{"id":474,"date":"2016-12-10T13:21:30","date_gmt":"2016-12-10T13:21:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=474"},"modified":"2016-12-10T13:47:55","modified_gmt":"2016-12-10T13:47:55","slug":"choosing-person-excellence-beyond-bare-minimum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/12\/choosing-person-excellence-beyond-bare-minimum.html","title":{"rendered":"Choosing to Be a Person of Excellence: Beyond the Bare Minimum"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"relay-race-competition-stadium-sport\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cExcellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives \u2013 choice, not chance, determines your destiny.\u201d \u2013 Aristotle<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In every moment of every day, we have a choice: excellence or mediocrity.<\/p>\n

There is nothing wrong with choosing mediocrity. You have every right to go to work and tell people, \u201cI won\u2019t do that.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t in my job description.\u201d\u00a0 You can leave your dishes in the sink and not make your bed.\u00a0 You can tell people off if you are having a bad day.\u00a0 You can spend all your free time watching television or surfing the Internet.\u00a0 And you will live an average life.\u00a0 It\u2019s your choice.<\/p>\n

But if you want to be a person of excellence, you have to have a very different mindset. Most people are driven by reward.\u00a0 They do things in order to receive financial compensation or accolades.\u00a0 However, people of excellence go the extra mile, even when there is no recognition.\u00a0 They do what I refer to as the \u201cbehind the scenes work.\u201d\u00a0 They do the necessary jobs, the ones for which you don\u2019t get any glory.\u00a0 Jobs like housework, child rearing, serving on church committees, and volunteering for the local soup kitchen, come to mind in this regard.<\/p>\n

Being a person of excellence doesn\u2019t mean that you have to be a \u201cperfect\u201d person. But it does require that you do more than the bare minimum.\u00a0 So, you have to learn how to work with your weaknesses that keep you from being productive.<\/p>\n

It has taken me most of my adult life to figure out how to work with my weaknesses. For instance, I have two major flaws: I am easily distracted, and I procrastinate.\u00a0 Not a great combination.\u00a0 I can\u2019t fully overcome those flaws \u2013 they are part of my personality.\u00a0 But to be a person of excellence, I have to work with them.\u00a0 So, I try to structure my days so that I work in short blocks.\u00a0 For example, I might write for 30 minutes and then fold laundry for 20 minutes.\u00a0 If I don\u2019t do that, I can easily spend two hours trying to write when I just can\u2019t concentrate that long.<\/p>\n

Choosing excellence ultimately requires sacrifice. Consistently going above and beyond the call of duty takes a lot of work!\u00a0 I work at being a person of excellence, so I don\u2019t have a lot of free time.\u00a0 My days are consumed with work, housework and parenting.\u00a0 If I have a free moment, there is always some project I can do to push my career along.\u00a0 Or, I think of a way to make my house a little nicer.\u00a0 But once you choose excellence, it becomes a lifestyle.\u00a0 You are always looking for ways to improve your life and yourself.<\/p>\n

Becoming a person of excellence doesn\u2019t come naturally to anyone. Instead, excellence is a choice that we make each day.\u00a0 But when we choose excellence, we pave the way to an amazing life.<\/p>\n

(Photo courtesy of Pexels)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cExcellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives \u2013 choice, not chance, determines your destiny.\u201d \u2013 Aristotle In every moment of every day, we have a choice: excellence or mediocrity. 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