Excellence is a habit.
To be excellent in anything, takes work. Today I received the above quote as part of my daily meditation. It hit home in so many factors of my life from personal to professional. It applies to the current titles/roles I carry, as well as to the ones I aspire to be.
Let’s try something: I want you to stop! Yes, stop right now and read that message again and see exactly how it applies to your entire life.
Now fill in the blanks:
I am a _______
Listen, you can’t just expect to show up and be great. Read it again, it’s not an act it must be a habit. That’s right something we are practicing & doing on a daily basis. Whatever you fill in after I am a _____, requires you to consistently polish your skills, make adjustments, learn from making mistakes and take ownership of them. Maybe even recruit help like a coach and/or a therapist.
To put things in perspective: Think of each role/title you possess as being on a team. If you want to remain in the starting line up, you can’t just show up to the game. You have to show up to practice, do work on your own, cross train, sometimes you may even have to sit on the bench. You have to learn to take suggestions, make adjustments, listen and be listened to also. More importantly you need to develop your areas of opportunities into strengths. To be excellent takes diligence, patience, consistency and never giving up.
What areas of opportunity do you have?
ALL OF THEM. Yes I said all. Because we can always do more, become more aware and strive higher. Like silverware we can get tarnished and need to polish our skills. Working harder and being more diligent is how we go from good to great to excellent. At the same time like being on a team, be willing to identify how the people in your life can assist you in being better / excellent.
Habit vs practice
A habit is an action done on a regular basis. For example three meals a day, brushing your teeth, folding hands when praying, all of these are a matter of habit or automatic behaviour. It becomes both psychologically and physiologically easy for us to act in a habitual way. While practice is repetition of an activity to improve a skill. So if you want to make it a habit than practice is required.
What areas of your life are you striving for excellence?
No matter what your answer is, hold space for yourself to practice, practice, practice so that excellence becomes a habit for you. Something you often do, without ever deciding to do it. Set parameters to help establish your excellence and enjoy the journey as well as the rewards. Remember Excellence is a habit.
