Settling for Second Best?

Rather a lot of us, during this pandemic, have had to settle for second, third or fourth best, we often had to settle for whatever we could get.

Before the pandemic, were you planning to change careers, start a business, end a relationship, go back to school, lose weight, or move to another country? Maybe, because of the pandemic, you have had to shelve your plans.

If you have been settling for second best, just to survive, now is the time to take your pre-pandemic plans off the shelf, dust them off, and explore the possibilities of making your plans a reality.

Still settling for second best despite the new post-pandemic possibilities? Why? Maybe because we were scared

• that we don’t deserve any better
• that our plans are unrealistic/unattainable
• of what other people will say if we fail
• of leaving the safety of our comfort zone
• of losing what we have when we go for what we want
• committing and then not succeeding
• taking risks in this new post-pandemic world

That is perfectly understandable, but no one should ever settle for less than their best.

1. If you are tired of settling for second best, the first step towards attaining your best is having a very clear idea about what your best looks like. Post-pandemic, your perspectives and priorities may have changed. Your best might look very different from what it looked like before the pandemic. Setting “SMART” goals is still the best practice.
2. The second step is by recognising your own worth. Review your talents, skills, knowledge, qualifications, achievements and experience. Now would be a good time to stop selling yourself short, most of us are worth much more than we think. It’s time to raise your standards, raise your expectations, and don’t settle for anything less than the best!
3. The third step is to have another good look at your value. Some may have remained unchanged; others may no longer reflect your current thinking.
4. The next step is a difficult one: to stop making excuses, blaming others, procrastinating and rationalising your current situation. One thing the pandemic taught us is that tomorrow is not a given. You are tired of settling for second best? Do something about it. Dig deep and give it your all.
5. The fifth step is to not take anything for granted. It is important to be thankful for what you have. Gratitude is the foundation of all the transformational retreats I run here in the south of France. It is true that contentment is the key to peace of mind. However, settling for what you have while knowing that you can do more, give more and be more is not a good long-term strategy.

Why not start right now, and take the first step towards living your best life TODAY?

If you feel you need some guidance and support, this might be of use to you.

To get where we want to go in life, we have to keep at it. We have to create a vision, make choices based on what moves us most swiftly toward our goals, and go after them with determination and single-mindedness. – Stedman Graham

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