“To give anything less
than your best
is to sacrifice
the gift.”
Steve Prefontaine

During my career as an educator, I witnessed the full spectrum of student effort. Many of my students were consistently conscientious, some to the point of obsession, about doing well and putting forth their best effort on class assignments. A smaller percentage of students seemed to think that someone else should do their work for them. These students often failed to complete required reading or submit homework assignments. A number of these same students chose to be inattentive or uninvolved in class discussions. The largest percentage of students were somewhere in between these two extremes. They did what was required to successfully complete the course.

For several years, I had the Steve Prefontaine quote (above) posted on the back wall of my classroom. One might wonder why I would post such an inspirational quote on the back wall, rather than in the front of the room. The reason is quite simple: I posted it for me! Certainly, I hoped my students would notice it and be inspired by Prefontaine’s words, but my primary reason for posting it was to inspire me — to provide a daily reminder to myself to put forth my best effort every day of the academic year.

There were days when I failed to put forth 100% effort. Occasionally, I slipped into “survival mode” due to illness or sheer exhaustion. Burning the candle at both ends, a practice I tried to avoid, sometimes took its toll, resulting in an attempt to just get through the day (or week).  Fortunately, those times were rare. Most often, my car was one of the first in the faculty parking lot each morning and one of the last to leave in the afternoon. It was quite common for me to spend my Sunday afternoons in my classroom preparing lessons for the upcoming week.

Even today, I do my best to put forth my best effort — whether in my role as a writer, father, husband, neighbor, or friend. While I fall short of this expectation on a regular basis, my intentions are good. I want my wife, my sons and grandkids, my neighbors, and my friends to know that my goal is to be the best person I can be for them and to put forth my best effort in my relationships with them.

Steve Prefontaine was a runner — one of the best in the United States. He once held national records in every long-distance running event. He came up short of winning a medal at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. Undeterred, he refocused his efforts on preparing for the 1976 Games in Montreal, Canada. Unfortunately, his plans were derailed when he died in an auto accident in May of 1974.  He was only 24 years old. Prefontaine knew what it meant to give one’s best. He also recognized that his running ability was a God-given gift, so the quote above is a reflection of that understanding.

Although I may come up short from time to time, my goal is still to put forth my best effort in everything I do. Giving my best effort is a way of expressing my gratitude for the many ways I have been blessed. That, in itself, should provide all the motivation I need.

“Doing your best
is more important than
being the best.”
Zig Ziglar