Always Your Best: JB's Monday Momentum #16
"You owe it to yourself—to your purpose, to the people who depend on you, to the world around you—to always give your best. Anything less is a form of self-betrayal, cheating what you could be."
Estimated reading time: four minutes
Welcome to Monday Momentum, the weekly newsletter where I discuss practical wisdom, uncovering insights to enhance our lives one thoughtful moment at a time. While I have confidence in the ideas I write about, I acknowledge that what works for me may not work for everyone. Take each idea as you see fit and let me know what you think!
Hello friend,
Over the last few weeks, I have been busy studying and taking exams. These exams have the potential for me to gain college credit, but beyond that, they hold little value. Of course, it would be nice to get credit for some classes, but my admission into university is not contingent on these exam results.
This situation got me thinking: How much effort should I put into these exams? How much should I study? I started to feel the effects of senioritis creeping in, and I questioned whether I should even bother putting in work. Then, I thought some more and had a realization: even though the exams don't actually matter in the grand scheme of things, I still want to do my best, if only to fulfill my potential and not let myself down.
This notion of always striving to do your best, regardless of the stakes, is something we should all aspire to. It's not about the external rewards or consequences, but the inherent satisfaction of knowing you've given your full effort and lived up to your standards.
If you missed last week’s edition—“Making the Most of Limited Time”—you can click here to check it out.
A Question I am Contemplating:
Why should we always give our best?
This advice of "just do your best" might seem like the kind of reassurance a parent would offer to their child when faced with a daunting task, reminiscent of the scenario where a child exclaims, "Mama! I don’t know how to do this," only to receive the response, "It’s okay, honey, just do your best." Yet, this seemingly trite concept is quite profound … when approached literally.
Each individual has the potential for greatness. We all have unique skills and talents, no matter how niche or specialized they may be. However, attaining greatness doesn't happen with some effort, it requires your best effort. Holding yourself to a high standard sets you up to achieve the high goals you have for yourself.
But what if we still fall short of our goals despite pouring our heart and soul into the pursuit? This is perfectly okay. The purpose of giving our best should not be outcome-based but action-based. By concentrating on the things we can control—our actions and efforts—we free ourselves from the burden of success or failure. Our mindset should not be fixed on achieving a particular outcome, but on doing everything within our power to the best of our abilities. In doing so, we attach to the inputs, while detaching from the outputs. Of course, outcomes still matter, but finding fulfillment in the knowledge that we left nothing on the table is a measure of success on its own.
Doing your best isn't just a matter of personal achievement—there's a moral imperative to it as well. Don't you want to give your all, rather than succumbing to laziness and half-hearted efforts? What's the point of even engaging in something if you're going to meander through the motions? You owe it to yourself—to your purpose, to the people who depend on you, to the world around you—to always give your best. Anything less is a form of self-betrayal, cheating what you could be.
It's hard to keep this mentality going during the monotonous moments when you could easily coast and no one would know the difference. Yet, maintaining this high standard is undeniably necessary.1
Quote on doing your best:
“As long as a man is trying as hard as he can to do what he thinks to be right, he is a success regardless of the outcome.” — Admiral Hyman G. Rickover2
Goal for the Week:
Write down my ideal day the night before
Setting aside dedicated time blocks is a simple yet effective way to boost productivity. Unfortunately, I often struggle to implement this in practice. Instead of following a structured routine, I tend to rely on mental reminders of tasks I want to accomplish, without a specific plan to see them through. As a result, my day unfolds organically, and I end up addressing tasks as I get to them, rather than proactively tackling them. This approach is not an efficient way to work. To fix this, each night, I will write down the things I would like to accomplish most the next day and then schedule specific time blocks for each of them.
What I’m Reading:
The War of Art — Steven Pressfield (10% done)
What I finished Reading:
Discipline Is Destiny — Ryan Holiday
Discipline to do the right thing … sure. Discipline to do the hard thing … sure. Discipline to live a good life … one thousand times yes. Discipline is Destiny is all about this idea. I started the book because I felt like I was lacking and needed help with discipline and it provided me with exactly that. Holiday will inspire, encourage, and lay a blueprint for why discipline is essential in all aspects of our lives. He does this through short chapters and stories of historical greats (Queen Elizabeth, Lou Gherhig, Napolean—to name a few), making the content easily digestible. No matter who you are or what your current state of life is, you should read this book. I give Discipline is Destiny an 8.3/10.
What I’m listening to (one podcast, one artist, one song):
The Lumineers
Time Zones — Grady Spencer & the Work
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to subscribe to stay updated for the next edition and feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Take care,
James
I’ve had thoughts on this idea of “doing your best” and then I read Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday. In the book, he has an entire chapter dedicated to this idea, which served as inspiration for this week’s letter.
The pioneering and influential "Father of the Nuclear Navy" who played a pivotal role in the development and implementation of nuclear propulsion for submarines and surface ships, completely changing naval warfare. There is a great story about him in Discipline is Destiny (where I got this quote) to look forward to if you decide to read it.