Compartmentalizing Excellence

Years ago, I had a job as a personal trainer at a local gym. I worked out there, worked there and even hung out with friends there after the workday. I planned my schedule and activities around my workouts and meals. Everything revolved around my aspirations to improve that one area of my life: my fitness and physique.

While I was quickly attaining excellence and maybe even greatness in that arena, sometimes at almost any cost, I was often doing it to the detriment of the other areas of my life. I had compartmentalized excellence. I was so focused on that one narrow area of my life and being, I had begun to ignore other, much more important aspects of my existence. I was a slack employee, a selfish friend and sidetracked Christian. That isolated excellence, built on a on foundation of widespread mediocrity, was empty and meaningless.

I have since learned true excellence is a habit that encompasses all areas of one’s life. It’s not an action or even a series of actions confined to a specific time or segment of activities. Excellence is a mindset and a lifelong commitment. Avoid compartmentalizing excellence, but rather unleash it into all areas of your life.

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Mindset Matters

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