Defining Your Enough
Write an explicit definition of enough so 'more' stops running your life by default
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 78%
Borrowing from Paul Jarvis's 'enough point', Millerd argues that 'more' is the automatic default of business and culture, so the only way to escape it is to explicitly write your own definition of enough. His written definition spans security ('no amount of money will satisfy my deepest fears'), relationships ('enough friends who'd share a meal if I was in need'), meaningful time, the willingness to say no to short-term gains that could crowd out more valuable things, and inspiring conversations. The mechanism is accountability: by writing it, he holds himself to living a principled life and repeatedly checks whether he's genuinely acting on it or just signalling. Left unexamined, the 'more' drive makes even the successful feel perpetually behind.
Origin
Ali shared a Paul Jarvis article on finding your 'enough point' after a conversation about hitting 3 million subscribers; Millerd had already written his own definition of enough into his book and read it aloud on the episode.
Core principles
- 01The default drive in our world is always 'more' unless you explicitly define an alternative.
- 02Enough is defined by security, relationships and meaningful time, not a bank balance.
- 03Writing the definition down turns a vague target into an accountability tool.
- 04Return to the definition regularly to check you're not just virtue-signalling.
How to run it
- 1
Acknowledge the 'more' default
Recognise that without an explicit alternative, your businesses, employees and culture all assume the goal is more money and status.
Pro tip Self-imposed constraints (like never hiring employees) can cap the 'more' drive without capping a good life.
- 2
Write your definition
Draft, in your own words, what 'enough' actually means for you. Make it concrete enough to hold yourself to.
- 3
Include the non-financial
Weave in relationships, meaningful work, energy and space, not just a money figure. Millerd's definition centres on friends, generosity and sustainable creative energy.
Pro tip Include a clause about saying no to obvious short-term gains that could block better, harder-to-see opportunities.
- 4
Revisit and audit honestly
Return to the definition regularly and check whether you're truly living it or just telling yourself a flattering story.
Watch out Don't get so attached to the written story that you do things only to look consistent with it.
In the wild
Millerd read his definition aloud: enough is knowing no bank balance will satisfy his deepest fears; having friends who'd share a meal if he was in need; spending extended time on meaningful projects with generosity; and knowing a fancy meal or gadget won't make him happier, but buying it won't break him either.
→ A living document he uses to stay accountable to a principled life.
Ali described his 'enough' as a very high number that keeps getting bigger as the business grows: a safety net of £10m across stocks, crypto and real estate to yield £100k a year. He recognised that this thinking, left unchecked, is not a way to live happily.
→ Surfaced the runaway 'more' loop as a problem to define against.
Common mistakes
Letting 'more' run unexamined
Without a written definition, the default drive for more keeps the goalposts moving and happiness perpetually out of reach.
Virtue-signalling your values
Writing a noble definition and then doing things just to appear consistent with it defeats the point; audit for honesty.
Is it for you?
Best for
Successful people whose 'enough' number keeps climbing as the business grows.
Not ideal for
Those still below basic financial security, where the priority is a stable baseline first.
From the transcript
“the default like Drive in our world is more it's always going to be more so unless you're explicitly defining an alternative to more it…”
“enough is knowing that no amount of money in my bank account will ever satisfy my deepest fears”
From the episode
The Pathless Path: How To Recreate Your Life And Career In 2023 - Paul Millerd
Paul Millerd