The Inspiration Challenge: The Excellence of Habit

We are repeatedly what we do; excellence then is not an act but a habit.

– Aristotle

I recently read a post that said, “It takes 21 days to build a habit and 90 days to build a lifestyle”(Business Money). Habit implies consistency. A purposeful repetition that can produce both positive and negative results. Habits require patience from us, just like the quote above states, it takes time to develop a habit and even longer to build a lifestyle. Consistency and patience are two things that do not come easily to everyone, meaning that the road to developing or changing a habit will not be easy, yet it is achievable.

Many times, people look to or for one major event or act that took place to be the source of change in their lives. A life changing event to set them on a new course. While this can happen, I encourage you to look for the small, consistent changes that are taking place in your day-to-day life, because those changes are the one that are slowly but surely forming a habit.

Habits are often formed through trial and error. If you are trying to develop a new habit or break an old or bad one and find that a certain way or idea is not working, switch it up and keep trying different ways until you find a way that allows you to see consistent progress. Your habits are unique to you and even while some habits might be universal, how that habit applies to your life is special to you.

Now, let’s address the idea of excellence. In some area of our life, personal, professional, or otherwise, we all desire excellence to a certain level. For some people, excellence is something they strive to achieve every day and for others the thought of achieving excellence seems too distant. No matter which type of person that you are, take heart in knowing that excellence is a habit, and habits are formed through day-to-day consistency. So, if you are already pursuing excellence, you are well on your way to forming a habit of excellence. Take heart if you are someone who finds excellence to be distant, because you can bring it closer and closer by making small, consistent changes to your lifestyle.