Adapted from a previous Monday MEMO

John Paciorek holds an unusual record in major league baseball. He got three hits in three at-bats in his only major league game. In the record book, Paciorek hit one thousand. Statistically, batting 1.000 is 100 percent, perfect. If a player could maintain that…or even something close to that…we could call them excellent, and today they would get paid multiple millions of dollars. But the proof doesn’t come in doing something right once…or even three times. The proof of excellence is measured over time.

Most of us can recall a time with a sport or an activity when we got lucky and performed well. But as time went on, we weren’t able to sustain that same level of greatness. Excellence over time is not easy.

The website Vocabulary.com says this about excellence:

Excellence means greatness—the very best. Achieving excellence is never easy to do. Excellence is a quality that people really appreciate, because it’s so hard to find. Excellence is the quality of excelling, of being truly the best at something.

The key word there is being truly best. We can accidentally hit the bullseye. We can happen to know the particular questions to a quiz. But how do we achieve excellence…greatness…again and again?

By the way, the desire and the striving for consistent excellence is not a new thing. The Greek philosopher Aristotle had some words of wisdom for those seeking to achieve at a high level:

Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives—choice, not chance, determines your destiny.

Hard work doesn’t always produce excellence. But an attitude that doesn’t accept poor work will move you in the right direction. Here are some thoughts for you to ponder and apply:

  • Set a high standard and keep working toward it in key areas of your work and life.
  • Check your work. How does it measure up to your standard? If it misses the mark, what can you do to bring it up to your standard?
  • If you are consistently missing your standard of excellence, what is holding you back? Time? Knowledge of the needed skills? Lack of clear direction? Work to change those things and try again.
  • Be willing to go the extra mile to make your project excellent.
  • Remember that you are not working for man’s approval but in service to the Lord, who provided an excellent sacrifice for your salvation.

Our motivation for excellence is not for better pay, better position, or anything that is simply the world’s standard. We have a much higher calling as we serve the Lord. Paul’s words…his call to excellence…to the Christ-followers at Colossae instruct us today:

Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

Colossians 1:10 NLT

The former president of IBM, Thomas J. Watson, issued this challenge:

If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work.

A final thought from Aristotle:

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

Make striving for excellence a habit with you. And do your work as unto the Lord.

God’s best,