“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”
– Aristotle
Most people are probably familiar with this quote from Aristotle, the renowned philosopher of Ancient Greece. He is known for his teachings, which have influenced all of Western culture ever since circa 300 BC. The substance of this statement is simple, but it’s principles are powerfully profound.
Take for example, an Olympic athlete who may spend countless hours of tedious practice to train for an event lasting minutes or even seconds. No one becomes an Olympian overnight. Some athletes will train for years and years. They will eat, drink and breathe their event. But even among Olympic athletes, who are a tiny elite portion of our population, there exists a level beyond greatness…Excellence.
To be excellent, something or someone must go far beyond the standard. Synonyms include “transcendence” and “distinction.” Some classic examples of excellence for sports fans are Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali. These are people who have surpassed the levels of their sports. They have become practically immortalized in the world of sports.
However, they did not reach this level of excellence out of sheer talent alone. They continually practiced their crafts, and thus transcended into excellence through the principle of summation. The idea of summation is that small things, continually done again and again can make big differences.
This principle applies in all walks of life. By making small lifestyle changes like taking the stairs, switching to skim milk and drinking more water, a person can become healthier and more fit. A mountaineer can conserve large amounts of energy by utilizing simple techniques to shift the weight from their muscles to their bones. A modest investment into a savings account can become a large nest egg after the simple effect of compound interest.
The time tested trick to excellence is consistency. It is said that in order to achieve mastery or excellence, one must dedicate at least 10,000 hours to it! That means that if you worked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it would take 1.14 years (416 days) to achieve that level of experience. If you worked a standard 8 hour day, 5 days a week, like most people, it would take you 1750 days (almost 5 years)!
Side note: You can calculate 10,000 hours around your schedule here.
Not all of us are destined for athletic excellence, in fact, most of us may never be famous or historically known. However, ALL of us can be excellent. It comes down to the choices we make. I may never be an excellent philosopher or athlete, but I can be an excellent husband and father. I can be an excellent son, brother, neighbor or friend but only if I choose to be. Self-awareness is a very powerful force, and just wanting to be a better person can start us on the path toward excellence.
The truest form of excellence is not found in a hall of fame or any record book. The truest excellence is not transcendence in sport, work, art or finance. The truest and greatest excellence is found in how we treat others. No matter what we do, we are surrounded by people. Beautiful, awesome people. Each with their own strengths, vulnerabilities, quirks and personalities that make them unique. We can spend time with these people, learning to love them as they are. We can listen with open minds and speak with open hearts. We can be excellent listeners, excellent mentors, excellent friends. When we can learn to see people and love them as they are, we can truly be excellent. Finding excellence in yourself comes through being excellent to others. Let us all be excellent to each other.
