The Path to True Excellence: Unveiling the Journey of Becoming

Consider the idea of excellence. Have you ever wondered what it truly means to be excellent? We all know, or know of, people who are excellent at what they do. Steph Curry, Serena Williams, Chet Atkins, and Charlotte Church excel in their respective fields. I have a daughter-in-law who is an excellent cook. I have worked for and served under a great number of excellent leaders. Is it in the moment of recognition that each of my examples is excellent? Is it in the moments and hours before the recognition, in the heat of a basketball or tennis game, in the recording studio, or on the concert hall stage? It can’t be. If it were, we could all be excellent at everything, as long as we possessed the basic capabilities. Although a certain amount of natural talent may contribute to the outstanding performance, true excellence resides in the process of “becoming.” Excellence is not achieved when the medal is hung about the neck or the trophy is presented; it is not in the standing ovation or the number of gold records sold. Excellence is achieved in the continuous dedication, learning, and growth that occurs during the journey. That’s when you’re excellent.

The Misconception of Excellence

Our society exerts an awful lot of pressure to achieve the external markers of success – awards, titles, material possessions. The obsession with the visible accomplishments can lead to a narrow definition of excellence, while ignoring other important aspects of personal growth and fulfillment. Some of the side effects of the societal focus on the surface-level achievements will manifest in burnout, anxiety, and a lack of true, deep satisfaction. Take a few minutes here and now and think about your own definition of excellence. Does it need a reconfiguration? Let’s shift focus from external validation to internal growth and self-awareness. It’s not that the recognition, the toys, the titles aren’t significant, it’s not even that they’re not important. They aren’t the full measure of the effort required of excellence.

The Role of Practice

Athletes like Williams and Curry often start their journey at a young age, and they spend a few years just playing before they start playing seriously. At they take their game to a higher level, the hours of daily practice start to increase. Chet Atkins’s guitar expertise was years in the making, hours of practice. Charlotte Church has spent many more hours in rehearsals than she has in performance onstage. It’s never just practicing the direct skills, either. Athletes spend time in conditioning, the “wax on, wax off” exercises and strength training, wind sprints and stretches. Guitar players run scales and picking exercises. Singers do hours of vocal conditioning. Behind the performance is the practice, behind the practice is the conditioning.

Not just practice, not just conditioning. Good practice, good conditioning.  You will play like you practice, so you must practice like you want to play. It is in the repetition of layups and free throws, of serves and volleys, of scales, finger exercises, and breathing, that excellence is defined. Do you show up to play successfully, or do you just show up? Do you apply excellence to your efforts?

The Power of Continuous Learning

My examples haven’t stopped their training and development, (well, Serena might because she’s said she’s retiring – but we’ll see) because what happens when they do? Their hard-fought skills begin to deteriorate, and natural talent won’t be enough to carry them through the expectations of their viewers and themselves. We experience the same thing. Excellence, then, is a lifelong journey driven by a hunger for improvement and knowledge. Embracing a growth mindset and constantly seeking to expand our horizons will provide us with endless opportunities, among them personal and professional development. It will allow us to overcome challenges and obstacles, learn new skills, and constantly improve ourselves. It may provide opportunities in our current profession, or it may prepare us to make a career shift. It’s also possible that it just keeps our minds active and agile, fending off dementia and conditions that set in due to mental sedentary lifestyles.

Embracing the “Becoming”

For nearly all of us, most of our life is in a state of change in one way or another, for better or worse. We don’t get to choose all of the changes, but we are responsible for nearly all of them. We almost always get to choose to improve, stand still, or degrade. I would argue that standing still is the equivalent of degradation. It is in the becoming, therefore, that houses and hosts the true essence of excellence, rather than any end result. Along the path toward mastery, we feel satisfaction and fulfillment in the striving, in each milestone met, in every small improvement in any chosen field.

What Will You Do With Your “Becoming?”

Yes, we feel a great sense of accomplishment when we have achieved something of significance. We should. Remember, though, that the true excellence was born in the hours of effort that brought you to that culmination. I invite you to examine, and, if necessary, redefine your perception of excellence, and come to appreciate the value of the “becoming.” Embrace your journey of excellence, and you will find fulfillment in your continuous pursuit of improvement.

What do you think? Tell me in the comments about your “becoming,” or about your journey of excellence.