Doing My Best

A few random messages and experiences from the last several days are coalescing to form this blog post. It is part letting go of perfectionism and part giving grace to myself for what is outside my control, so long as I am doing my best. I have high standards for myself in every regard, but I am certainly not a perfectionist. The scatted messes in my house are a testament to that, or at least evidence that my standards are focused on what matters most to me. For the things that do matter most, I am always aiming for doing my best – whether it is my ultimate best or my best in a given moment.

Physical Limits

I’m looking at my physical limits from several angles. First, coming through these last 11 surgeries and recoveries has been a monster feat. Given what I’ve been dealt, I’m doing my best. Of course, I’m always looking for ways to do even better, but, by gosh, I’m squeezing out every last drop of effort. Not a day goes by that I don’t do the work required, the mundane that offers seemingly 0.00001% improvement. I know it compounds so I keep on doing my best. The work here is more mindset that physical.

You have power over your own mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.

– Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Workout Limits

Because of where I am with my recovery and now permanent physical changes from the surgeries, I am ever mindful of how hard I can push in the gym. Angles, healing parts, never-going-to-go-that-way-again parts. I also seem to be more prone to injury than the average person. So, I can’t quite live out “what the mind can conceive the body can achieve.” Instead, I give myself grace and focus on doing my best. I’ll get where I want to go when I get there. My timeline is uniquely my own.

The Universe sent me this message via email yesterday.

Considering everything my body has gone through, to be where I am right now is pretty darn incredible. Thank you for reminding me of this, Universe. When I look at my photos, I am distracted by the scars instead of being drawn to the amazing parts. It is time to recalibrate my vision.

Art

Every day I write a blog post. Some are really good, some are meh, some are terrible – but no matter what, I did my best on each day. Each is a chance to learn and grow and improve.

I’m reminded of letting go of perfectionism and embracing doing my best-ness every day I pick up a camera, especially so during this month of Project 31. I don’t expect perfect or even great every day. Instead, I’m doing my best to learn, try new things, appreciate the beauty and art in whatever is my best each day. The image at the top of this post is a perfect example. It isn’t brilliant but it is pretty. The image doesn’t move me but I enjoy looking at it. It has errors but they don’t bother me. In that moment, I did my best.

Yesterday’s headline image is also not my best, but it was the best in the moment. It is not tack sharp, the bright window to the right is distracting, the tree is distracting, the lens is covered in fingerprints – but Willa had about .2 minutes of interest and focus so it is the best for that moment. Some other day we will do better.

Doing My Best

Overall, I’m close to doing my best to do my best in the areas I’ve outlined above. There is always room for More Effective and More Efficient, and there are definitely other areas of my life where I can’t say I’m doing my best at all, but overall I’m staying on that fine line between not enough and too much, controlling the controllables, and doing what makes sense long term.

How about you? Where are you doing your best? Where do you have room to improve?

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