Do you notice the term “reasonable efforts” when you are reviewing a legal contract?
Yes, we all know that it is a legal term to define the kind of effort a party should put in to meet contractual obligations. But do you know this legal term is also a great teacher in our daily life?
Consider this – how often do we say to ourselves or one another, “Just do your best”, without even thinking about the context?
Can we really be our best and do our best in every aspect of our life? The perfectionist in us is surely tempted to say yes to the question, but we also know that we only have a finite amount of time and energy. To use a bit more legal speech here – putting in all efforts regardless of the circumstance will only lead to undue hardship. Sometimes it will even stall the process.
Sometimes we do need to do our best, but often we just need things done and move on. Knowing the difference between “best efforts” and “reasonable efforts” in our daily life will make you more efficient and more content.