The idea of "working well" was seen as a relative and subjective concept for us, different from person to person and situation to situation. It wasn't a fixed standard but depended on individual circumstances and perceptions.
In the context of our current lives, I realized that my mother was right about the idea that it was perfectly acceptable and okay to have different benchmarks for what "working well" meant. There was no need to stress over societal or external expectations, as everything was fine just as it was.