AIMING FOR EXCELLENCE

Famous actor Michael J Fox once said: “I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection.  Excellence, I can reach for.  Perfection?  That is God`s business…”

We are in week 6 of our Summer Challenge and 91 participants are still in the race, working hard to reach their personal goals and those much needed 36 sessions.  Even though this is the 15^th time we are hosting a fitness challenge, I am still amazed to witness these highly motivated women at work.  More than half of our Challenge members have been part of the Challenges eight times or more, and they are still just as enthusiastic as the first time.

Why?  I have had the privileged to watch these women for years – they are determined, well-organized people with high personal standards.  They love setting goals and seeking them out, they derive pleasure from self-improvement and committing themselves to pushing hard.  It has always been a little bit miraculous to me that they don`t get bored or tired of being part of these fitness endeavors, but when we analyze it professionally, it starts to make sense.

“In his book “The psychology of perfectionism” Joachim Stoeber, professor of psychology says: “Perfectionistic strivings is a personality strength in athletic contexts like sports and fitness.  It implies setting standards that are high but within reach, enjoying the process as well as the outcome and seeing mistakes as opportunities for growth.”

However, Stoeber is also right when he says that striving for perfection is a “double edged sword” – it can lead to success, fulfilment and improvement;  but on the other hand, disappointment with anything less than the best can also result in constant disappointment, shame and negativity… I am convinced that 90 percent of the participants in our fitness challenges have managed the skill to differentiate between striving for excellence and unhealthy perfectionism.

I`m not making this up – I witness this first-hand in the studio, every day.  How they push themselves with a future-oriented look and don`t dwell on previous disappointments.  How they use goal setting as a way to stay focused and never hesitate to pat themselves on the back when they hit a personal best or achieve a goal.  And how they constantly reframe their thinking and never take themselves too seriously.

I wonder if they even recognize this about themselves while they are reading the Blog!  But I think it`s really, really important to address the topic.  We are constantly motivating those people who still need to start their journey to health and wellness, those who still have a long way to go, those who still have a lot of weight to lose, but we tend to neglect those who have tasted victory, who have reached milestones, who only have a few steps to go towards reaching their goals, and those who have been at the top and have slipped back a little.

This Blog is especially for you.  You already know the difference between excellence and perfection, but maybe you need a reminder by reading the story of the carpenter:

There once was a carpenter who was excellent at his work.  He delivered his best and dedicated his entire life to his profession and services provided to his employer.  Having reached old age, he told his employer about his intention to retire.  The owner did not appreciate losing a dedicated carpenter, but reluctantly gave him his final assignment of constructing a home.

The carpenter accepted the assignment unwillingly.  He did his work without any interest, for months, and somehow completed the job.  Then the carpenter went to the employer and informed him about the completion of the construction.  The employer asked the carpenter to come the next day, and then handed the carpenter the keys to the newly constructed home as a retirement give…The carpenter was shocked.  He regretted not maintaining enthusiasm and excellence towards the very end, for he would then have ended up with an extraordinary home…

Maybe that`s what Aristotle meant when he said: “Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.”  Excellence is about being outstanding, achieving greatness and distinction.  How then, is it different from perfection?

Perfection is always thinking that you haven`t done enough.  Excellence is thinking how far you`ve come and being proud of what you have accomplished.

The end-goal or result in the pursuit of excellence is more like a by-product, the work or performance itself becomes enjoyable for its own sake.  Who knows, one might even surpass perceived “perfect” goal in this pursuit.  Like one of our Challenge members who have worked so hard since winter to reach Elite Athlete status (Body fat under 20%) and then surprisingly ended up with a Visceral Fat of only 2!

Or the wonderful example of nine-time Olympic gold medalist, Usain Bolt, who improved upon his second 100m world record of 9,69 with 9,58 seconds in 2009.  There wasn`t a perfect, fixed number here, he only continued to excel, bettering himself!

Excellence starts with a commitment.  As Wilferd Peterson, the American author who wrote a monthly column for Science of Mind magazine for 25 years rightly said: “Decision is the spark that ignites action.  Until a decision is made, nothing happens…”

Of all the important decisions that we make in our lifetimes, deciding on whether or not to commit to excellence is a major one that will determine our place in the future.  It`s the pursuit of excellence that pushes people to accomplish things that seem impossible.   First we must make a personal commitment to excellence, being true to ourselves first.   Then let little things matter BIG.  Taking small steps, being a “progress-ist” and focusing on every small win.

In his book “It worked for me: In Life and Leadership”, the successful America politician and author Colin Powell says: “If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters.  People are not born with excellence.  It emerges from continuous improvement.  Excellence differentiates extraordinary people from ordinary people.  It`s not a skill, it`s a prevailing attitude.”

Kaizen is the Japanese word for “improvement”.  I think it sums up pursuit of excellence as well – rather than aiming for a fixed-end goal of perfection, we keep bettering what we are good at, essentially striving for excellence.

It comes down to this:

Perfection is being right.  Excellence is willing to be wrong.

Perfection is control.  Excellence is spontaneous.

Perfection is doubt.  Excellence is confidence.

Perfection is fear.  Excellence is taking a risk.

Excellence is the result of caring a little more than others think is wise, risking a little bit more than others think is safe, dreaming a little more than others think is practical, and expecting just that little more than others think is possible.

Perfection is the destination.  Excellence is the journey.  Enjoy the ride!

Yours in fitness

Mirna

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