Why Doing Your Best Never Fails
Last week I was in Los Angeles shooting a pilot as the host and expert for a new transformational TV show. We will know in a few weeks if it gets picked up by a network.
One of the best parts of filming was that it was an opportunity for all my passions and talents to come together at once.
You may not know, but before I started my business years ago, I was an actor.
I guest starred on shows like The Sopranos, Sex and The City, Chappelle’s Show and more.
Back then, the process of getting an acting job always felt like a game of “Do you like me enough to hire me? Please, please pick me. Pretty please!”
But as I started getting to know, trust and like myself—work that I also teach in my Shrink Session and Magical Manifesters programs—it was no longer about waiting for someone to pick me.
It became about ME always choosing ME.
I learned what it means to always GIVE MY BEST AND LEAVE THE REST.
GIVING YOUR BEST means showing up and playing at 100%.
Playing at 100% doesn’t mean always being perfect. And some days 100% looks very different than other days.
But it always means choosing again and again to be the best version of yourself.
LEAVING THE REST means that if you give your best, what happens after that is out of your control. You have done enough.
The beautiful part, is that when we give our best, our best gets better. And better and better. So? Just do your best!
Who you are in THIS very moment is an accumulation of who you have been every day up until today.
This doesn’t mean you’re stuck in the past and can’t change. Because actually in this moment you have an opportunity to choose:
Will you do your best? Yes or no?
And if you say yes, you are taking a step toward becoming an even better version of yourself tomorrow.
As I went through the casting process for this show, I simply showed up and gave my best.
Instead of like in the old days where I hoped, “Pick me, pick me,” I relaxed in the comfort of knowing, “I am someone who consistently gives 100%. If they like it, great. If not, no biggie.”
Today, I invite you to use the mantra: I GIVE MY BEST, I LEAVE THE REST.
Check in with yourself throughout the day and ask if you are giving 100%. If the answer is yes, then don’t forget about the second part of letting go of the result, and resting in the knowledge you have done enough.
Now it’s your turn: Tell me specifically what it feels like when you’re DOING your best? And also share what it feels like when you’re not? Is there a big difference? Do you notice it?
Love,
Erin
P.S. I had the pleasure of sitting down with the good folks at Divine Living Magazine and sharing my top 5 tips for Staying in the Flow While You are On the Go. (AKA, traveling and being out of your regular routine.) YOU CAN READ THE ARTICLE HERE!
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Love this Erin, so true. You will be picked!!!
Thank you, Lynne:) xo
If you don’t do your best, why are you doing it at all. No matter what I chose to do, I give it 120%. Life is too short to do anything else! This has been my approach to life since i was ib high school. I have never been sorry.?
That’s awesome to hear! Makes a big difference, doesn’t it:)
When I give my best my mood is upbeat, I feel alive and energetic. I feel unstoppable. When I don’t give my best I am unmotivated and I hear a lot of negative chatter in my head. This past August I did a challenge with Alex Jamieson who recommended your Say it, Sweat it, Get it challenge. Gaining my confidence back has totally transformed my life! I now Give my Best every single day! Thank you!
I think you described the feelings beautifully! It’s so true – giving your best GIVES you confidence and energy. I love Alex and so glad you made your way to the challenge:) xo
I love this. Great statement. I am sure you gave your best and then some in California. Hope the show gets picked up!!
Love you!!
Something so simple but makes a big difference. When I am not in the mindset of giving all of me and leaving the rest, I have in the back of my mind that I am not good enough. But when I do give and leave, there is confidence and satisfaction. Needed this message. Thank you for sharing!
I give my best…and leave the rest! That’s essentially all we can do, yet, we put pressure on our wonderful selves to do otherwise. WHY?!? Sometimes I find myself NOT giving my best, simply going through the motions? What would happen if I were 100% present, doing my best? Hell! I might set the world ablaze…;) We are all goddesses! We all deserve to give our best! Mwah!
Hi Erin. I realize that many read your article from “where they are”. I come from a life of “doing” is more. Over achieving was how I lived my life. Always striving never arriving. So when I read be or do your best so you can be a better you tomorrow….it sends a message to my brain that I’m not good enough yet. I am willing to change my mind. Do you have any thoughts? Thanks sooooo much!
