“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
-Aristotle
The word excellence can be daunting. The thought of being in a near constant state of amazingness can seem unrealistic. That being said, if we view excellence as coming from knowing how to cultivate the ability to shift ourselves into peak performance, it seems a little more within reach. One way to help that process is to make sure that your goals are well matched to your current assets. While the ultimate aim may be reach for the stars, you would do best to first ensure a landing on the moon. For example, aspiring to be a highly sought after speaker starts with building the skills to connect with an audience, allowing your experience to build your confidence over time.
But to get even more foundational, it’s vital that the goals we choose to work on are aligned with our highest values. Behaviors that stem from values inevitably form habits, both positive and negative. When the habits are of excellence, they also known as virtues. In the last decade, notable psychologists, Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman undertook a study to determine universal virtues. They compared the writings of Plato, Aristotle and Benjamin Franklin. They also surveyed Taoist, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Confucian, and Islamic texts and even reviewed the credos of the Boy and Girl Scouts. From that, they were able to identify and define 6 core virtues:
- Courage: to fully engage while overcoming fear and working through obstacles
- Wisdom: accessing deep intelligence from clear perception and accumulated insights
- Humanity: to show kindness, feel concern for the protection of others and use the ability to read the emotions and intentions of others for the sake of enhancing well-being
- Justice: being concerned with fairness, ethics and improving the common good
- Temperance: to self–regulate while also showing forgiveness, humility and prudence
- Transcendence: connecting to a source that is beyond everyday existence. This connection brings appreciation of talent, accomplishment, gratitude, hope, humor and spirituality
In order to move towards excellence, look to which of the virtues are most aligned to your goal. It is from connecting and reconnecting to these virtues that opens the door to nurturing deeper-rooted positive habits. Think the difference between having the goal to stop eating sugar vs. nourishing yourself solely with food that allows your body to thrive. Which one feels better? Which one ignites your imagination of how great things can be?