10 Problems With "Doing Your Best"

Years ago in a company I owned, there was a young man who worked for me who had tremendous potential. I believed in him so much that I personally invested in him and paid special attention to him. I thought his future with our company was worth the extra time. Sadly, he never measured up to my expectations and we ended up having to part ways. Every time I would meet with him to “encourage” him, he would say the same thing. “I’m doing the best I know how to do.” I have come to realize over the years that this response was actually his primary problem. He was doing the best he KNEW HOW to do. But, here’s the reality I know: The best you know how to do is never the best you can do! It’s not. I wish it was, because that would make things much easier. But there’s so much more. That’s just an excuse. And excuses never get you where you say you want to go.

Here are 10 problems when you do the best you know how to do:

1. You leave out critical thinking. 2. You quit learning new things. 3. You fail to be stretched. 4. You never develop personally. 5. You quit asking questions. 6. You resist change. 7. You dismiss new ideas. 8. You stop growing in your field of expertise. 9. You never become an expert. 10. You fail to allow God to work through you. There is a huge difference between doing the best you know how to do and doing the best YOU CAN DO. The best you can do is to continue to get better. The times you are being stretched beyond what you know how to do may prove to be the best times of your personal development. Never settle for the best you know how to do. It seldom will take you to the places you really want to go! Here’s a challenge question: What are you currently doing to produce future personal growth?