A LWAY S D O YOU R B E S T WOR K - G. BRIAN BENSON
ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST WORK
Always do your best work. It sounds obvious and simple, right? It may be simple, but it sure isn’t always that easy. We tend to complicate things; make excuses, take short cuts, get it done as fast as we can. Is that our best work? What does do your best mean to you? Does it make you feel that you need to create perfection, or meet high expectations, or strive for achievement? I completely get that. I used to think that way too. Doing our best isn’t about perfection, success or failure. Perfection doesn’t exist. It’s a mindset that can get in the way and rob us of any joy or fulfillment that we should be taking from a project or experience. According to writer, David Erichsen, “Doing your best is synonymous with living out each and every moment to its fullest potential. And this potential exists in every situation you encounter in your life. Doing your best is simply about taking pride in knowing that you gave it your all while putting all of your energy and resources into your project.” I wholeheartedly agree. I also know it isn’t always easy and we are often tempted to take short-cuts as well as worry about failing, or what people will think about us.
9 ENTREPRENEUR PLATFORM MAGAZINE
Doing our best work occurs when we are focused and absolutely in the process without worrying about the product. It’s a practice of consistent, hard work that eventually can become a habit. It has everything to do with a desire to be original with our work and to go the extra mile to stand out. My son has always had an incredibly strong work ethic in the photography and videography field and he once jokingly told me that he was like a Ninja and that his equipment was like his battle sword and he needed to keep it in tip top shape to do his best work. He definitely brings intensity to what he does. He prides himself in thinking outside of the box and constantly asks, “How can I do it different, or better?” He also feels that it is extremely important to face your weaknesses so that you can strive to strengthen them, definitely good advice. He also shared that what ultimately motivates him is the internal achievement; pride in doing a unique job and the creativity it takes to produce it.
