Aristotle wisely stated,
“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
I have to agree. Overall, excellence becomes a habit, just like everything else that you repeatedly do in your life. Each action merely reinforces your dedication to excellence or your lack of dedication to excellence.
As Anne Byrhhe wrote,
“Every action we take, everything we do, is either a victory or defeat in the struggle to become what we want to be.”
When you decide to do something halfway, that decision in and of itself is akin to taking a step away from being a man of excellence.
On the other hand, every time you slow down and make the effort to do something the best you can, then you are re-enforcing excellence in your life.
As Aristotle said, excellence becomes a habit. Habits are formed by continually being consistent at whatever you are doing.
The experts tell us that you can form a new habit in about a month, that is, if you are consistent with your actions.
All it takes is a firm decision to start doing everything you do, the best that you can do it.
Thomas J. Watson wrote,
“If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work.”
This makes sense.
If you quit doing “less-than-excellent work” everything you do will be done at a high level.
Essentially, everything you do will be done at the level of excellence that you are shooting for.
note to AOH
ps/smoh
