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Excellency as a daily practice
To excel at what I do. It is a short personal motto, and a demanding one. Excellency is not about being better than everyone else. Instead, it is about doing your own work with care, skill and integrity, again and again, even when nobody is watching.
Aristotle is often paraphrased as saying that we are what we repeatedly do, so excellence is a habit rather than an act. Whether or not he used those exact words, the idea holds. Great work rarely comes from rare bursts of genius. It comes from consistent standards applied daily.
The habits behind excellency
The first habit is attention to detail. Small things, such as a clear email, a well-prepared meeting or a carefully tested feature, add up to a reputation. Clients and colleagues notice consistency more than occasional brilliance.
The second habit is continuous learning. Fields change quickly, and yesterday’s best practice can become outdated. Therefore, reading, training and asking for feedback are part of excelling. For example, reviewing your own past work every few months often reveals clear areas to improve.
The third habit is rest. Excellence needs energy, and exhausted people make mistakes. Moreover, taking breaks improves creativity and judgement.
In the end, excellency is a direction rather than a destination. It means asking, every day, how this piece of work could be a little better. That question, repeated over years, builds both skill and satisfaction.
In addition, surround yourself with people who care about quality. Standards are contagious. When colleagues take pride in their work, you naturally raise your own bar. Consequently, choosing teams, mentors and communities carefully is one of the most effective ways to grow. Moreover, sharing high standards makes work more meaningful for everyone involved.
Keep reading
Read more about the idea of excellence on Wikipedia.
