What does "doing your best" mean? And can you definitely say that you're doing your best? If you can, then it means that you can't do it better. So, you've gained perfection, haven't you? And that sounds strange. I may be mistaken but my personal view on the problem is: if someone keeps saying that he is doing his best he simply wants to be praised or to be paid attention to. The better the one works, the less he has to shout about his achievements as everybody will notice them as it is. And one more thing: if the person is doing his best, he involves all his efforts, all inner sources to achieve his goal. And that's not an easy thing to do. That's why I believe that only sometimes, very rarely we do our best. That's my personal view on the problem. And what do you think?
And what if one does his best (as he thinks) just because he strives for perfection in everything? Does it mean he has some inner problem? ( Maybe I'm digressing from the main point, but I just have a lot of related thoughts)
Guys, I'd like you to look at the issue through another perspective. Phrases like "I'm doing my best", "What else can I do?", "That's all I could do!" mean one thing - it is a psychological strategy to protect your mind and body from excessive stress, unmanageble situations or depression over your potential failure. There is an inner voice that always tells us when it is time to stop and regain strength. "Doing your best" can be redone the next day when your nervous system and physical energy allow you a new journey into a stressful environment.
Well, when I hear a person saying “I'm doing my best”, I usually understand it as “I'm doing everything that is possible at the very moment” . And the moments differ. If anybody is doing his best now it doesn't mean that the next time in almost the same situation he won't do smth better. There is no absolutely achievable ideal... So, yes, you are right – we very rarely we do our best.
I think that when we tell somebody that we are doing our best we must add a phrase "considering the circumstances". But I should agree with Asya. We really do our best very seldom.
