Your Best Isn't Perfect: How to lean into your personal best Artwork

Small Business Casual

Where small business meets your favorite pair of slippers.

A little quirky, not too buttoned up, one less accessory, ahhh… just right.

Welcome to Small Business Casual, where we focus on designing sustainable, cozy, and thriving businesses tailored to your LIFE. Not the other way around!

From general business and marketing to making sense of the behind-the-scenes chaos, I’m Emily Aborn, your host and Small Business Copywriter! I’m here to walk alongside you as we make running our businesses less of a roller coaster and more like a scenic train ride (don't forget the snacks!).

Want to be a guest on Small Business Casual? Send Emily Aborn a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/smallbusinesscasual

All Episodes

Small Business Casual

Your Best Isn't Perfect: How to lean into your personal best

February 24, 2026 • Emily Aborn

0:00 | 21:06

Text Emily!

We're wrapping up our series exploring Don Miguel Ruiz’s book and philosophy, The Four Agreements, and applying it to our modern businesses and creative endeavors.

Marketing, content creation, client relationships, boundaries, and perhaps most importantly, your relationship with YOURSELF, we’re going to examine what it means to do your best, not to be confused with "be perfect". This is Part the final episode of the four-part series, so make sure you catch each one and enjoy the journaling prompts and self-exploration along the way.

In the episode:

What doing your best actually is (and isn’t)
Why this can be such a hard one for so many of us as business owners
How to redefine what YOUR best looks like for you so you can show up sustainably
Journaling prompts for self-reflection
And more!

Journal Prompt #1)

What does 'my best' look like today - not in an ideal world, but given my ACTUAL capacity right now? What do you ACTUALLY have to give today? What would it look like to show up with integrity at that level?

Journal Prompt. #2)

Where am I confusing "doing my best" with "doing MORE"? What would change if I redefined my best to include rest and boundaries? Are you pushing yourself past your limits in the name of "doing your best"? What would it look like to do your best AND protect your capacity?

Resources & Associated Episodes

Link to Don Miguel Ruiz's The Four Agreements (link is to ThriftBooks)

Karen Kenney's Actions are the Voice of the Heart podcast episode

Part I) The Hidden Cost of Broken Promises

Part II) It's Not About You

Part III) Stop Guessing, Start Asking

Connect with Me!

I’m Emily Aborn, a Small Business Copywriter and host of Small Business Casual. With over a decade of copywriting experience in 120+ industries, I help small businesses grow with marketing that makes a distinct imprint. I take a big picture approach and genuine connection as I help you step into becoming (and sharing) the real YOU. For fun/downtime, I love reading, writing, hiking with friends, and moments of uninterrupted silence.

Email: emily@emilyaborn.com