Why you should always strive for excellence
Do you know a person who is always excelling at whatever they do? They run marathons on the weekend, are successful in their career and speak two languages they picked up in their spare time.
The reality is, no one is born like this. Instead, these people have cultivated habits over time. As Aristotle says, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Before getting into which habits you should get into, let’s look at why you should chase excellence.
1. It will open more doors
Striving for excellence is important for the company you work for, but it’s also important for your personal brand.
Though you work for company A today, you won’t work there forever. Eventually, you’ll move on to another role in a new company. Rather than think of meeting the requirements of your current role, picture your entire career. Look into the future.
The quality of work will be noticed by your network – your colleagues, your clients and others you interact with as part of your job. Those who excel in their role will often have more opportunities. As they progress throughout their career, former colleagues and clients will want to work with them again.
2. You’ll progress faster
As Dr Wayne Dyer said, “Go the extra mile, it’s never crowded there.” Those who settle for ‘good enough’ don’t often get far. Companies are often looking for team members who go above and beyond, and usually reward employees accordingly with bonuses and promotions. When a person decides to go above the minimum of what’s required and produce excellent work, they stand out. They rise above the rest and people will notice.
3. Showing leader potential Those who deliver excellent work are highly valuable team members. Which employer would want to let you go? More importantly, your ethic also speaks volumes to other employees – you’re leading by example, sometimes without even knowing. Managers know leading by example is the best way to inspire others to replicate positive attitudes, ultimately impacting culture.
4. Greater personal satisfaction How great does it feel knowing you did an awesome job? Of course, it usually goes hand in hand with feeling valued for your contribution by your peers and manager, but knowing you’re doing great work also gives you personal satisfaction. When reflecting on your day, it’s sometimes not the best feeling thinking, “I could have done better today”.
What’s the secret to personal excellence? People who strive for excellence have formed a habit. They approach their work with the mindset of: do something right, or not at all. Whatever they do, they choose to do it as perfectly as possible. ‘Good enough’ is not part of their vocabulary.
They understand the value of time and make every moment count. They maximise every moment whether it’s listening to a podcast on their commute or doing work while waiting for a meeting to start. It doesn’t mean they work around the clock, it just means they find something to do if there are five minutes spare.
They also usually have a “touch is once” approach. The idea is as soon as they touch something, they act on it and complete the task or complete the next step. There’s generally two types of people: those who take the dishes to the dishwasher and leave them piled next to it, and those who take them to the kitchen and immediately stack them into the dishwasher. Those who strive for personal excellence do the latter.
Remember this is a habit that has formed over many years – it didn’t happen overnight. Achieving excellence is a mindset that will come over time and with practice. But once you’re there, it’ll change the way you live and work forever.
