At the beginning of my day I am faced with a very important decision. This choice will set the tone for the next 15 hours or so. I have a conversation with myself every morning that can make or break my day. It is a character molding conversation that includes a question that places my values and integrity at a crossroad. The answer of my all important question lies in the power of the SQUEEGEE. Here is the tone-setting, game-changing question: Will I Squeegee the shower door this morning?
It would be so easy to “forget” to wipe the shower down. Here is my daily conversation:
Me: If I get out without squeegeeing the shower door, no one will really notice.
Me Responding: But, it is not good to take short cuts. Just clean the shower door.
Me: If I don’t squeegee, I will save 2 minutes and just blame the residue on Bernice (my wife).
Me Responding: She will know- she is all knowing.
Me: Ok, I will squeegee the shower door.
I am normally finished with the daunting task of squeegeeing by the time this daily conversation is over. I come out of the shower a conquerer and ready to proceed through my day with excellence. That my friend, is the power of the squeegee.
What’s wrong with mediocrity?
Being mediocre leads to a life filled with delusion. When you are delusional, you are failing and you aren’t even aware of it. I would rather fail honestly than live a life of mediocrity. Why settle for less when you can live with excellence? If you fail at being excellent at least you can learn and make adjustments to reach your potential. If you succeed at mediocrity, you cheat yourself, friends, family and the world of who you were created to be.
I choose excellence.
Here is what author and speaker Tom Peters tweeted, Excellence is not an aspiration. Excellence is the next 5 minutes.
This places it in a bite-size context. Don’t think you have to perform perfectly to achieve excellence. Just be excellent with what is in front of you. That project you are overwhelmed with– break it down to where it is manageable; step by step, day by day. This is the path to excellence which means greater influence and a better you.
You were created by Excellence to be excellent. To excel is defined as to do or be better than; to surpass; to show superiority; to surpass others. Some synonyms of this word are to surpass, exceed, transcend, and outdo. These verbs mean to be or to go beyond a limit or standard.
It goes much deeper than what you do. Excellence is something you are. You’re either ahead of the pack or you’re not. There’s no partly excellent, halfway excellent or almost excellent.
Apostle Paul in in his letter to the Philippians, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
Thoughts become actions and actions mixed with excellence will make the world a much better place–starting with you.
We are all tempted with short-cuts and mediocrity every day.
Decide today, right now, will you squeegee away mediocrity and proceed with excellence.