Pursuit Of Excellence

Pursuit Of Excellence

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In a bobsled competition, the race often continues long after the winners have
been declared and in some cases, the medals have been presented. Interestingly,
despite this fact, I have never seen any of the remaining teams approach their
runs with a nonchalant attitude. You can easily make the case that completing the
race is a mere formality since the winners have already been declared. However,
what I have observed instead are individuals pushing and racing with the ferocity
and intensity of a team within striking distance of wining gold and setting a
record. That, in my mind, is the essence of excellence and as George Will said,
"Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence."
Growing up, I was taught that anything worth doing is worth doing well. I have
always understood that to mean that anything we do must be done in a superior
manner. In our society the word excellent is synonymous with superior
performance. Over the years, experience has taught me that that is only part of
the meaning. I believe it also means that we must give our absolute best effort
every time. We have to be willing to push a little harder and to reach just a little
beyond where we are right now. While the last team pushing off the top of the
hill knows they don't stand a snowball's chance in hell to win the race, they still
put in a gigantic effort because they are striving to improve on their last
performance and to create new personal bench marks. This is what peak
performers do. This is the hallmark of excellence
Excellence does not happen by chance - neither is it a single event. It takes a total
commitment and consistent effort to be the best we can be. Aristotle said it best
when he declared, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act,
but a habit." When we get in the habit of being excellent at what we do, we raise
our own expectation level and are therefore able to reach beyond ourselves. In
pursuing excellence we find ourselves on a continuous journey. Not pursuing
perfection, but rather seeking constant improvement; learning and developing
new skills and satisfying an innate desire deep down inside to explore our full
potential. As John Gardener points out, "When we raise our sights, strive for
excellence....we are enrolling in an ancient and meaningful cause - the age long
struggle of humans to realize the best that is in them."
Someone who practices excellence is:
Focused
They are clear about their goals and work with a singleness of purpose to achieve
them. Through effort and sweat equity they willing pay in advance the price
exacted in order to receive the prize at the end. "Before the gates of excellence
the high gods have placed sweat; long is the road thereto and rough and steep at
first; but when the heights are reached, then there is ease, though grievously hard
in the winning" states the early Greek Poet Hesiod. In short, there is no excellence
without focused labor.
Motivated
They are motivated to achieve. They are motivated to be at their best, using all
the unlimited, untapped resources they have on the inside to create something
incredible with the limited resources they have on the outside. Their passion for
their goals ensures that they shun mediocrity and thus perform in an excellent
way.
Ambitious
They see themselves as individuals with the capacity to be really good at what
they do and because they are so motivated they consistently go over and above
what is required. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "If a man is called to be a
street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or
Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep
streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived
a great street sweeper who did his job well.
Like the last sledders racing off the top of the hill even after the medals have been
awarded, I encourage you to practice excellence:
Consistently strive to do your best no matter what.
Face new challenges head on.
Embrace any and all opportunities to learn and improve.
Keep on Pushing!
Copyright (C) 2005 Devon Harris.
All rights reserved worldwide.
www.devonharris.com
The contents of this E-zine may be copied, reproduced, or freely distributed for all
nonprofit purposes without the consent of the author as long as the author's
name, copyright notice and contact information are included.

About the Author:
Three-time Jamaican Bobsled Team Olympian Devon Harris' message to "keep on pushing" inspires the rejected salesperson to rediscover his or her mojo, the stumped engineer to find a better solution, the overloaded executive to see a new path forward. Devon's real life story of perseverance and persistence combined with his powerful presence and persuasive ideas have positively impacted thousands at Fortune 100 companies, non-profits, governmental organizations, schools, and universities. He is the author of the motivational childrens book Yes, I Can! and the semi-autobiographical motivational book, Keep On Pushing: Hot Lessons From Cool Runnings.



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