TEN (10) POWER KEYS TO A LIFE OF EXCELLENCE
INTRODUCTION
Excellence is not a destination but a road to a destination. Perfection on the other hand is a destination and excellence is the road that leads to the destination called perfection.
Excellence is not a one-time event; it is a process of recurring activities
Prov. 4:18
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Contents
Here Are Ten (10) Power Keys to Living a Life of Excellence.
#2. You Need Desire For Excellence.
#4. The Need To Focus Your Efforts.
#5. You Need To Be Committed To Details.
#7. You Need To Set Your Standard Against The.
#8. You Need To Learn From The Best
Here Are Ten (10) Power Keys to Living a Life of Excellence
#1. The Call To Excellence
The life of excellence is a requirement of God the creator for all his creation. You are expected to desire and pursue or live a life of excellence. So you cannot afford to settle for anything less or go for a mediocre life. Go for excellence.
Matt. 5:48
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
#2. You Need Desire For Excellence
In order to excel at anything in life you must have the hunger for excellence. You need to want to achieve excellence before you can attempt to pursue excellence.
The emphasis here is on what ‘YOU’ want, not what others want. Make sure the goal is something YOU set for yourself because unless it is, chances are you don’t really want it.
And if you don’t want the goal badly enough, it doesn’t matter what you try to do since the drive will not be there to keep you moving forward. It’s pointless to sign yourself up for something and put in a half-baked effort, because:
a) It’s not being true to yourself
b) It is just wasting your time at the end.
Mark 11:24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
#3. You Need To Create Order
Excellence does not and cannot happen in a disorderly and disorganised environment.
In order to attain excellence in any field of endeavour in life therefore requires as a matter of necessity the creation of order (an organized condition, with items arranged properly, neatly, or harmoniously)
Order minimizes waste, improves efficiency and increases productivity and that translates into excellence
1Cor. 14:40
Let all things be done decently and in order.
John 6:10-13
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
#4. The Need To Focus Your Efforts
Once you have finished trying out every single thing that you can see, now focus your efforts on the areas which bring you the most results. I subscribe to the 80-20 “Pareto Principle”, where 20% of causes lead to 80% of the effects you see in a situation.
Focus your energy on the few key drivers of success which will lead you to the results you want. This way, you will utilize your efforts more effectively, which can be subsequently channelled into more value-added activities.
Phil. 3:13
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
#5. You Need To Be Committed To Details
One other process of excellence is a commitment to detail. The people who excel in life do not do things haphazardly or just anyhow. They are always very careful, particular, thorough, meticulous, precise and committed to the minutest of details their average compatriots will ignore as insignificant. They are perfectionists by nature. The journey to excellence requires that attitude of commitment to detail and leaving nothing to chance.
#6. You Need To Be Diligent
In order to attain excellence in life, you need to Go all out and Work really hard. With every success, comes hard work. Without hard work, you cannot achieve results.
People who try to find the easy way out are kidding themselves if they think they can achieve excellence without putting in hard work. Hard work is the universal quality that will pay off in the long term. Once you invest the due time and effort, the results will start coming in.
Prov. 22:29
¶ Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
1Cor. 15:9, 10
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God, I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
#7. You Need To Set Your Standard Against The Best
What is it you are working on? Who are the people who are the best in this area? What are the results they have achieved? Set your targets to the same level as their best results, or even higher if you are feeling up to it.
Heb 12:1, 2
¶ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
#8. You Need To Learn From The Best
Hook up with people who are the best in the field and learn from them. They have the best practices, insights and tips which will be extremely valuable in your pursuit of excellence.
Rather than trying to learn everything from scratch, it’s easier to leverage the learnings from others and build on from there. This will jumpstart your learning curve by a huge degree.
Prov. 27:17 ¶ Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Prov. 13:20 ¶ He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Eccl. 1:9, 10
9 ¶ The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
#9. You Need To Be Adaptable
Adaptability is one of the essential pillars of excellence. As you may already know, change is inevitable –You can either recoil in the face of change, learn to deal with it or even turn it in your favour. Be ready for change at all times and develop a friendly relationship with change.
This also applies to changing your plans. Don’t be overly attached to your plans and be prepared to alter them where needed. If there are certain things you are doing which are not very effective, be prepared to improvise them or drop them altogether.
#10. Never Give Up
There is no failure except in no longer trying. Elbert Hubbard
Don’t ever give up. Remember that defeat never occurs unless you accept it as defeat. If a certain problem is too big for you to handle, break it down into smaller pieces so it’s easier for you to tackle them. As long as you keep trying, you will eventually achieve your goal.
A favourite story of mine is Sylvester Stallone’s rags-to-riches story of how he overcame overwhelming odds in his life to be the international movie star we know him to be today. When he was a baby, he was born with a half-paralyzed face due to birth complications, which led to slurred speech.
This was the key reason why he was rejected thousands of times by casting agents. Because he never gave up, he finally got his big break as the star of Rocky one day – and this only came after years and years of relentlessly trying.
Luke 9:62
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Heb. 10:38
Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
CONCLUSION
Work on embodying these excellence principles in you and start seeing yourself soar to excellence.
