Your Best is Your Worst

My Dad always taught us “your best is your worst”. That means if you are empathetic and kind, that is a great quality . . . until it isn’t because you end up caring about others to the point of not caring for yourself. 

Or maybe your “best” is that you are super efficient, can do things quickly, and get a lot done. That serves you until you are so fast and efficient that you never ask for help because you can do it faster . . . and end up with too many things on your plate.

The key is to know the “tipping point”, where your best turns to your worst, so that you can stay in “best” more often than “worst”. 

Mrs. Empathetic’s tipping point from best to worst might be when she spends the whole evening worrying about someone else’s problem that she has no control over. 

Ms. Efficient’s tipping point could be when she can’t stop doing things, and feels frustrated because she can never do “enough”.

Want to understand your best, worst, and tipping point? Simply ask yourself: 

❓ What is one of my best qualities and how does that serve me? 

I am awesome at solving problems, and can figure anything out. 

❓ When does that best become my worst? 

When I try to solve everyone else’s problems and take on things that don’t belong to me. 

❓ What should I do when I reach the “tipping point”?

Learn to notice when I’m doing it, and ask myself if this problem is mine to solve, or if I should just walk away.  

Take some time to journal about these questions this week!

PS If you’ve reached that tipping point, where your best is feeling more like your worst, I’ve got your back. My group coaching program The Good Life will teach you everything you need to know to maximize your best and minimize your worst. Learn more and set up a time to talk to me about it here.