Thanks for this great question! I totally hear you on striving never arriving. I think the most important part of this post is the “I leave the rest” part. If you have given your best, which is essentially all you can do, you can then let go of any of the results and just bask in the fact that you have truly done and are enough. Also, if you trust that you are giving your best every day, then I invite you to also TRUST that you are getting better every day. While we are certainly enough each and every day, our natural inclination is towards growth and evolution. So there is always room for improvement. However, it shouldn’t be seen as a sign that you are lacking in THIS moment. You are only simply making space for even MORE greatness. Make sense?
For me giving my best in all I do, is how I show appreciation for waking up another day to fulfill my purpose.
My boyfriend and I are both actors, and your epiphanies about not waiting for someone else to say yes summarize my sentiments nicely! He always talks about “making it” and waiting for his big break. I tell him, let’s make our big break! Write web shows, start a business, etc…I feel validated.
I think being in the moment/fully engaged is the best sign of my doing my best. If I can look back at a promo modeling gig or day at work and barely remember it or realize I was fixated on a past event, current-but-not-present struggle, or have been checking into my pain instead of my work (I have Lyme disease and fibro, amongst other things), chances are I wasn’t doing my best. After a day like this, I feel productive and accomplished-like I want to post all of the little things I got done or got through on social media (but I don’t, haha).
When I’m not, I notice my pain more. My head is in the past or the present and not with me. I think morning journaling where I dump all of the crap and than night journaling where I acknowledge my accomplishments and things that I’m grateful for are the best way to stay accountable and balanced enough to give 100% the next day.
I am glad your man has you to remind him of his power. I also believe we create our own breaks and given the large amount of friends I still have in the business, those that have put forth effort in making their own stuff are the ones who are thriving. Have ya heard of a little show called Hamilton?;) Big love to you! Keep putting your stuff out there! xo Erin
had breast cancer 5 yrs ago.wake up everyday and try my best.
When I am doing my best, that is giving 100%, time flies, things go smoothly. When I am not at my best, I don’t feel good about what I am doing, things don’t go so smoothly, I stumble, things become difficult.
Thank you Erin for this powerful message in your blog. I normally don’t answer them, but today I feel like you were talking about me in a weird way lol. I know exactly what you are saying and when I put it all out there whether it’s in a workout at the gym or doing my studies this semester I try to give 110% all the time. Now today I have slacked off the last couple days because of over sleeping and work. But I think you gave me enough motivation in this blog to get back on track. Thank you so much.
P.S. The egg trick you showed works really great I tried it today thanks again
I’m so glad this got you back on track! And yeah for egg tricks. The. Best! Keep rolling at 110%! Big love, Erin
I needed this today! I’m really going for my dream right now and part of me, a large part, if terrified that my best is not going to be good enough. I’ve been procrastinating doing the work because of that fear. The idea that “when I do my best, my best gets better” is EXACTLY what I need hear. It takes away the fear because it doesn’t require me to be perfect or the best ever right now. It just requires that I do the best that I can in this moment, and the next one, and the next one. LOVE!
Agreed! If I’ve done my best, there’s no regret.
Might want to clean up the “First Name” and “can’t wait to hear from you over on the blog” though.
Just when I needed it most! Thx, Erin 🙂
Some clarifications:
I tend to eat emotionally.
Was wondering for situations where you know if you’re doing your best you should be doing A, but you’re doing B (a bad habit or negative behaviour). What can we do about it?
For example
work – I should be doing on this project, but I a) procrastinate or b) did work on it, but didn’t give wholeheartedly because I’m slacking
health – Should be eating clean, watch on my food & exercise, but I end up lying on bed, watching TV & munching on biscuits
love to hear ur comments on this XO
Hi Erin, this experience of thinking about how it feels to give my best was awesome. It’s something I feel I was taking for granted. I am constantly finding balance by negotiating life in the presence of dark and light moments. I am a true believer in doing the right thing; and doing my best falls right in the middle of that for me. How the neck I’ve not actually looked at how great it makes me feel is just silly on my part. Thank you, because now I have one more thing to smile about.
When I do my best nothing else matters. I feel confident, I know I am equal with anyone. I have more energy and am content with who I am. I also know I can achieve whatever I want if I truly want it. And it’s ” ok” if someone is ” better ” . I enjoy others success. We all are one makes sense .
Just want to add your the bomb Erin.