Top-down Bottom-up

I think I can sum it up by saying this: you put in a performance (because that's what it really is, a performance) that you think is something like the best you could have done (and I'm not talking about "best" in terms of effort, I'm talking about output), yet you still don't seem to be making an impact. I think that's when it's time to just let go, because some things in life are black and white. Shades of grey are just a bonus.