--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm tired of giving my best and not…" description: "\"I'm tired of giving my best and not having it be good enough.\" — Jack Nicklaus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae7/jack-nicklaus-1429_be-good_i-m-tired-of-giving-my-best-and-not-havi_2117406.png" --- # I'm tired of giving my best and not having it be good… ![“I'm tired of giving my best and not having it be good enough.” quote by Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae7/jack-nicklaus-1429_be-good_i-m-tired-of-giving-my-best-and-not-havi_2117406.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae7/jack-nicklaus-1429_be-good_i-m-tired-of-giving-my-best-and-not-havi_2117406.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae7/jack-nicklaus-1429_be-good_i-m-tired-of-giving-my-best-and-not-havi_2117406.png) > “I'm tired of giving my best and not having it be good enough.” [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Consistently giving effort without recognition can lead to frustration and self‑doubt. **In simple terms:** Hard work isn’t always rewarded. Key Takeaway Seek growth beyond external validation. Themes effort recognition frustration Mood determined introspective Type motivational personal growth When to use this quote - career development - team projects - creative endeavors Key Concepts self‑esteem performance pressure Questions to Reflect On - What defines success for you? - How can you sustain motivation despite setbacks? A Different Perspective External validation may mask intrinsic motivation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) ## Related quotes > [Take more pleasure in giving what is best to another than in having it for yourself, and then all the world will love you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/take-more-pleasure-in-giving-what-is-best-to-another-than-in-having/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Our content Is our best having.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/our-content-is-our-best-having/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [That's what I think of, when I'm at my best I'm having fun, enjoying everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-jones/that-s-what-i-think-of-when-i-m-at-my-best-i-m-having-fun-enjoying/) [Mac Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-jones/) > [The price of being the best is having to be the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-price-of-being-the-best-is-having-to-be-the-best/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“The best part about having children is being able to point at them and proudly proclaim, "Hey, I made those.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-best-part-about-having-children-is-being-able-to-point-at-them/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“The best part about having kids is not actually having to have kids. Thank you, women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-best-part-about-having-kids-is-not-actually-having-to-have-kids/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Joy is being the best while having fun doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/joy-is-being-the-best-while-having-fun-doing-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The best part of having an independent girl is that all you gotta do is love her. She got the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-part-of-having-an-independent-girl-is-that-all-you-gotta-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“..."Do your best and never having REGRETS.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-relato/do-your-best-and-never-having-regrets/) [Angela Relato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-relato/) > [As soon as I entered this NFL, it was to be the best. I won't settle for being third best but having a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/as-soon-as-i-entered-this-nfl-it-was-to-be-the-best-i-won-t-settle/) [Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/) > [“The price for being the best is always... having to be the best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-price-for-being-the-best-is-always-having-to-be-the-best/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [A lot of men & women would rather stay single because they're tired of giving their everything and ending up with nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/advice-therapy/a-lot-of-men-women-would-rather-stay-single-because-they-re-tired-of/) [Advice Therapy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/advice-therapy/) > [Some people choose to stay alone, simply because they are tired of giving everything and ending up with nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherry-forever/some-people-choose-to-stay-alone-simply-because-they-are-tired-of/) Cherry Forever > [Just because I'm giving up does not mean I don't care. It just means I'm tired of giving my everything and ending up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-because-i-m-giving-up-does-not-mean-i-don-t-care-it-just-means-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ “People always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. I was not tired physically, \[...\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosa-parks/people-always-say-that-i-didn-t-give-up-my-seat-because-i-was-tired/) [Rosa Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosa-parks/) ## More by Jack Nicklaus > [My kids all do love to hunt and fish. When they get together, I think that's what they get together more for than anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/my-kids-all-do-love-to-hunt-and-fish-when-they-get-together-i-think/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [I don't think you would have missed that putt, but in these circumstances, I would never give you the opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-don-t-think-you-would-have-missed-that-putt-but-in-these/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [I've said many times before that Pebble Beach is a wonderful thinking-man's golf course. That is why it is such a great