Tag / Goals

by Hopeless Romantic

How can I remain Motivated to seek Excellence for an entire Year???

CHAPTER 1

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

I wake up in sheer panic. I dreamt a horrible nightmare.  Men were trying to kill me and the woman I love betrayed me.  I remember her saying, “I’ve been using you this whole time.”  It’s silly, but I find myself slightly irritated with her even though she’s oblivious to the morning’s cruel ruse.  This is not how I wanted to start my first chapter.  I hope this is not foreshadowing on what’s to come.

I’m the only one awake, so the house is quiet.  It’s about 6:45 in the morning I’m excited. I’m motivated. WHY CAN’T I BOTTLE THIS FEELING!!! I’d be a billionaire. How do I keep this up day after day?

I read an article on Forbes online by Kristi Hedges, where she states, 

“Excellence starts with getting very clear on the end state you wish to achieve (winning) and relentlessly driving towards it every day. Excellence requires knowing when to push on (even when you don’t have all the information or the perfect solution), but doing it well and constantly refining as you forge ahead. Excellence means accepting only the best, and understanding that when it is not given that you, as the leader, are at least partly responsible. Excellence reveals itself in the language you use, the questions you ask, the people you surround yourself with, and how you interact with others.”


I found her words helpful.  This has inspired me. Today’s objective is to define what questions need to be answered this year to understand and achieve Excellence in my life. Here are my first thoughts…

  • How do I define Excellence in my life in the areas of my Health, my business, my relationships, my spiritual growth, my personal Growth, my finances, my leadership, my fun, my purpose and love (which I hate to even think about)?
  • How do I measure these areas, or do I?
  • Does every area I mentioned require measurement?
  • Did I miss any important areas?
  • Can I ever achieve Excellence, or is it fleeting as I must constantly strive for even more?
  • Can I have Excellence in all of these areas at once or is it just too much?
  • Do I persona.l.y have a fraction of the discipline I need to attempt this?

Anxiety creeps in my mind.  It’s already appearing more daunting than expected, and IT’S THE FIRST DAY! 

I need your help. Are these the right questions??? Am I on the right track? It’s all so confusing.

by Hopeless Romantic

The Quest for Excellence in our life is both Necessary and Ridiculous.

In a few days on January 1st, we arrive at a strange and mysterious day…

I need your help, your wisdom, your advice and your encouragement. Read the rest and you’ll understand why…

Years ago, I woke up one January 1st motivated! I had a strong sense of urgency. I was ready to experience the fruits of extreme success. I grabbed my tasteless shake and headed to the gym anxious to start the year off right.

When I arrived I was flabbergasted so many people were already there. I listened to the audiobook I purchased days earlier to start my deep learning for the year. I ate a healthy lunch. I then completed some productive lingering items around the house. My year started off wonderfully!

Then, two weeks into the year I was completely derailed. My resolutions were shot. My goals were on hold. Everything had gone to hell. During those two weeks something awful happened to me.

I became myself again.

By the end of the month I was wallowing in the pigpen of mediocrity and found sanctuary there for the remainder of the year. Thinking my life was really going to change for the better this time was just ridiculous. Why do I suffer this demise over and over, year after year? My consistent annual failures have given me an idea. I’m going to quit the insanity of doing the same things over again and expecting different results.

This year I’m going to conduct a personal human experiment using myself as the laboratory rat. I’m going to embark on a year-long quest. Much like the Knights of King Arther left their homeland on a quest to find the coveted Holy Grail, I’m embarking on my own quest to discover Excellence in every area and every aspect of my life.

In my quest, I’ll face many dangers, pitfalls and saboteurs. I will need help from ALL OF YOU to light my path, offer your wisdom, encourage me during the storms, warn me of impending doom and challenge me when I travel the wrong road.

And through my successes and failures, just maybe you will discover Excellence in your own life. It’s going to be a weird and crazy roller coaster ride, so hop aboard. The ride starts in a few days. I need your help! Don’t let me fail this time!