Good, Better, Best

By Charles Bogue
Saturday, September 29, 2007

From generation to generation there have been simplistic sayings that have given guidance to success, be it in business or life in general. “Early bird gets the worm,” “when the going gets tough, the tough get going,” “plan your work and work your plan” and more recently Nike’s “Just Do It.”Discipline and inspiration walk hand in hand on the road to success. There is good reason to adhere to simple business practices that resonate with you as you create the framework for your method of doing business.An attorney friend recently awakened in me the thought of why being a lawyer is called “practicing law.” The work itself, be it law or any other profession, is practice. It is an evolving process from case to case or client to client, by which you draw on all the knowledge that you have acquired, access the needs of the situation and apply your resources as effectively as possible.In essence, there is no having arrived, you simply learn, grow and improve by “practicing” that which you know.
Of all the simplistic expressions to draw upon, the one I like to use as a business and life benchmark is to “always do your best.” Having heard these four simple words first from my parents in grade school, this expression was rekindled in the reading of a small spiritual study entitled “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz. The fourth agreement in this concise study of human interaction affirms that doing our best each day has a direct implication on how we feel about ourselves and what we are able to accomplish. No one day is like another. Each presents new challenges that require thoughtful energy and the ability to remain positive during moments which may appear adverse or even overwhelming.Staying the course requires more perspiration than inspiration when vision statements and long-term goals fall from view. I remember the definition of discipline being the ability to continue one’s work well after the inspiration has departed.Some days will feel better and more productive than others, but by always doing your best you cannot judge yourself. The book goes on to say “if you don’t judge yourself, there is no way you will suffer from guilt, blame or self punishment.”Raised in a generation of economic privilege, it is beyond my imagination to feel or understand what my father must have experienced in his life during the Great Depression. The ability to keep the faith that fortune would turn when all one could see was evidence to the contrary was an act of courage.Different as they may be, the challenges we face today are as important as any from the past because they are ours.In the words of Don Miguel Ruiz, “Doing your best, you are going to live your life intensely. You are going to be productive, you are going to be good to yourself, because you will be giving yourself to your family, to your community, to everything.”Certainly not a bad way to start the day.