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.