--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not always possible to be the best…" description: "\"It is not always possible to be the best, but it is always possible to improve your own performance.\" — Jackie Stewart" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87d/jackie-stewart-23355_always-room-for-impr_it-is-not-always-possible-to-be-the-best_3041198.jpg" --- # It is not always possible to be the best, but it is always… ![“It is not always possible to be the best, but it is always possible to improve your own performance.” quote by Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87d/jackie-stewart-23355_always-room-for-impr_it-is-not-always-possible-to-be-the-best_3041198.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87d/jackie-stewart-23355_always-room-for-impr_it-is-not-always-possible-to-be-the-best_3041198.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87d/jackie-stewart-23355_always-room-for-impr_it-is-not-always-possible-to-be-the-best_3041198.jpg) > “It is not always possible to be the best, but it is always possible to improve your own performance.” [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Improvement is always possible, even if being the best is not. **In simple terms:** Strive for personal progress. Key Takeaway Focus on self‑improvement. Themes improvement performance realism Mood optimistic determined Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - sports - career development - daily habits Key Concepts growth mindset self‑assessment Questions to Reflect On - What area can you improve today? - How do you measure personal growth? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can hinder effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always room for improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always-room-for-improvement/) [Being the best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-the-best/) [Car racing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/car-racing/) [Funny car racing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-car-racing/) [Funny racing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-racing/) [Improve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improve/) [Improve Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improve-performance-653978/) [Improving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improving/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Motorsports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motorsports/) [Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Possible Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible-best-988176/) [Possible Improve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible-improve-1701217/) [Race car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-car/) [Racing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racing/) [Self improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-improvement/) ## Related quotes > [Auto racing began 5 minutes after the second car was built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/auto-racing-began-5-minutes-after-the-second-car-was-built/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [“Is it possible to further improve something excellent? Yes, it is possible and an uber-excellent photo of an excellent view is proof for this!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/is-it-possible-to-further-improve-something-excellent-yes-it-is/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [It is always possible to improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-toomey/it-is-always-possible-to-improve/) [Bill Toomey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-toomey/) > [“be the worst possible and you will be the best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautam/be-the-worst-possible-and-you-will-be-the-best/) [Gautam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautam/) > [It is not always possible, but the best plan is always to keep hold of your best players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-koeman/it-is-not-always-possible-but-the-best-plan-is-always-to-keep-hold-of/) [Ronald Koeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-koeman/) > [Yes, it's possible to have the best of both worlds. My personal life is going great, and so is my career. Who says I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heart-evangelista/yes-it-s-possible-to-have-the-best-of-both-worlds-my-personal-life-is/) [Heart Evangelista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heart-evangelista/) > [There is no finish line when it comes to system reliability and availability, and our efforts to improve performance never cease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/there-is-no-finish-line-when-it-comes-to-system-reliability-and/) [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) > [Most of us believe that we need to be hard on ourselves to perform at our best, but that's wrong. When things are at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/most-of-us-believe-that-we-need-to-be-hard-on-ourselves-to-perform-at/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [If you try to improve the performance of a system of people, machines, and procedures by setting numerical goals for the improvement of individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myron-tribus/if-you-try-to-improve-the-performance-of-a-system-of-people-machines/) [Myron Tribus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myron-tribus/) > [Be open to constructive criticism. And use it as motivation to improve your performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-sinha/be-open-to-constructive-criticism-and-use-it-as-motivation-to-improve/) [Anil Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anil-sinha/) > [The aim of leadership should be to improve the performance of man and machine, to improve quality, to increase output, and simultaneously to bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/the-aim-of-leadership-should-be-to-improve-the-performance-of-man-and/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [“If you want to improve performance and productivity, set a vision that inspires and delights.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/if-you-want-to-improve-performance-and-productivity-set-a-vision-that/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [Every time you compete, try harder to improve on your last performance. Give nothing short of your very best effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elgin-baylor/every-time-you-compete-try-harder-to-improve-on-your-last-performance/) [Elgin Baylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elgin-baylor/) > [My aim has always been to improve with every performance and be an added strength to the side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-r-sreejesh/my-aim-has-always-been-to-improve-with-every-performance-and-be-an/) [P. R. Sreejesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-r-sreejesh/) > [Sometimes you change just to do something different, to improve the performance, lift the team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/sometimes-you-change-just-to-do-something-different-to-improve-the/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) ## More by Jackie Stewart > [We have had more sales for this year's grand prix than any other, and we have been helped in that by the fact that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/we-have-had-more-sales-for-this-year-s-grand-prix-than-any-other-and/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) > [There has been a huge advance in technology, which has improved the safety of the cars incredibly, but there are still some heavy crash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/there-has-been-a-huge-advance-in-technology-which-has-improved-the/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) > [From the five years, 1968-73, if you were an F1 driver at that time, there was a very likely chance that you would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/from-the-five-years-1968-73-if-you-were-an-f1-driver-at-that-time/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) > [For a quick lap at the Nrburgring, you've probably experienced more in seven minutes...than most people have experienced in all their life in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/for-a-quick-lap-at-the-nrburgring-you-ve-probably-experienced-more-in/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) > [I'm not going away. I'll still be very much involved in the team but not with the same number of hours. I need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/i-m-not-going-away-i-ll-still-be-very-much-involved-in-the-team-but/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) > [I would have been a much more popular Wolrd Champion if I had always said what people wanted to hear. I might have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/i-would-have-been-a-much-more-popular-wolrd-champion-if-i-had-always/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) > [When there is an accident involving fire, in most cases death is caused by the inhalation of the toxic smoke. What we need is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/when-there-is-an-accident-involving-fire-in-most-cases-death-is/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) > [There's enough Ferraris here to eat a plate of spaghetti.