Excellence – a trait that eludes many people in our society today. Now, I think that excellence is difficult to completely achieve and realize. Rather, I believe it is something we must continually strive for and pursue. But, for some reason, many people are content with settling for mediocrity and getting by with being average these days. Why? I think our society today enables us to get by with doing the bare minimum and taking the path of least resistance. Vince Lombardi said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chose field of endeavor.”
Do you desire to be a person of excellence and make more of an impact with your life this year? Following are three basic things you can do to start on the path to excellence this year.
1) Commit to improving your life. In order to actually make a change, you have to first decide in your mind and your heart that you need to change and make a conscious commitment to improve. And it’s not something to enter into lightly. Once you make that commitment, write it down where you will see it every day, and even share it with someone else who can help hold you accountable.
2) Set measurable goals. Most of us set goals. But oftentimes we fall short of our goals because they are too general. Your goals must be specific and quantifiable. Also, they need to have a deadline attached to them. So, instead of saying, “I will lose weight in 2010,” you should instead say, “I will lose 10 lbs. by April 1, 2010.” If you do this it will give you much more focus and a sense of urgency.
3) Create an action plan. You’ve made the commitment, and you have set measurable goals. Now, you need an action plan to achieve your goals and fulfill your commitment. An action plan is nothing more than a series of steps that you deem necessary in order to reach your goals and make them reality. Typically, you should have three or four steps in your action plan, and again you should be as specific as possible. Write these steps down and keep them where you can see them until you achieve your goals.
If you do these three things…make a commitment, set measurable goals, and develop an action plan…you will improve your life in 2010 and beyond. Better yet, you will be an example to others that desiring and pursuing excellence in something that we all should embrace and apply to our own lives.
-Jeremy Couch
1/19/10