Personal Excellence: The BIG Decision Each Person Must Make

“The starting point of all achievement is desire.” – Napoleon Hill

No one can make you have enthusiasm. Success, vitality, and achievement are all a direct result of it. One of the most beautiful sights to behold is someone who is fully engaged in what they do and enthusiastic about their craft. I love to see that. At the end of the day, however, enthusiasm is a personal choice. Despite the best leadership practices and organizational standards, having a strong commitment comes down to each person making a personal decision about how exceptional they are going to be.

The question is…how strong is your desire? How uncomfortable are you with mediocrity? Does it bother you to merely meet expectations? Or do you find yourself constantly striving to exceed expectations? The only person who can answer those questions is you. Coaches can challenge you, leaders can inspire you, but only you can stand up and pursue excellence.

You deserve to feel what it’s like to consistently give your best effort, despite your work environment. Consistently giving your best builds momentum, and soon, you become known for that. So, make a declaration today to be phenomenal and memorable and exceptional. Don’t look sideways to see what your peers are doing. Only look ahead and upward to those who are the absolute best in your profession.

The most precious gift you have is called…today. Don’t squander it. Don’t take it for granted. Always be grateful and appreciative. That spirit of thankfulness will restore you when you are tired, fed up or unmotivated. Decide. Declare. Proclaim. You WILL make a mark today. Even if your efforts are not publicly acknowledged, know, in your heart, that you’ve made a meaningful difference somehow.

One of the best ways to spark your enthusiasm is by being grateful. Develop the habit of thanking at least one person each day for something they’ve done. Tell them how much of a blessing they are, and how much they mean to you. Then, be a blessing to someone else.

Use the following affirmation to help keep you focused and inspired to rekindle the desire that is already within you.

Today is not the day. If anyone is going to do a shortcut, it won’t be me. I refuse to do my job half-way. Not today. There are all kinds of ways for things to go wrong. Let them be accidents. I will not allow myself to intentionally do less than I am capable of doing.

In the past, my mood dictated how I worked. I allowed myself to be distracted far too often by the lure of mediocrity. After all, it is easy to be mediocre. Starting today, mediocrity and I don’t see eye to eye. I have a new allergy, and it’s called “average”. And I don’t need to go to a pharmacy for the medication, because I already have it. It’s called conviction. It’s called passion. It’s called zeal. It’s called honor.

My minimum expectation will be to exceed everyone else’s expectations. In fact, my expectation will be to exceed my own expectations. Not tomorrow. But today.

My teammates and I work hard, and I respect their efforts. Together, we stand strong, and I will not be the weak link in the chain. Not today. I will not be the one who makes excuses. Not today. I will not be the one who grunts and complains. Not today. I will not be the one who burdens my team mates with undone work. Not today. I will not be the one who doesn’t follow up with customers, when I said I would. Not today.

Excellence is not what I will accomplish in the future. Excellence is what I do today. I am here today, so I will love today, and I will be a blessing today, because I am alive today.

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