliant. Hall’s definition of enough works on the basis that without doing anything, we are already worthy of kindness, respect and acclaim. When we’re coming from that headspace, every accomplishment or attainment serves as just a cherry on the top, rather than being the be-all and end-all of our self-esteem. That rids us of the desperate need to do everything because we no longer need to do it; we’re enough as we are. 

It can help us tackle self-doubt

“So many of us struggle with a sense of self-doubt – of believing that secretly we don’t have what it takes to meet the demands and expectations of our lives – be that at work or at home,” Hall says. “For many of us, this manifests as ‘imposter syndrome’. For others, it’s a lack of inner confidence or an overly loud inner critic. As if we can’t be enough.”

If we approach things with a mindset that we are already enough, that we deserve to take up space and are able to try anything, imposter syndrome fades into the background. What if instead of trying to be the best as a way to ‘disprove’ our self-doubt, we simply accepted that we’re doing great enough as it is? 

Enough helps us keep boundaries

“In every sector, every organisation, every walk of life, there are people who are struggling with the volume, complexity and sense of overwhelming demand on them,” says Hall. “Boundaries are a real issue, digital demands are non-stop and the myth that we need to be always available and responsive is as strong as ever. So many of us are just exhausted – burnt out. 

“When we come from a place of believing that we are enough, we’re much more likely to set and keep healthy boundaries. We can learn how to live within the natural limits of our lives – prioritising sleep, rest and recuperation as much as striving and hard work. When we do, it sets us free to flourish. We remember that it’s not just nice, but essential to give ourselves time and space to recharge our batteries and restore our energy. Because at its heart, the idea of ‘enough’ is all about balance. When we allow ourselves to live and work at a sustainable pace, we contribute to making the world a better place for everyone.”

It could help the planet

We have a real problem with overconsumption. As humans, we tend to want more, believing that if we earn more, own more, do more, we’ll be new and improved versions of ourselves. The idea of ‘enough’ fights back against that desire (and its selling to us as a ‘need’). We don’t need to buy the most expensive clothing or the latest It item to feel good about ourselves, because we’re enough as we are. We have enough. 

“It’s as if we collectively can’t work out how to live within healthy limits – we worry about the future of the planet at the same time as being seemingly addicted to overconsumption – as if the very concept of having enough is a problem we can’t solve,” Hall says. “From the inside out, it seems as if the world is out of balance, and that’s where ‘enough’ comes into play. I believe that the key for us to find happiness and a sustainable way of living is to make friends with, and really start to explore, the concept of enough. To reclaim it as a word that is synonymous with living healthy, flourishing and sustainable lives. To fall in love with healthy limits and to get really practical about how we can find it.”

“When we live knowing that we are enough, and that we’re allowed to do and have enough (not too much), it allows us each to stand in the fertile ground, well rooted and well-resourced so that we can flourish with creativity and brilliance,” Hall adds. “From our place of enough, we can grow to be the right size – connecting and contributing to others and our environment so we can do amazing things. 

“We move from the ever-hungry, never-satisfied state of striving to a state of fullness, from which we can thrive. Far from being mediocre, enough is a springboard to self-belief, health and sustainability. Put like that, a life lived with enough is not negative – it’s something to aspire to.”

Images: Getty