IINspiration MondayWhen Your Best Doesn’t Feel Like Enough (And Why That Needs to Change)

Let’s talk about a feeling I know too well — and maybe you do too.It’s that paradox between wanting to be the best… and never quite seeing yourself as good enough.

In high-performing environments, we wear ambition like a badge of honor. We say things like “I’ll do my best” or “I didn’t win, but I tried my best” — and yet, internally, we roll our eyes. I used to. For a long time, I believed that doing your best was just… a story we tell ourselves. A comforting little excuse for people who didn’t really want it badly enough.

I used to think:

“You could have done better, Laura. So why didn’t you?”“Your best? Don’t kid yourself. You’ve been lazy.”“Other people celebrate results. You should already be on to the next goal.”

What I didn’t realize is that this mindset was slowly poisoning the joy of everything I had achieved. I was obsessed with pushing further, harder, higher. The bar always moved. And the finish line? It disappeared the moment I got close. Sound familiar?

The Myth of “Better”

Yes, I believe in growth. Yes, I believe we can improve. But I had to ask myself an honest question:

👉 If I could have done better... would I have?

👉 And if I didn’t, maybe that WAS my best — in that moment, under those circumstances, with the tools I had.

The truth hit me like a BOOM — but a good one this time. It wasn't about settling. It was about seeing myself clearly, with honesty and compassion. Accepting my effort as valid, even if the result wasn’t perfect.

And that changed everything.

A Decade of Achievements — and No Pride?

I looked back over the last 10 years. All the businesses I built, the degrees I earned, the certifications, the speaking gigs, the intense coaching sessions, the people I helped, the risks I took.

And I realized something painful: I had never felt proud of myself. Not once. There was always something I could have done better. Or I told myself it wasn’t hard enough.Or it was luck. Or timing. Or not worth celebrating.

Meanwhile, I was the first to celebrate others. And I was known for saying things like “What a waste of time!” when a project moved too slowly. But I had to ask myself, Laura, what a waste of happiness, too.

That was the breakthrough. And yes, I cried.

Because, for once, I let myself feel it.The joy. The pride. The truth that I had given my best, and it was enough. Maybe not perfect. Maybe not even pretty. But it was everything I had — and I had grown from it.

Performance Anxiety Isn’t Just About the Stage

We talk a lot about performance anxiety as if it's reserved for public speaking or athletes before a big match. But what about the anxiety of showing up every day in your life — your work, your relationships, your parenting, your leadership — and feeling like you’re constantly under review?

We fear judgment. We fear being “found out.”We fear being “not enough” — again.

And so, we keep moving. We keep proving. And we forget to pause. To acknowledge.To be human.

Especially in a Chaotic World…

Right now, the world feels unstable. The market is hard. The news is heavy. The ground beneath us doesn’t always feel safe.

So if there’s one thing I want you to remember this Monday, it’s this:

Doing your best in a difficult context is a strength, not a shortcoming. Self-recognition is not arrogance. It’s fuel. Perfection is not the price of worth.

Celebrate your journey. Not just the highlights, but the way you kept going when no one was watching. The effort you made when it was hard.

The moments you chose to stay kind to yourself, or even when you didn’t, but still came back.

Laura

Founder CoachIIN