By Jeff Barnes
It is going to sound pessimistic, it sounds weird even to me, but this month I am tackling the issue of being the best version of ourselves. What exactly does it mean? Why is it drummed into us all our lives? And most of all is it a reachable and sustainable mindset?
The quest to be our best self or live our best life is one that many of us take up, encourage others to take up, or one that many of us fear to tread because we have tried many times and found no resolve.
It is a relatively simple concept, work hard, raise a family, have nice possessions, be financially comfortable. Enjoy life. Simple! But who determines that level of comfort?
In my experience it has been something that has been engrained in me. It is not an issue to try and do your best. My issue is the quest to aim to live your best life. To do your best is an action. To be on your best behaviour is an action. But to be the best version of yourself, I cannot see this as a realistic goal. Hear me out, do your best and do it well, but you can only be the best at a point in time.
In reflection and over time we gain more skills, become more confident and competent, and we generally become better than what we were, so then in theory if we are trying to become our best, once we reach that point, we would need to stop.
I think that the lines have been blurred and we forget that we need to make attainable, realistic, goals with specific, timebound tasks that can be measured against previous performance.
Being the best vision of our self is not specific. Set a benchmark for what you expect or want, reach it, and reset! Do not just settle for the notion of the best version of…
