E319: The Freedom of Doing Your Best

The Power Question That Generates Ever-More Power:

"Am I truly doing my best?"

Amidst the chaos of life—where problems pile up, deadlines loom, goals call, responsibilities vie for attention, and the omnipresent urge to "succeed" hangs over our heads—it is all too simple to lose our bearings. We chase success, we dream of lofty aspirations, and all too frequently, we gauge our value in other people's eyes. Yet in this endless pursuit, we all too commonly ignore the profound source of true success and fulfillment: ourselves.

What if I asked you to entertain the possibility that the essence of creating a more real world in your work, your relationships, and even your search for purpose can be found in one straightforward, simple, yet profoundly empowering question?

That question is: "Am I truly doing my best?"

It sounds innocently easy. And yet, in that simplicity lies a profound possibility for evolution and transformation for the better. It is not a matter of comparing yourself with others, of striving for some external approval or of arriving at some preordained "finish line." Instead, it is an authentic checking-in with oneself—an internal, truthful questioning which cuts through distraction and din to get at the very heart of one's intention and effort.

Why is this question so crucial?

1. It Takes Honest Self-Reflection

In the midst of everyday hustle and bustle, it's all too easy to get stuck on autopilot, simply going through the motions. The question makes you step back, shake off the routine, and really think about your contribution.

• Are you fully absorbed in the task at hand?
• Are you tapping your complete potential?
• Are you truly content with merely "good enough" when deep down you know you can attain excellence?

Key: Our use of the word "best" encompasses the quest for new ways of thinking, doing, expressing, and being. It does not imply passive acceptance or the unrealistic presumption that we have already reached our abilities in the areas of intelligence, creativity, open-mindedness, or the humility to pursue outside experience, knowledge, and wisdom. It is not technique by itself or a surrender to anything less than excellence itself.

2. It diverts attention from outcome to effort.

In our result-oriented world today, we tend to get bogged down with results. But the question "Am I doing my best?" is what draws our attention to the effort that we are exerting.

It emphasizes the importance of trying, learning, and improving instead of fixating on results. This shift is truly liberating; it enables individuals to focus on what they can control and learn—their efforts—while releasing the need to grip tightly onto what lies beyond their direct influence.

3. It Encourages a Growth Mentality

By continually asking yourself this question, you naturally recognize that "your best" is not a static target but a moving one, and that is much less stressful.

• It motivates you to go beyond your boundaries.
• It encourages lifelong learning and a default process that is ongoing.
• It inspires self-development in personal and professional lives.

4. It Encourages Proactive, Improvement-Oriented Mindset

When you ask yourself the question—am I really doing my best?—and the honest answer is "not quite," it sets you on a path of further introspection:

• What in life requires improvement?
• What are some new things that a person can learn, remembering that the potential to learn is all but unlimited throughout a lifetime?
• How can I enhance my methodology?

This deceptively simple question becomes a profound catalyst for continuous personal and professional growth.

5. It Aligns You with Purpose

Working to your best is a conscious action filled with intention and purpose. Rather than simply responding to outside pressures, you are taking control of shaping your own world through conscious effort. This constructive alignment creates an intense sense of fulfillment and significance in your job and your life.

How to Apply This Question to Your Daily Life

1. Cultivate the Habit of Self-Reflection.

• Reflect on this question at the start of every day, before trying to do a task, or on weekends.
• If needed, kindly set a reminder.

2. Be Honest—Yet Kind (it is about encouragement, not cruelty)

• The goal is self-honesty, not self-blame.
• If the answer is "no," don't bother about it. Ask yourself instead: "What's next?"

3. Listen to the Answer and Act

• Identify areas where you must improve and learn (don't take shortcuts)
• Identify specific actions towards performance improvement.
• Make modest yet important long-term changes.

4. Apply It to All Areas of Life

This is not only a job question. It is about:

• Relationships – Are you being the best version of yourself as a partner, friend, or parent?
• Leadership – Are you leading with sincerity and honest effort?
• Communication – Are you participating and listening actively?
• Personal Development – Are you actually investing in yourself? After all, learning carries the greatest financial reward.

A personal standard that goes beyond external standards.

In a world that tends to calibrate success in terms of external norms, the question "Am I doing my best?" is a refreshing and profoundly personal metric—your potential to become all that you can be.

It is a continuing development stimulus, a guide that directs you to a purposeful and meaningful life—one truthful answer and one considered step at a time.

So, allow me to inquire: Are you giving your utmost effort at this very moment? Are you learning better ways?

Your reaction—and what you do next—might alter everything.

Michael Kouly - GCA... Get used to Different!

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