U.S. Open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-ve-said-many-times-before-that-pebble-beach-is-a-wonderful-thinking/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [I came back and in '63, I was at the British Open, trying to win my first British Open. And I had what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-came-back-and-in-63-i-was-at-the-british-open-trying-to-win-my/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [My workout was playing other sports and I always played tennis, football, basketball, threw a baseball - I was always doing something to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/my-workout-was-playing-other-sports-and-i-always-played-tennis/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [I guess that's why they call it Hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-guess-that-s-why-they-call-it-hell/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [If you want to hit it farther, hit it better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/if-you-want-to-hit-it-farther-hit-it-better/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [I wish I had kept my damn mouth shut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-wish-i-had-kept-my-damn-mouth-shut/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [You have to watch your handicap. My son Steve says, "Never make a putt you don't have to."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/you-have-to-watch-your-handicap-my-son-steve-says-never-make-a-putt/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [Whether it's pool or Ping Pong, I can't stand to have my kids beat me. Especially Ping Pong! And when they beat me, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/whether-it-s-pool-or-ping-pong-i-can-t-stand-to-have-my-kids-beat-me/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [If you'd asked me at 30 where I'd be during the Masters when I was 46, I'd have pictured myself on a boat fishing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/if-you-d-asked-me-at-30-where-i-d-be-during-the-masters-when-i-was-46/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [There are no maladies in my golf game. My golf game stinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/there-are-no-maladies-in-my-golf-game-my-golf-game-stinks/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [That's sort of overkill. We've had 70 years of the Ryder Cup, and it's gotten along just fine. The pendulum will swing back without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/that-s-sort-of-overkill-we-ve-had-70-years-of-the-ryder-cup-and-it-s/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [Golf really excites me only when the course is difficult and challenging. I love competing. The pressure of competition against fine holes and fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/golf-really-excites-me-only-when-the-course-is-difficult-and/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [A perfectly straight shot with a big club is a fluke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/a-perfectly-straight-shot-with-a-big-club-is-a-fluke/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) [Explore all 242 Jack Nicklaus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) ## More Be good quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Peace is the result of love, and if love were easy we'd all be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/peace-is-the-result-of-love-and-if-love-were-easy-we-d-all-be-good-at/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Most of us want to live in harmony and peace and be good to others. Right now, however, the world is in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hany-abu-assad/most-of-us-want-to-live-in-harmony-and-peace-and-be-good-to-others/) [Hany Abu-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hany-abu-assad/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-arden/everybody-wants-to-be-good-but-not-many-are-prepared-to-make-the/) [Paul Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-arden/) > [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) Randy Anderson > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. He just has to be interesting, and he has to be good at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chase/it-doesn-t-matter-if-your-lead-character-is-good-or-bad-he-just-has/) [David Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chase/) > [What's good for the very rich might not be good for anybody but them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/what-s-good-for-the-very-rich-might-not-be-good-for-anybody-but-them/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [“Living in the middle of beauty like this, we've no call to have puny ideas about God. Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) Browse all 1,747 Be good quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm tired of giving my best and not having it be good enough.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack Nicklaus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-m-tired-of-giving-my-best-and-not-having-it-be-good-enough/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be good" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-m-tired-of-giving-my-best-and-not-having-it-be-good-enough/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae7/jack-nicklaus-1429_be-good_i-m-tired-of-giving-my-best-and-not-havi_2117406.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae7/jack-nicklaus-1429_be-good_i-m-tired-of-giving-my-best-and-not-havi_2117406.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae7/jack-nicklaus-1429_be-good_i-m-tired-of-giving-my-best-and-not-havi_2117406.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm tired of giving my best and not having it be good enough.” — Jack Nicklaus", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jack Nicklaus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm tired of giving my best...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-m-tired-of-giving-my-best-and-not-having-it-be-good-enough/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-m-tired-of-giving-my-best-and-not-having-it-be-good-enough/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```