How much is enough?

You apply for a job. You pass the interview. You read your contract and start the first day of work. The first thing you see is your job description.

The job description, as what it says, tells you what your job is about. It gives you an idea of what is expected of you during the time you are committed to the company. However, does "ensure smooth running of programmes", "manage staff disputes and grievances", or "refer clients to appropriate agencies" tell you what exactly you have to do? Does it mean that if you follow these general guidelines, you are doing a good job? How much do you have to give in your job to call it a good job? How much is enough?

There are people who give their 100% in their work. I have seen colleagues who go the extra mile (or even extra yard) for the people they serve. I have also seen people who give their 51% in the job - 50% because it is the bare minimum of the job, and 1% because it is just a tiny bit better than passing. What do you say to the 51 percents? Good job for doing just your job? Or what is this quality you are giving me? What is the percentage to consider yourself as being enough?

Using myself as a case study, I feel that my quality of work fluctuates according to various reasons and stressors in life, but I never see myself as below 70%. However, my friends see me as giving my 100% always. Similarly, I rarely grade my friends lower than what they grade themselves. So, is the 51% really 51%? How much is the person with 51% grading himself/herself?

Enough is such a judgmental term - sometimes we are so harsh to ourselves that we highlight our mistakes and downplay our efforts. (Of course there are others who continuously glorify themselves even though they are simply empty barrels, but these people aren't in my circle because birds of the same feather flock together.) There is a lower limit that we expect from ourselves, and this is called work ethics. Not everyone has the same work ethics, but that is fine. Nobody has the same life anyway.

Enough is such a subjective term - something that I deem is enough for myself may not be enough for others. What I expect out of myself is not (and should not be) what I expect out of others. After all, there are so many domains in life that one is a part of. Being enough in the work setting is not enough if one is inadequate at home. Different people weigh their social hats differently. The person with 51% may be a 51% at home, but is a 100% filial child. There is nothing wrong with that.

We also face the problem with human greed, where if you give more to someone, the person will demand more from you. Conversely, if you show apathy to someone, the person may seek support from others instead. The people who others perceive has high percentages are more often sought than those who do not, making it a continuous struggle for them to meet such expectations. As for those who seemingly have lower percentages, incentives such as promotions and increments are proportionate as well. So, how much is enough?

Enough is how much you define it to be.

Enough is an expectation of ourselves by ourselves and by others. Enough is how much we want to expect of ourselves, and how much of others' expectations we accept. Enough is what we can live with, and what we think is socially acceptable. Enough is a limit we set for ourselves - where setting a lower limit keeps our work at a certain level of professionalism and a minimum to what we can endure, and setting an upper limit stops us from being burnt out and also from being taken advantage of.

So, how much can you live with? How much is enough?

P.S. This is my first article ever. I am always sure of what I expect out of myself, but many times I have to remind myself not to expect too much from others.