Mediocrity Vs. Excellence

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.

Are you experiencing any of these symptoms?
• You’re not motivated, feel burned out
• You’re distracted, off-focus
• You’re not following through well
• You’re not getting the results you seek
• Deep inside you want to be doing something else
• You’re blaming others, the economy, bad luck, “the system”…

** In general, do you feel your life is spinning in a mediocre existence?

Here are a few thoughts that may help…

First of all, being mediocre does have its advantages. For one, you get play it safe and not look foolish. You get to avoid risk, and safely hang within the crowd. Yet the problem is, a mediocre life is boring and requires you to bury your dreams and potential.

** Excellence is derived when we embrace the change and growth needed to attain a breakthrough level of performance, and is supported by the following mindset:

1. Embrace Stress and Discomfort. Any challenge that demands your best will create stress. The key is to view discomfort as natural and necessary for growth. Like diving into the deep end of the swimming pool for the very first time – willingly enter into the discomfort that accompanies change and strategic growth – instead of playing it safe in the shallow end where all the little kids hang out…

Be willing to push through barriers. Learn to balance stress with pre-set times of recovery.

2. Let go of Preconceptions. Change demands we embrace new paradigms and new ways of thinking. Be prepared to accept (and make) the personal and corporate changes that growth demands. Let go of what you think you know and be willing to embrace something anew. Stop being an “expert” - choose to be a novice. Remain open and curious. When you think you already know the best methods and strategies, you close yourself from the ingenuity of your own creative mind, and the creative mind of those around you.

3. Know what you really want. Have a clear understanding of what your passions are, and what you want your life to stand for and represent. Points 1 & 2 about stress and change will only drain and de-motivate you if you do not really care where the stress and change is leading you to. Working hard toward a goal will leave you unfulfilled – if that goal does not align with where you personally want to go as well.

** Excellence is derives from feeling passionate about a goal or cause, where you then able to align your God-given strengths in support of that cause, while embracing the personal growth and change needed to attain the goal.

Excellence reaches beyond what you think is possible – and it will be your belief, passion, and alignment of strengths toward that goal, which allows you to reach a new level of excellence.