Always Do Your Best (and that’s enough)
“Doing your best is more important than being the best.”
Remember when you were little and getting ready for soccer games, a school play, choir/band performance and your teacher or parents would tell you “Just do your best”? Maybe you heard that, maybe you were already the best…
I wish we still had an adult following us around, reminding us to do our best. I recently had a new boss. Drowning in the position because he likely over promised what skills he actually had. I watched him drown. I tried my best to help him but quickly noticed he wasn’t trying his best. He didn’t fulfill the position requirements and instead of digging his heels in and trying to do his best to figure it out, he resisted. He passed everything he could off to anyone that would take it. He gave it to his bosses, people under him, people next to him. He refused to learn. He trusted his seniority would precedent.
Over the weeks, that turned into months, I started wondering why he wouldn’t try. What happened to trying to do your best? Come in to work every day and do the very best YOU can do. If it’s a mess or not everything gets done, at least you tried. I don’t understand people who don’t try to do their best. Why wouldn’t you? With my boss, whatever his issue with the position was, I still think he should’ve tried to do his best at it, every single day until he’s either learned the position requirements or found something else.
If you stop doing your best, how boring? What are you learning? What are you getting better at? In conversations, try to do your best at listening. At workouts, try to be your best athlete. Preparing for the week, try to do your best each Sunday. I mean shiiiii, if you’re not trying at anything anymore you need to get a hobby you enjoy. If you’re an expert at everything, you have the wrong mindset. Find things to work hard at & be passionate about. I hated my job once, and let me tell you – I did my very best at finding something better. At going to work every single day knowing I was trying for something better, so I felt comfortable working hard while I was there.
Ask yourself if you’re doing your best, because if you’re not – you should be. Sometimes it might take asking yourself if you could do better. If you’re honestly doing the very best you can. Because you should be.
On the other end of the stick? You’re doing your best but put pressure on yourself to do better. Especially when you’re feeling overwhelmed. If there’s too much on your plate. In our house, we’re always telling each other to just do our best. I even encourage my dog child Bernice to do her best. Because if you put pressure on yourself to do more than that, you’ll be disappointed. The BEST for you is the BEST it’s ever going to get – so it’s ok to feel accomplished with that. Because the best IS the BEST!
Another time to do your best? When you’re scared out of your freaking mind. Making a speech, having a hard conversation, making a difficult decision. Be confident that you’re going to do the best you can, and try to do that. Don’t ignore it, confront it. Then, simply do your best. Start talking, start deciding, and know that whatever happens was meant to happen – because you did your best.
Lately, this motto comes out of my mouth all the time and is an instant relief… SO, of course, I had to share! Anything that takes a little pressure off is worth sharing. Feel me? If you’re doing your best, let that be it. If you’re not doing your best, start.
Do your best today at being thoughtful,
Xx