Podcast Summary: The Life Coach School Podcast, Episode #528: "When Your Best Isn't"
Release Date: October 3, 2024
In episode #528 of The Life Coach School Podcast, Master Coach and host Brooke Castillo delves into the challenging yet transformative concept of “When Your Best Isn’t” — exploring what to do when despite giving your all, the desired results remain elusive. Drawing from personal experiences, coaching insights, and her son Christian’s journey in professional golf, Brooke offers a comprehensive guide for individuals striving to achieve their goals, whether in business, sports, or personal development.
I. A Personal Journey as a Foundation
Brooke begins the episode by sharing her recent experiences traveling through Canada with her son, Christian, during his debut pro golf tour. She highlights the profound bond and lessons learned during this period, setting the stage for the episode's central theme.
“I bought this house in San Diego, I don’t know, six months ago, and I've stayed here like seven days, literally been in the house seven days total. And so it’s not even decorated... but it still feels so great to be home.”
— Brooke Castillo [00:00]
This personal touch not only humanizes Brooke but also underscores the parallels between her life and that of her clients and students.
II. Understanding When Your Best Isn't Enough
The core of the episode revolves around the inevitability of facing situations where one's best efforts do not yield immediate success. Brooke emphasizes that this is a common experience, especially for beginners embarking on new ventures.
“Sometimes your best isn’t good enough. Sometimes your very best doesn’t get you the trophy.”
— Brooke Castillo [00:09]
Using Christian’s golf career as a metaphor, Brooke illustrates how dedication and hard work do not always translate to instant victories, mirroring the struggles faced by entrepreneurs and life coaches.
III. Three Essential Questions to Navigate Failure
To guide listeners through moments when their best efforts fall short, Brooke introduces three pivotal questions:
-
What is Your Best?
Assessing one's current capabilities is crucial. Brooke breaks down "your best" into four components:
- Skill: Technical abilities relevant to the goal.
- Attitude: Mindset and emotional state.
- Commitment: Level of dedication and consistency.
- Resilience: Ability to overcome setbacks and persist.
“What is your best in terms of your skill right now? What is your best in terms of your attitude right now?... What is your best in terms of your resilience, your ability to overcome and continue?”
— Brooke Castillo [10:15] -
Is Your Best Good Enough to Get the Result?
Brooke stresses the importance of determining whether current efforts align with desired outcomes. Recognizing that perseverance is key, she cautions against quitting prematurely when results aren’t immediately visible.
“The only way you will ever know if your best is good enough is to keep going, is to not give up now.”
— Brooke Castillo [15:45] -
Why Isn't Your Best Good Enough Yet?
Identifying the gap between current efforts and desired results is essential for growth. Brooke uses Christian’s golf performance metrics to exemplify how pinpointing specific areas for improvement leads to actionable strategies.
“Why isn’t your best good enough now? Because in terms of skill... we’re not getting enough fairways... we’re not making enough putts.”
— Brooke Castillo [23:30]
IV. Bridging the Gap: Strategies for Improvement
Once the gaps are identified, Brooke advocates for a structured approach to enhance each component of one’s best:
- Skill Enhancement: Continuous learning and practice to refine technical abilities.
- Attitudinal Shifts: Cultivating a positive mindset and resilience.
- Increased Commitment: Maintaining consistency and dedication even when results lag.
- Building Resilience: Developing strategies to overcome obstacles and sustain motivation.
“Trying your hardest is a given. You have to try your hardest if you want to be excellent at anything. But your hardest is not good enough. Yet how do you make it better is the question.”
— Brooke Castillo [30:10]
Brooke underscores the necessity of transforming one’s efforts to surpass previous limits, fostering an environment where excellence can blossom from relentless self-improvement.
V. The Journey vs. The Destination: Finding Joy in the Process
A pivotal part of the discussion centers on shifting focus from solely outcome-oriented goals to embracing the journey itself. Brooke challenges the conventional wisdom of “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey” by emphasizing the intrinsic value of the process.
“Can you enjoy the process of building your business? Can you enjoy the process of all of the failures and all of the progress that you need to make?”
— Brooke Castillo [38:50]
She argues that true fulfillment comes from the constant evolution, learning, and personal growth experienced along the way, rather than waiting for a final achievement to validate one’s efforts.
VI. Embracing Impossible Goals for Transformation
Brooke advocates for setting audacious, seemingly impossible goals as a catalyst for profound personal transformation. By aiming beyond current capabilities, individuals are compelled to evolve beyond their comfort zones, fostering significant change rather than mere incremental improvement.
“When you have an impossible goal, that failure is almost inevitable. Those type of goals require us to transform not just what we're doing in our lives, but who we are being.”
— Brooke Castillo [45:25]
She highlights that such goals demand redefining one’s identity and capabilities, pushing individuals to realize their fullest potential through the pursuit of dreams that challenge their existing limits.
VII. Defining Success Through Future Possibilities
Brooke emphasizes the importance of envisioning a successful future to redefine how failures are perceived. Instead of allowing setbacks to define one's self-worth, she encourages defining failure through the lens of future success and ongoing improvement.
“Your source of power comes from declaring that future. And instead of letting your failures define you, you let them create you.”
— Brooke Castillo [52:10]
This forward-thinking approach empowers individuals to reinterpret failures as opportunities for growth and transformation, maintaining motivation and resilience even in the face of adversity.
VIII. Conclusion and Teasers for Future Episodes
Brooke wraps up the episode by reiterating the importance of understanding why one's best isn't enough yet and implementing strategies to bridge that gap. She teases upcoming episodes on "Greatness versus Happiness" and "How to Frustrate," promising continued exploration of themes that empower listeners to pursue their most ambitious goals.
“Sometimes your best isn't good enough yet, and that's okay. We just need to know why. So we can close the gap.”
— Brooke Castillo [60:40]
Key Takeaways
- Self-Assessment: Regularly evaluate your current best across skill, attitude, commitment, and resilience.
- Perseverance: Understanding that persistence is vital when immediate results are not visible.
- Strategic Improvement: Identify specific areas where your best needs enhancement and create actionable plans to address them.
- Enjoying the Journey: Find joy and fulfillment in the process of growth and transformation, not just in achieving goals.
- Setting Audacious Goals: Aim for seemingly impossible objectives to drive significant personal and professional development.
- Redefining Failure: View setbacks as opportunities for creation and growth, not as definitive judgments of your abilities.
Brooke Castillo’s insightful exploration in episode #528 serves as both a motivational guide and a practical framework for anyone feeling discouraged by the gap between their efforts and their desired outcomes. By embracing the journey, continually striving to elevate one’s best, and redefining the meaning of failure, listeners are equipped to transform challenges into stepping stones toward their ultimate goals.