For me Excellence is accountability, hard work, consistency, creativity and being purposeful.

Let’s talk about accountability. BIG WORD.  But I believe we need to have this otherwise we will fall to the ‘I did my best trap’ again. Accountability means the state of being able to accept responsibility. For me I would define it as ‘I want a ten give me a ten’. This is the reason why there are performance reviews, monthly sales reports, program evaluations,  grades and parent-teacher assemblies.

Usually the responsibility is placed upon us by a higher institution or someone who has more authority than us. In a company usually that is the vision, mission, job description. For students that is your grades, requirements for graduation. For morality that comes from God and his absolute authority.

This is where our problem is, when we run away from responsibilities or when we seek to define our own terms. Your boss wants you to perform, then you pull out your ‘I did my best’ card as an excuse (or your tap on your shoulder) for your failure. If he wants a 10 and you give a 4 or 7 and even a 9.5 that is still not a 10. I know it sounds so harsh and strict, but bear in mind if you look at our world today, you would see that most of the problem is not strictness but our selfishness.

What I’m trying to say is, don’t use your ‘I did my best’ excuse for yourself  every time you fail. Learn to evaluate, learn to read facts, not just opinions and emotions. Learn to ask for help, learn to collaborate, learn to adjust, learn to learn. That may be your ‘best’  for the moment but if you can still learn then that is not your best YET.

To aim for excellence we must realize that there is a goal, and you work your way for that goal. Most of the times the goal is placed for us (as an employee or a student), sometimes we define it (business owner), whatever it is learn to see if you are hitting the target. If you’re not hitting it, take the responsibility and see it as a learning opportunity not a time to bad mouth the authorities above you or lower the standards. If you are constantly hitting the target, then you can raise the bar or start another goal, that way we will be pushing each other up for excellence and not downward in laziness and mediocrity. Join me in this journey for excellence.