Do Your Best — But Make Sure It’s Your Best

 

I was recently revisiting The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, and one agreement stood out differently this time: “Always do your best.”

We hear this phrase all the time — put your best foot forward, give it your 100%, strive for excellence. But somewhere along the way, “your best” became confused with “the world’s best.” And that’s where the pressure begins.

When Ruiz talks about doing your best, he isn’t pushing us toward perfection. In fact, he repeatedly reminds us that our “best” is not a fixed benchmark. It changes from day to day, with our energy, our circumstances, and our emotional bandwidth. Some days your best looks like running three projects at once. Other days, your best looks like simply showing up. Both are valid.

But the world doesn’t always view it that way. We’re surrounded by expectations — from society, parents, teachers, bosses, even peers. Somewhere, without realising it, we start performing for the world, not for ourselves. We begin to believe that “doing our best” must result in something spectacular, applauded, or Instagram-worthy. And if it doesn’t, we feel guilty, inadequate, or “not enough.”

This mindset is quietly damaging, especially for the younger generation. Every other day, we read heartbreaking stories of children feeling crushed under expectations. They score well, but not “well enough.” They work hard, but it’s “not the best.” The comparison trap keeps tightening.

But here’s the truth: Your best is not measured in trophies, grades, promotions, or applause. Your best is measured in honesty — whether you showed up with sincerity, integrity, and effort for that moment, on that day.

If you can look at yourself and say,

“I did what I could today with the energy I had,”

then you have done your best. And that is enough. More than enough.

Competition can be healthy — when it motivates, not when it crushes. Growth is beautiful — when it expands you, not when it exhausts you. Our benchmark should be ourselves, not someone else’s highlight reel.

And speaking of growth, I’ve written a book titled LEARNAGER, which talks about continuous learning as a way to stay curious, open-minded, and updated in a fast-changing world — not to compete, but to expand your potential. It’s a companion for anyone who wants to grow steadily and sustainably.

Do give it a read.

LEARNAGER : From Learning to Leading in the Real World 

Amazon KDP  https://amzn.in/d/badNOEx

Pothi Print Book https://store.pothi.com/book/dr-shazneen-gandevia-learnager/

Pothi e book

https://store.pothi.com/book/ebook-dr-shazneen-gandevia-learnager/