When We Feel Our Best Isn’t Good Enough

Ever feel like no matter how hard you try, it just isn't good enough?? You give it your all and come out of the situation feeling like "Could I have done more?".? Is it the world around us that requires us to measure up or are we so hard on ourselves that our perfectionism is getting the better of us?? What if the real concern wasn't about doing more or doing better, but rather recognizing our value and contribution?

Are you ready to shift from feeling "not good enough" to appreciating your efforts and accomplishments??

The feeling that our good isn't good enough can be discouraging and impact everything we try to do.? Whether this happens in our personal or professional lives, the need to strive for perfection can have a negative effect on our well-being, our self-esteem, create self-doubt and even stress in our lives.? Learning the reasons behind these feelings can teach us to cultivate a healthier perspective.

Why We Feel Our Best Isn't Enough and why we may be having these thoughts and feelings.?

• Perfectionism:? Do you have unrealistic, high standards for yourself?? If so, this can make it nearly impossible to feel satisfied with any accomplishment.? Our perfectionism tends to set our benchmark, making anything we do seem inadequate.? With this sort of mindset, achieving even the slightest satisfaction of feeling we've done our best might never be attainable. Mindset shift affirmation:? "I am enough and my efforts are valuable and worthy of appreciation"

• Comparison: Do you measure yourself against others?? Striving to be better can cause a lot of insecurities about your accomplishments.? Queue in social media with the constant highlights of others' lives and successes.? This makes it easy to compare your efforts with others and question why you aren't measuring up.? Remember what we see if often not the full story. Mindset shift affirmation: "I honor my journey and progress, embracing my growth with patience and gratitude"
• Imposter Syndrome: Do you fear being exposed as a "fraud"?? This feeling may be caused by the thought you're not deserving of your accomplishment likely due to believing your success is based on luck, timing, or external factors.? Then there's the added concern that others might see through your perceived flaws. Mindset shift affirmation: "My skills, efforts, and growth have brought me to where I am, and I embrace my successes with confidence"

• Definition of Success:? How do you define success?? Our sense of "enough" is often tied to our definition of success and influenced by how others view success.? Society, friends, and family may all hold different views from yours on how success is defined, thus creating pressure for you to level up.? When we take their views into consideration of our success, we may feel like our own accomplishments don't quite measure up, leading to a sense that our best is falling short. Mindset shift affirmation: "I define success on my terms, aligned with my values and aspirations"?

Why These Feelings Can Be Harmful

The persistent belief that our good isn't good enough can create unhealthy outcomes for us, such as self-doubt, anxiety, and loss of motivation.? Constantly needing to feel accomplished, and striving for perfection also becomes exhausting.? When we believe we're falling short of our need for perfection, it plays on our confidence and we become more hesitant to take risks in pursuing our goals, leading to a negative mindset, and difficulty finding joy and satisfaction in our achievements.

Reframe and Redirect the Feeling

We may not be able to eliminate the feeling entirely but developing a mindset of resilience, self-acceptance and a healthier sense of accomplishment may be helpful.? Here are a few strategies you can try incorporating.

• Focus on Growth Over Perfection:? Develop a growth mindset by looking at the opportunity to learn rather than seeking perfection on the outcome.? Reflecting on your growth and progress will help you appreciate the effort taken and encourage continued success.

• Define Success on Your Terms:? Rather than getting an external measure and validation from those around you, take time to define what success will look like for you.? Review your goals and values to understand what matters most.? Identify your own benchmark so you can appreciate your accomplishment.

• Seek Feedback, Not Validation: We often turn to others for validation to confirm our efforts, however, receiving constructive feedback may be more valuable.? Receiving feedback allows us to improve and gain insight rather than confirm our worth, allowing growth rather than approval.

• Celebrate Small Wins: Enjoy the small victories on your way to your big achievements.? The small wins amount to big future success.? However minor or small it may seem, value your efforts and take pride in how far you've come.

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