Turning Excellence Into A Habit

by Kit Grant

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act but a habit.” … Aristotle

I am always interested to find how many people are pursuing the goal of being comfortable, not of being successful. What’s the difference? Successful means you keep on getting better and recognize new opportunities will present themselves every day. You don’t have to grab onto every one, but you do know they exist. Comfortable, by contrast, means you can now coast. Well, I don’t know many people who can coast very long while going uphill!

So turning “Excellence” into a habit rather than a periodic convenience will allow you to reach different (and higher) levels of success. Most successful people do not possess any inherent skills or gifts separating them from others. They are just willing to do what others are not. It’s not that other people can’t do what is required to be more successful; they’re just not willing because coasting is so much easier.