I recently took up cycling. I am not, and will never be, an excellent cyclist. That is guaranteed. But I am a very enthusiastic cyclist. It is quickly becoming a passion. When I discuss my cycling I discuss it with passion. How it makes me feel. Everything I love most about it. Other people who are passionate about cycling relate to it as I do to them. I am drawn to people who share this common and very real passion.
If all I had to focus on was being an excellent cyclist it would completely kill it for me.
Throughout our lives we are encouraged to be excellent. Be the best that we can be. Work as hard as we can.
From the day we begin our spelling tests at school before chasing A-grades in exams, or perhaps a hallowed first team spot in the school football team – we pursue and applaud excellent achievements.
The problem is that we often pursue excellence without ever quite achieving it. Or, the respect from peers, family and friends that our obsession with excellence craves.
We can be tough on ourselves too.
Especially if we don’t meet with our personal expectations on excellence. ‘Everyone else appears to be excellent at whatever-it-might-be.’ ‘Am I the only person who isn’t?’!’
Indirectly, the perceived trappings of excellence can be an issue too. How many people do you know who are miserable because people they know have a bigger car? Better job?
The problem with excellence is that all too often it delivers indifference. We can give up the ghost if we still aren’t excellent despite working as hard as we can for years. People achieving excellence burn out. Or, perhaps, when we are intimidated by others who already appear to have achieved it. ‘We’ll never be as good as them!’
It’s an obsession. And I don’t think it’s a healthy one.
We need an alternative to excellence. A shift of focus. We need to drive ourselves in a way that retains all the best elements of our obsession with excellence. We need to retain the healthy competition it encourages. And still enjoy the personal challenges it leads us on.
But, the solution needs to tolerate the plain fact that we can’t all be excellent at everything. And that it’s OK not to be excellent.
So what’s the solution?
A simple shift of focus. For me, just like my new-found love of cycling, the focus should be on passion and enthusiasm.
A focus on passion and enthusiasm will see us naturally seek out the areas of our lives we love. Why stick in a job we dislike, desperately trying to be excellent at it, when our passions lie elsewhere?
The irony is that by seeking out our life passions we have more chance of delivering results – sometimes even excellent results – too. I completed my first coast to coast cycle ride in two days earlier this year. Far from excellent I know. But a result. Passion and enthusiasm tolerates it when we don’t achieve excellence. Loving what you do justifies the achievement.
My passion drove me to compete too. I hated the idea of being the slowest rider on the coast to coast. But I tolerated not being the fastest. And delivered an outstanding personal achievement. Even if I do say so myself.
Passion is charismatic. Because it is a very human trait. Just like ‘not being excellent’ is a human trait too. And I find humans significantly more engaging than excellent automatons.
Don’t forget shared passions too.
Shared passions deliver relationships of real value. I initiate and maintain some of my best business contacts through my shared passion for football. I am not an excellent footballer! In my experience shared excellence can, at worst, breed mistrust.
Excellence is black or white. You’ve either got it or you haven’t. You can never be a little bit excellent. Or even very excellent. Passion and enthusiasm comes in degrees. Making it easier for it to develop and evolve as it becomes stronger.
And passion and enthusiasm are as far removed from indifference as you can get. Whilst even excellent people can burn out after all the effort their achievement has taken.
So let’s bin excellence.
And let passion and enthusiasm drive us. What will you be passionate about today?
All the best, Richard .. an excellent PR Guy!
