Do the Best You Can With What You Have (Even When You Don't Have Much!)
“You just have to do the best you can with what you have!”
This is something I frequently tell clients and something I remind myself from time to time.
It never struck me until the very moment I started typing this but it’s really just another way of saying one of our core values. Be faithful with the work you have to do.
Being faithful with the work you have to do and doing the best you can with what you have is very different than the hustle and grind mentality it’s easy to fall into.
That exhausting hustle and grind mentality I know too well. Where you decide to put the weight of the world on your shoulders and just go go go until you can’t anymore.
Been there. Done that. Don’t want to go back.
Being faithful with the work you have to do and doing the best you can with what you have is also very different than being lazy. In fact it’s the farthest thing from it! It frequently looks like hard work! Just not hard work to the point it’ll be a detriment to you, your health, and those around you.
Part of doing the best you can with what you have is recognizing your abilities for the day, for the week, or for the season you’re in.
This topic is especially top of mind for me for a few reasons.
First, two nights ago, Sunday night, I went to bed around 10:30pm and woke up around 11:45am. I puked my guts out for the next 20 minutes (apparently the 2 day old steak I ate was bad), I couldn’t fall asleep until 4:00am, I dozed until 5:30am, then I woke up for the day.
Needless to say I was exhausted. I only worked 90 minutes yesterday which is very different from my typical Monday. I did the best I could with what I had. And what I had was NOT MUCH!
Second, 2022 has been a season of growth and expansion for me. It’s been a season of more. I’m doing more productive things for Steel than I have in several years.
I’m doing more e-mails (as you can see), more videos, more content, and I just started a podcast! I’m also spending more time with the team and working on ways we can continue to improve Steel!
For me, doing the best I can with what I have in this situation looks like taking advantage of this season and putting out lots of high quality work! And that’s what I’m working to do!
Third, 2022 is coming on the back of a season of health issues, lots going on in our personal lives, and having babies. The last few years I wasn’t able to do as much as I wanted to. At the time it really frustrated me because I felt I was failing. I frequently felt that way.
But soon I began to realize it was just the season I was in. Doing the best I can with what I had at the time looked a lot like trying to survive.
The key in each situation is to know your situation, know your capabilities, and do the best you can. Simple as that!
It’s not an excuse to be lazy. If you can work hard, you better get your butt in gear and get to work!! Hard work is a very good thing.
It’s also not an idea that promotes hustling and grinding until you have nothing left to give. It gives you permission to be honest with yourself and slow down if that’s what the season calls for.
Oh, and one more thing before I close out.
A lot of our hard work can be compared to a farmer planting seeds. A farmer works the ground and plants the seeds. But the rain is beyond his control (unless the farmer has a nice irrigation system and even then…) and what happens after the ground is watered is beyond his control.
Sometimes you plant seeds and get a 100x return for the effort you put in. Amazing!
Sometimes you plant seeds and get a 10x return for the effort you put in. That’s great!
Sometimes you plant seeds and lose it all. That sucks. But sometimes that’s how life goes. #differentseasons
While I think it’s great to have a vision and to set goals, your primary focus should be on doing the actions that will get you closer to your goals.
Be faithful with the work in front of you.
Do the best you can with what you have.
Let’s Go!
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