Some cultures might attribute excellence to a few brilliant, hard-working, exceptional cases. Other cultures, such as the one in which I grew up, value modesty and urge people to try to be “average”.
Excellence, however, is for all of us. Excellence is about getting the most out of our talents. Excellence is about trying to make a little dent in the world, so that when we move on, we will have left behind a better place for those who follow.
You might think that striving for excellence means perfectionism. Perfectionism is the opposite of excellence. While perfectionism is about spending 95% of your time on the final 5% improvement in a project, excellence is all about identifying how you can reach 80% of your outcome in 20% of your time.
Perfectionism is about shielding yourself from the fear of failure, it is about uncertainty and doubt. Excellence is about knowing yourself and your strengths, taking pride in yourself and showing your talents in broad daylight to make this world a better place.
Achieving excellence is a project that takes daily effort in many differing aspects of your life.
Great post. It gave me much to think about.
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