5 points to note in the journey to excellence

Excellence is not a destination, but a journey.

Many individuals aspire to be achievers in their various chosen fields. But getting to a certain height is not something you just wish into; it takes dedication and hard work. The importance of consistency cannot be over-emphasized as you climb the ladder of excellence.

In this article, Blessing Enenaite shares five nuggets that must be embraced in the quest to attain excellence.

1. Self-belief is non-negotiable

Many dreams are cut short because of lack of belief in oneself. Personal belief is more important than the acknowledgement of a multitude.

No matter how difficult a task may seem, if you do not believe you can scale through, it is pointless to even begin. Self-belief is an important tool to achieve excellence. Once you have this in place, you can forge ahead with your goals in life.

2. Excellence begins at home

Excellence must first manifest in the little things that many take for granted. Are you an excellent daughter, son, wife, husband?

Make excellence your way of life. Be intentional about being exceptional at the little things. You will soon find that the spirit of excellence will manifest in other ways.

3. Build expectations for your dreams

This factor could quite easily be titled ‘Have a plan’. However, everyone seems to be having a plan. But what are we going to do with a plan without discipline and action?

A plan is very important and it encompasses our expectations. In this context, your expectations would be what you intend to achieve in the pursuit of your goal.

What are your expectations for going to school? Is it to improve your standard of living? Or is it to have the bragging right as an educated individual?

What are your expectations as a doctor? Is it to touch lives or become a god to sick people?

What are your expectations as a journalist? Is it to give voice to the voiceless or is it primarily to milk your way into political offices and oppress the masses?

Your expectations will serve as a guide to your actions. Besides, it will give you focus on how and where to channel all your energy.

4. Have a mentor/role model

Human beings are not perfect but there are still some who have strived against all odds to achieve excellence in all that they do. They have carved a niche for themselves with hard work, dedication, and maintaining their integrity altogether. Their stories serve as examples of what is achievable.

Read Also: Faith: A force that spurs dreams

In some cases, you may not even need a personal relationship with your role model/mentor. All you need to do is follow their work closely and watch how they get things done.

However, you must assess whether you required paid coaching/mentoring services as these can be very powerful. Be prepared to invest in yourself.

Everyone has a story. No matter how privileged you feel some persons are, there are still some factors that were put in place in order to achieve excellence. Follow humbly, without strife or envy, and learn from the knowledge of the ‘masters’.

5. Never Give Up

It sounds cliché to tell people never to give up on their dreams. However, these words are as important as the other ingredients in the recipe for excellence.

In fact, this factor often determines if you will achieve your goals or not. It is not enough to have goals, plans, expectations, and role models. Trials will come and doubt will set in.

There are some important questions to be asked. And we must ask them regularly. Can I handle challenges when they come my way? When it seems like my dreams are taking forever to achieve, what do I do? Do I persevere and keep holding on? Or do I give in?

If you are determined to achieve and maintain excellence, it is paramount that perseverance and consistency are your watchword.

Once you embrace these factors, and even more, excellence is within reach and will no longer be a figment of your imagination.