by RICHARD NORRIS on AUGUST 27, 2015 of www.leadingmenonly.com
Excellence Is Who You Are
Excellence is who you are more than how you do things. You cannot succeed without excellence.
Hardly a day goes by when I’m not reinforcing the message to my kids that excellence is important. They know it because, as soon as I start saying, “The only job worth doing…”,they finish, “…is a job done well.” Interestingly, as they say this, I note them correcting the activity, attitude and/or behavior that I’m addressing. The sooner they learn this lesson, the richer their life will be and the better the example they will lead.
What does excellence mean to you?
To me, excellence is an all or none. However, it is relative – it means different things to different people in different areas. What is important is for each of us is to define excellence for ourselves where we aspire to it.
As each of us is created uniquely, we have our own unique experiences, abilities and talents. As such, we can be excellent in one area and not in another. Our excellence may also be on a different level to someone else’s. We cannot really judge another person’s excellence or lack thereof- we can only truly judge our own. Why compare apples with oranges?
Whilst we may not achieve an excellent result right away, we can, at least, start with an excellent attitude and behave with excellence. To truly excel, we must begin with the end in mind.
In the past week, the new swim season has started. I’m a volunteer coach at our local team. On the first practice of the season, the kids were reminded of the importance of getting their technique right first. They were reminded that excellence in results comes from excellence in form. As with any group, you can tell those who are motivated to excel versus those who are not. Our team has a great example. One of our swimmers is on the GB national team. He just got back from the FINA swimming world championships in Kazan. (There he made the finals in both of his events.) There are at least two up-and-coming swimmers I’ve noticed who are following his lead. I can see great things ahead for them too.
From experience,people with an attitude of excellence are most likely to go far in their sporting career. Or the most likely to graduate top honors. Or the most likely to lead their market. These are the people, teams and businesses who listen to wisdom, apply what that wisdom and learn from the experience. They know that excellence is a habit that comes from repetition of doing the right things right.
People of excellence may even be in a league on their own. But that doesn’t stop them from striving to be and do even better because they know they can. Of those swimming world championships, Katie Ledecky, from the USA, set a new standard. She is the first person, male or female, to have won 4 Golds in separate Freestyle events. She won the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m. She set two world records and for those races she was way ahead of her competition. She was not pushed by anyone other than her own standards of excellence. That’s what drove her.
Excellence is a commitment. You give your best, your all. You leave it all on the field…always. You do not look back. You keep moving forward. You aim always to stretch your comfort zone, to set new baselines, new limits. Excellence is not just a result; it’s a lifestyle.
If you show up, you show up!
When everything about you is the quest for excellence, then in due time, success will come. However, excellence never comes easily. It’s all part of your Journey of Success. To become excellent, you will face problems, challenges, setbacks and failures. But that’s okay. These sort the wheat from the chaff. These test those of you who truly want to succeed. You may even get hurt or damaged along the way, like a weight lifter’s muscle when he or she maxes out, but when you recover, you come back stronger.
Excellence is demanding. You have to work for it. Just ask anyone who is at the top of their game. Without excellence, success would not happen. That’s why Olympic athletes, pro golfers and F1 teams are constantly seeking the edge, to fine tune their performance to maximize their results and achievements. Excellent people are successful people. They never rest on their laurels. They do not have cruise control.
Are you any different?
Sure, you may not make the headlines, but excellence is in you. Trust me, it’s there. Don’t come to the end of your life where your prevailing thought is ,“What if…?” Let yourself be excellent. Let it out. Live and lead to such a high standard that no one can truly touch you unless they decide to follow your example. Do that and you will succeed. Do that and you will live with no regrets.
When you pursue excellence, excellence is who you become. It becomes your identity. The time to be excellent is now. You only have today. Make it your best. Sow what you want to grow. Be your best. Do your best. Give your best. You will then be blessed. Your excellence will pay off. It always does.
The only way to reach your dreams, to succeed is to reach your potential. The only way to reach your potential is to pursue and become excellence personified. The sooner you do, the sooner you will achieve the success you deserve and desire. So…whilst you are here on the planet, be excellent in who you are meant to be.
Your Powerplay
Commit to excellence today. Pick one thing and give it your best.
#BEGREATER
Olivia Anderson on Excellence from Glenn Mills on Vimeo.
USA National Junior Team Member Olivia Anderson shares her view on excellence. It's great to see that defining excellence is an individual thing, and should be seen as the internal journey to reaching your own potential.
