Tried your best… Really?

What does it mean to ‘try your best’?

Have you ever said this?

Have you ever tried your best?

Are you sure?

You might have tried more than the other person or the other organization — but have you really (ever) tried your best?

At times, I listen to people claiming that they’ve given their 110%. Yes, I know what it means to exaggerate — but this is shameless exaggeration.

Here I am doubting 100% and then these legends telling me about 110%. What a joke!

You might ask — what to say when we’ve really tried hard…?

Let’s say,

what you’ve done is the best under the circumstances.

Circumstances.

Yes — Circumstances are very important.

Imagine you are at a 5-star hotel and the waiter is giving you an exceptional service [kind of 100%], and the hotel’s owner daughter comes in for the dinner. Make a guess who’ll get better service now?

Imagine you are just running as part of your morning exercise. A street dog finds you amusing and start running to catch you. Do you think your best will get better?

So… here’s the point: trying your best is subject to circumstances.

What can we learn?

Don’t try to improve on "trying your best". It’s painful. Instead, try changing the way you define the circumstances.

“Circumstances” are merely your narrative, the way you’re choosing to see the world. When you redefine your narrative, your quality of best gets better.

Live with it. Enjoy it.