The Day the Moonwalk Wasn't Good Enough.

The first time Michael Jackson performed his signature dance, the Moonwalk, he reportedly went backstage afterward in tears, convinced he had done a terrible job.

Meanwhile, the audience had gone absolutely wild. The reaction was overwhelming, and the performance would later become one of the most iconic moments in entertainment history.

I believe this is a situation that resonates with many hardworking, passionate individuals.

You finish a presentation or speech, unable to hear the positive comments around you because you're consumed by your own thoughts:

"That was bad."

"I messed it up."

"I could have done much better."

For those who don't experience this, it may seem surprising. For those who do, it makes complete sense.

One reason behind this is the standard you set for yourself, the expectation of what you're capable of delivering.

Sometimes, that standard becomes so high that even a performance others admire feels disappointing to you.

Don't get me wrong, you may very well be capable of reaching the stars. And you have every right to aim that high.

But when and how you pursue that standard matter.

You don't have to operate at 100% all the time, especially when the situation doesn't require it.

Imagine driving a car with the engine pushed to its limit every single day. Eventually, it will burn out.

The same can happen to us.

High performers often exhaust themselves not because they're incapable, but because they expect peak performance in every meeting, every conversation, every presentation, and every task.

Excellence is not about giving your maximum effort all the time. It's about knowing when a situation requires your best and when "good enough" is exactly what is needed. 

Striving for excellence can be a strength. But when self-evaluation drowns out reality, it becomes difficult to recognize your own progress and impact.

The next time you walk off a stage thinking you didn't do well, remember: your internal scorecard may not always reflect what the audience experienced.

For a more practical way to evaluate:

• Separate feelings from facts. Feeling nervous does not mean you performed poorly.

• Judge yourself based on your objective, not perfection. Did you deliver the message? Did the audience understand it? Did you create value?

• Leave room for growth. Not every presentation has to be your best presentation.

• After every speaking engagement, write down three things that went well before identifying one thing to improve.

The goal isn't to lower your standards.

The goal is to pursue excellence without letting excellence become the reason you can never appreciate your own success.

#JE_Speakup #PublicSpeaking #ExecutiveCoaching #ExecutivePresence