Commit to excellence

It's time to commit to excellence.

Last week I shared an impression to deviate from the topic schedule.  I'm not certain whether following that impression accomplished anything meaningful, but I can say I felt the Spirit's guidance while producing the program.

But I noticed something odd as I updated the website for the new program.  Usually I expand upon most if not all of the monologue.  Last week that didn't happen.  One important sentence received zero attention, a rather important aspect of the topic for the program last week — the journey of change toward your best life.  Here's the sentence:

---

You can further that change by deciding what you want, knowing clearly why you want it, and then committing yourself to excellence in literally everything you do.

These ideas represent important aspects in the journey toward your best life.  In fact, we might even say they form a three-step sequential process for navigating the very heart of that journey.  It's time to commit to excellence.

Decide what you want

First, you must decide what you want.  This seems obvious, but so many simply don't execute here.  They simply march ahead in ignorance.

The first of Stephen Covey's seven habits of highly effective people is to begin with the end in mind.  Implicit in such a beginning is clearly delineating what your desired outcome is and is not.  After all, it's hard to hit a target when you don't know what it is.  And if you can't spell it out clearly, then you simply don't know what it is.

Start by writing what you think your best life is, and then step outside yourself and consider whether a stranger would know exactly what you want simply by reading what you wrote.  Writing is a perfect tool for this exercise because writing is great for aiding self-reflection.

And the process of writing a clear definition of what you want — what your best life is — allows you to see what you really do and don't know.  And it provides an opportunity to clarify when you see you don't know.  What does your best life look like, sound like, smell like, taste like, and feel like?  Clarity brings power, so get crystal clear on your destination.

---

Know why you want it

With that clarity, you're ready for the next step.  You must understand why you want what you want.  And that's perhaps more important than just knowing what you want.

Of course, you have to know what you want before you can address why you want it.  But simply knowing what you want is insufficient.  For most things worth having (such as your best life), you must pay a price by overcoming obstacles and conquering challenges.  Your best life won't come easy, and simply knowing your what won't give you the motivation you need to push through.  Knowing your why will.

Again, clarity is power.  The more clear you can get on your why, the more power you can obtain to push through when the going gets tough.  It also allows for self-reflection.  Contemplating the real reason you want something, you might see an easier or more effective means of satisfying that desire or even see it's not worth desiring at all.

---

Commit yourself to excellence

Once you're clear on your what and your why, the road to your best life should also be clear, at least for the first few steps.  All that remains is execution.  You must take those next few steps.

But it's not enough simply to go through the motions of doing what needs getting done.  To progress towards your best life, you must travel that road well.  Otherwise, you'll become disoriented.

It's something like the Liahona.  Lehi and his family knew their destination, but when they waned in their commitments, their compass wouldn't point the way, and they quickly became lost.  Only when they repented and reoriented themselves to their commitments did their progress resume.

Once you know your what and your why, you too must orient yourself to a commitment to excellence in all you do as you journey to your best life.  You can't do anything half baked, because it's your best life, not your half-baked life.  It's that commitment to do everything — even the little, seemingly unimportant tasks — with excellence that helps to create your best life.

The road to your best life will never be easy, and it was never meant to be.  But when you decide what you want, know clearly why you want it, and then commit yourself to excellence in literally everything you do, you'll not only put yourself on the road to your best life, but you'll make progress towards it as well.  And that will bring you more joy in your journey.

---

You can listen to the monologue from today's episode of Joy In The Journey Radio here.  Please also feel free to continue the conversation by leaving a comment below.  Want to hear more?  Listen to the whole show by going to the show page for this episode.