Give Your Best, Not Your All!

There has been something that I have been wrestling with for the past little while. The more I have digested the thought, the more truth I sense in the statement.

Let's say I had $100 in my pocket, and you asked me for a hand. I gave you all of my money, which meant that I didn't buy the medicine my daughter needed that day. Who won out of the deal, and who lost?

Instead of giving you my all, let's say I gave you $50 and used the rest to buy my daughter's medicine as well as some treats for my son. Who won and who lost in that deal?

That is my definition of giving your best. It is the same principle in the workplace. When you give work your best, you and work get a fair trade; everyone benefits. When you give it your all, there probably is not a lot left over for the other dimensions of your life; your health, relationships, family and even fun.

Too often we pride ourselves on giving our all, and the results are not generally the best. As my old boss Peter Ward says, "The good is the enemy of the best." Enjoy the rest of your summer, spend time with family and friends, and make time to do something that you love and that relaxes you. Give it a try, you may find you start to win in a lot more places than work!

P.S. Send me some examples of what you have changed. I'd like to hear from you!

Along the road with you ...