I Don't Always Have The "Best" Feet

“Put your best foot forward.”

We’ve all heard it and probably used it at some point. And it’s good advice, I guess. But as I get older (and the number of things that remind of my advancing age is growing all the time), I’ve begun to question “superlative” phrases like this, especially when it comes to motivating myself.

A little background. The origin of “Put your best foot forward” may date as far back as the late 15^th century, but more common is the thought that it was first published as part of a poem by Sir Thomas Overbury in 1613. (I read the poem. It’s long and hard to read, so I won’t discuss it further.)

Another source (and this is the one I like) says it refers back to a time when people curtsied and bowed (as old as I am, that is still before my time … and certainly above my socioeconomic station) and were told to lead such actions with their dominant, or “best” foot.

But whatever the case, it has come to mean “do your best,” or “embark on a journey or task with purpose and energy.”

Fair enough. I can get behind that. I mean, “Do your best” is rarely bad advice.

The problem is, on any given day, I don’t always have a “best foot” (metaphorically speaking). Maybe I’m not at the top of my game for any number of reasons. (And again, that’s a growing list as I get older.)

ASIDE: We won’t discuss how, if you have two feet, you technically don’t have a “best foot” (semantically speaking); only a “better” foot. Just let that go for now. (I know, it bothers me too.)

So, what am I supposed to do when I’m struggling to find my “best foot” (again, metaphorically speaking), just sit and wait until it shows up; that motivation, creativity and drive that will launch me to greatness?

I don’t know about you, but while I generally feel good and healthy and safe and relatively motivated, I have days when I look at my feet (metaphorically speaking) and say, “I don’t know that I have a best foot today.” Yet, I find a way; a way to put a foot–any foot (I don’t want to assume you have only two)–forward. To get moving. To gain momentum. To start the day in hopes that my “best foot” will show up and start kicking some (metaphorical) ass.

Or maybe not. Maybe on those days, I should just plod along with the feet I have today, still making progress, checking things off my list and go to bed satisfied but maybe not overwhelmed by what I accomplished that day.

I think too often, I (again, I don’t want to speak for you), I try too hard to be the best I can be (another cliched phrase). And when I do that, I don’t celebrate or even acknowledge all the “average” and “ordinary” things I accomplish in a given day. And these things matter.

The thing is, whether through nature or nurture, we’re not built this way, to simply live and accept our days for what they are: some fantastic and beautiful, others just “meh.” But if we wait until we’re ready to put our “best” foot forward, I fear we’ll have a lot of disappointing days.

So today, I’m going to put a foot forward. Which one? Not sure yet. But no matter what it looks like–a worn-out shoe, a dirty boot, a smelly sneaker, or maybe a gift shop flip-flop, I’m going to step out and step up in any way I can. It doesn’t matter if I stub my (metaphorical) toe, if my (metaphorical) sock has a hole in it, or if my (metaphorical) Oxfords are tied.

Because every moment we spend (read: waste) waiting for the right moment or continuing to tweak and perfect our lives before we take the first step, we continue to find ourselves buried in concrete, unable to move; expecting too much from the very experience and joy that is our life.

And as I get older, I’m starting to understand the value of each day, and the importance of just putting one foot in front of the other, whether it’s my best or not. One step at a time.

Enjoy the day.

© 2025 David R. Haznaw