The Trophy Isn't Always the Point

Sufficiency vs Victory

Godin talks about sufficiency — the idea that being capable of winning might matter more than the trophy itself. Sufficiency means the person or team has demonstrated they can win. The trophy becomes a formality, a symbol of what was already proven.

But here's the challenge: sufficiency is hard to measure. You can't quantify it easily. There's no leaderboard for "demonstrated capability without needing external validation."

Most of what we call sufficiency is just signalling.

A Mental State, Not a Metric

Perhaps sufficiency is actually a mental state. In competitive sports, where scoreboards define everything, it's a difficult concept to apply. But in careers? In personal growth? In learning?

There, sufficiency makes more sense.

Knowing when a task is finished as required — not perfect, not over-engineered, but sufficient — is a skill. It requires clarity about what "done" actually means. And that's a grey area most people avoid defining.

The Radical Act of Enough

In a culture that celebrates more — more growth, more achievement, more recognition — declaring something sufficient feels almost rebellious.

But the alternative is exhausting: an endless pursuit where no trophy is ever enough, where the next milestone immediately replaces the last.

Sometimes the most strategic move isn't winning. It's knowing you could have, and being at peace with that.

Enough is a decision. Make it deliberately.