Raise Your Standard Of Excellence

"As a man thinketh, so is he." ~Proverbs 23:7

Excellence is a quality that cannot be taught from without, it must be birthed from within. It is something inside you that causes you to continually give your best in all that you do. It permeates all that you touch, so that the best about you shines in all that you do. People will see that there is something different about you. It starts with making a decision to yourself that you will raise your standard of excellence.

Perception is reality. What you believe about yourself will shine through in all that you say and do. If you truly believe that you're a winner and that you conduct yourself with excellence, it will be apparent. You'll have more confidence, and it will be clear in how you act. It's not enough to just tell yourself that you are a winner. You have to believe it, to know it in the very core of your being. Say to yourself, "I am a winner." Mean it.

Dress for success. Dress just a little bit better than everyone else at the office. If nobody tucks their shirt in, tuck yours in. If everyone else wears t-shirts, wear a collared shirt. Dress for the job you want, not the job that you have. You will create a mental separation between yourself and everyone else. You will stand out from the crowd, and the people above you will take notice. Remember that you're not fully dressed without a smile. I know that sounds cliché, but it's so very true. You can actually hear a smile when you are talking to someone over the phone.

Never stop learning. Education is a lifelong journey, not a destination. If you learn something new every day, imagine how smart you will be one year from now. Take a class, learn a new skill. It may just be the deciding factor for you down the road. You never know when certain knowledge or skills will be called upon.

Don't be too proud to ask for help. A wise man is one who recognizes his own weaknesses and chooses to work on them. It's not very smart to ignore your weaknesses-your competition will capitalize on them. First, identify your weakness. Then, find someone who is more successful than you are in that area, and learn everything you can about them. Find out how they became successful. Undoubtedly, this mentor has gotten where they are by continuing to grow. You can't grow, unless you are reaching out towards something.

In short, find out what you want and do whatever it takes to get there. In short, hold yourself to a higher standard than everyone else. Ask yourself if you want to stay where you are forever, or if you want to be a better person on every level. You don't want to be stuck in a rut, doing the same old job five years from now, do you? You want something more from yourself. That's why you are here, reading this. You are already on the right track. Keep it up!