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/there-s-enough-ferraris-here-to-eat-a-plate-of-spaghetti/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) > [Juan Fangio was the great man of racing, whilst Stirling Moss was the epitome of a racing driver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/juan-fangio-was-the-great-man-of-racing-whilst-stirling-moss-was-the/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) > [Cornering is like bringing a woman to a climax. Both you and the car must work together. You start to enter the area of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/cornering-is-like-bringing-a-woman-to-a-climax-both-you-and-the-car/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) > [Sometimes you need to ease off in order to go faster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/sometimes-you-need-to-ease-off-in-order-to-go-faster/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) > [In one year I travelled 450,000 miles by air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/in-one-year-i-travelled-450-000-miles-by-air/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) > [There is no doubt that Formula 1 has the best risk management of any sport and any industry in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/there-is-no-doubt-that-formula-1-has-the-best-risk-management-of-any/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) > [Oh yes. It's not when you brake but when you take them off that counts. Most people don't understand that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/oh-yes-it-s-not-when-you-brake-but-when-you-take-them-off-that-counts/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) > [The years I raced in were fantastic. There was so much change in the cars. We went from treaded tyres to no wings right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/the-years-i-raced-in-were-fantastic-there-was-so-much-change-in-the/) [Jackie Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) [Explore all 26 Jackie Stewart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/) ## More Always room for improvement quotes > [I do think I am funny, or I wouldn't be where I am today. I do think there is always room for improvement and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/i-do-think-i-am-funny-or-i-wouldn-t-be-where-i-am-today-i-do-think/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [It's a great thing about being a musician; you don't stop until the day you die, you can improve. So it's a wonderful thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/it-s-a-great-thing-about-being-a-musician-you-don-t-stop-until-the/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [Every relationship, every situation is part of a divinely created and highly specific curriculum for your soul growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/every-relationship-every-situation-is-part-of-a-divinely-created-and/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I want to do something where the script is there. That doesn't mean that I won't need to come in, or be asked to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-antin/i-want-to-do-something-where-the-script-is-there-that-doesn-t-mean/) [Steve Antin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-antin/) > [Don't settle for mediocrity; never let good enough be good enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/don-t-settle-for-mediocrity-never-let-good-enough-be-good-enough/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [There's always room for improvement. I'm always focused on the results, and those are the precise things that I don't really experience as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-pink/there-s-always-room-for-improvement-i-m-always-focused-on-the-results/) [Ariel Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-pink/) > [Cultivate Curiosity. If you really want to grow in your lifetime, learn to be as inquisitive as a child. Curious people are never bored,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/cultivate-curiosity-if-you-really-want-to-grow-in-your-lifetime-learn/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Complacency is the forerunner of mediocrity. You can never work too hard on attitudes, effort and technique.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/complacency-is-the-forerunner-of-mediocrity-you-can-never-work-too/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [There's always room for improvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-always-room-for-improvement/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can't just be you. You have to double yourself. You have to read books on subjects you know nothing about. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wells-lawrence/you-can-t-just-be-you-you-have-to-double-yourself-you-have-to-read/) [Mary Wells Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wells-lawrence/) > [I think that there is always room for improvement so I am seeking to reach as far as I can in my field of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/i-think-that-there-is-always-room-for-improvement-so-i-am-seeking-to/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [We are always pregnant with a truer version of ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/we-are-always-pregnant-with-a-truer-version-of-ourselves/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Tennis can be a very frustrating sport. There is no way around the hard work. Embrace it. You have to put in the hours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-federer/tennis-can-be-a-very-frustrating-sport-there-is-no-way-around-the/) [Roger Federer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-federer/) > [If we're really committed to growth, we never stop discovering new dimensions of self and self-expression .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/if-we-re-really-committed-to-growth-we-never-stop-discovering-new/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [I'm happy, but there is always room for improvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-perry/i-m-happy-but-there-is-always-room-for-improvement/) [Corey Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-perry/) [Browse all 32 Always room for improvement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always-room-for-improvement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is not always possible to be the best, but it is always possible to improve your own performance.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jackie Stewart" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/it-is-not-always-possible-to-be-the-best-but-it-is-always-possible-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always room for improvement" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/it-is-not-always-possible-to-be-the-best-but-it-is-always-possible-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87d/jackie-stewart-23355_always-room-for-impr_it-is-not-always-possible-to-be-the-best_3041198.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87d/jackie-stewart-23355_always-room-for-impr_it-is-not-always-possible-to-be-the-best_3041198.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87d/jackie-stewart-23355_always-room-for-impr_it-is-not-always-possible-to-be-the-best_3041198.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is not always possible to be the best, but it is always possible to improve your own performance.” — Jackie Stewart", "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": "Jackie Stewart", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-stewart/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is not always possible to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/it-is-not-always-possible-to-be-the-best-but-it-is-always-possible-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-stewart/it-is-not-always-possible-to-be-the-best-but-it-is-always-possible-to/#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 } } ] } ```