Why Most-Effective is a Better Goal

I don’t believe in perfection.

Waiting until the perfect moment, or until we have the perfect plan or the perfect set of skills is an excuse to never take action.

I also don’t believe in being the best.

Anyone who has ever been declared (or declared themselves) the best, is inevitably superseded by someone else. Being the best is inherently finite.

Instead, I believe in being effective.

Not more efficient, that sounds like a robot. Not more productive either, that sounds like a machine in a factory.

Effective.

A couple of years ago, I realized something about myself. Something that, when taken out of context might sound like a bad thing. But, once you really consider it, it’s actually amazing.

I am only slightly above average in the things I do.

I have slightly above average intelligence. Slightly above average writing skills. And slightly above average soft skills.

Throughout my school years, I was a B or C student.

In sports, I am never the best on the team, but I was also far from the worst.

Slightly above average is actually a great place to be.

If the average person is… well, average. Then, being slightly better than that means that I can actually teach others how to improve. I have better skills than most.

But, another reason being just slightly above average works in my favor is that it makes me more relatable.

Other people see themselves in me.

Our skills are far enough apart that they can learn something from me, but close enough that it isn’t overwhelming to try and get where I’m at.

So, what does being slightly above average mean for becoming most-effective?

Most people don’t want to spend the time, or maybe they can’t spend the time, it takes to become the best or even one of the best.

Instead, most people understand that they just need to be good enough.

Good enough to get a promotion at work. Good enough to get a new job or change careers. Good enough to do well in presentations. Or a good enough coworker or boss.

Most people–myself included–don’t need to actually master anything.

We just need to be good enough at something, so that we are effective.

I am not the world’s greatest speaker. I say “umm” a lot. I lose my train of thought from time to time. And, often I babble on in conversations.

But, even with those faults, I know that I am an effective speaker.

I know, because others have told me and because I typically do well in presentations.

Similarly, I am not the greatest negotiator of all time. Far from it.

I don’t like to pinch every last cent from the person I’m negotiating with. That is never what’s important to me. Instead, I care much more about relationships than I do money.

Even in the relationship with the person I’m negotiating with, I want both of us to feel like we got a fair deal.

I’m also effective in my likability.

Most who know me would say I’m very likable. Am I the most likable person?

Actually, I might be…

No! Of course, I’m not.

Throughout my life, there have always been a handful of people who don’t like me, no matter how hard I try.

But, my likability, like my other skills, is effective.

I’ve trained it to be that way.

And, yes, I said “trained” because being a likable person isn’t a gift. In fact, there are times throughout my life where I was not a likable person. I walked around with a negative attitude and I rarely considered the people around me.

Because of this, I had very few friends growing up.

But, once I started becoming more likable, that all changed.

That change happened because I realized that being likable didn’t mean I had to be fake or be a servant to everyone. Being likable comes from being able to connect with the people around you.

Throughout the last decade, my goal is to have a positive effect on other people’s lives.

I want the people around me to enjoy their lives a little bit more, because I’m in it.

I smile and laugh a lot.

So much so that it’s actually a little embarrassing from time to time.

But, I do it because I know what life is like without smiling or laughing. And that life is hard.

No matter who you are, everyone can benefit from a little bit more smiling and laughing.

Ultimately, I decided that I want to have a positive effect on the world.

And one way I can do that is by helping people become the most-effective versions of themselves.

I probably can’t help you become the best or achieve perfection but, I can help you become more effective in your job and in your relationship with yourself and the people around you.

That’s why I created Most-Effective. And that’s what I hope to do for you.

Your turn: What do you think about being the best or perfection? Let me know in the comments.

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