Just because perfection isn’t possible doesn’t mean that we have an excuse to be mediocre. As people, we have endless potential for growth and improvement, and we have endless potential for what we can give in each task that we decide to take. How can you do your best? Let’s take a look.
Follow your dreams using the 100% rule
What’s the 100% rule? It means giving everything you’ve got. When you are working at home or trying to be a better partner, when you clean or create, you can always strive to do your best. This rule will change your life because you will start to see better results, better responses from those around you, and feel a lot more satisfied with everything you do.
Now, giving your everything doesn’t mean always getting the best results. Sometimes, you will feel tired. Sometimes, you will be sick or busy. It just means doing the best you can with what you have.
Always try to do better
It’s easy to become complacent and feel that we have peaked. However, there is always a chance to keep growing. We can do better; we can be faster, we can be more efficient. Doing your best means stretching yourself and expanding your abilities to reach new heights. Today’s best won’t be tomorrow’s best.
Track your progress
Something that enables complacency is that we trust our memory and don’t bother to track our progress. This makes it impossible for us to recognize when we grow or when we get stuck. It’s important to track your progress towards your goals and your performance because it’s motivating.
If you ran one block today and tomorrow you ran two, that shows that you did twice as well. It is also a way of getting feedback: if you did not manage to run two blocks, but instead have been doing one for weeks, maybe it’s time to change the approach. Track your progress regularly, and do it in writing (using a journal, an app, or whatever works).
That can also help you monitor your goals and add new things daily, weekly, or monthly to see that you are making progress.
Surround yourself with positivity
Negative people bring you down, so favor positive people. Seek out the friends, family members, and acquaintances who will support you and lift you, not those who will tell you negative things about yourself. Boost your confidence. This doesn’t just apply to people in real life.
You should also be mindful of what you read, what you watch, and the personalities you follow on social media. Take a moment and ask yourself whether the messages you are receiving are positive (“You can do it!”, “Believe in yourself”) or negative (“It’s impossible!”, “The world is terrible!”, etc.).
By being positive and receiving mostly positive messages, it becomes easier to keep giving your best.
View work as a challenge
Often, we treat our work or our daily tasks as boring or a drag. We see them as tedious things that keep us away from Netflix or our beds. However, this mindset can prevent you from giving your all, because, after all, why try for something boring? If you change your mindset and view each task as a challenge, your whole attitude can shift.
Sure, doing dishes is not very fun, but it can be a challenge to your skill and ability. Can you get it done in under 5 minutes? Can you use this time to meditate? Can you leave the dishes sparkling and finally get rid of that tea stain? Let your imagination fly and view your work as a challenge. You have to give your best.
Make things fun
Making things challenging is one way to encourage yourself to do your best. Another way is by making them fun by changing not only the outlook but the situation. Put on music that you like, use your favorite pen, give yourself the chance to be creative. Fun tasks are much more rewarding!
Giving your best can turn your life around. You will become a better partner, friend, worker, professional, parent. So give it a try and remember:
“Always Do Your Best. Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.” – Don Miguel Ruiz
