I want you to think of a time you’ve experienced excellence…. I am not talking about a time when you said “oh – that was great”… I am talking something that truly blew your mind. Maybe it was a meal, a fine wine, whiskey, or cocktail. Or maybe it was driving a car, witnessing a performance, consuming a piece of art or attending an event. Or perhaps it was enjoying a premium product or service for the very first time.
We remember these moments. They are highly engaging and emotive experiences. They are a privilege. We value them, we talk about them and we are often prepared to pay a high price for them.
I’ll share a couple of recent experiences:
The Whiskey Guy: Last year Ben, my younger brother, came to Brisbane to visit. He had been chatting to a bloke up here that runs a bottle shop, and shares his passion for rare American whiskey. It was a bit of a drive to get out there… but that was soon forgotten. We walked through the doors, introduced ourselves and were invited to join the owner of the shop at a beautiful wooden bar in the corner. From there, were guided through a taste of four exquisite ‘one of a kind’ whiskeys from his personal collection, beautifully poured in delicate crystal glassware as soothing American blues played in the background. If the whiskey wasn’t good enough, it was delivered with comprehensive commentary and explanation by someone who really knew his stuff and was eager to share his knowledge. Needless to say, we both bought something from his shop that day and probably will again.
Hotel Heaven: Last week I was in Auckland for a wedding. I treated myself to a luxury hotel for a couple of nights. As soon as I walked through the door I was blown away. I’ve stayed in a lot of nice hotels… but this was on another level. The attention and service from every single staff member, the smell in the lobby, the beautiful styling that dressed the floors, walls and ceiling and the pianist tastefully filling the room with music. Then there was the bed, the furniture, the artwork, the bathroom, the premium amenities… and the view. But most impressive were the little touches… a free shuttle to the harbour, the fresh fruit bowl, chilled water and cold towels in the gym, a selection of fine NZ chocolate and daily Maori proverb with turn down service, and a night cap menu for a cheeky drink before bed. I would stay there again in a heartbeat, and I am sure others will on my recommendation.
I could literally give you hundreds of other examples – I live for this stuff. You see, I believe that your life will become what you fill it with – so I find myself in constant search of excellence and when I find it, try to immerse myself and invest in it. I believe that at the heart of any successful person, or business is an intentional commitment to excellence. It is something engrained in their DNA... it is a mantra. It transforms great into exceptional. It pushes performance to the elite level. It attracts people, and it keeps them coming back. It inspires others.
But the big question is:
What constitutes excellence, and how do we get it in our own lives?
It has become a bit of an obsession of mine to study and analyse the excellence I experience around me, and so I want to give my ‘THREE P’ plan that I hope you can take, play with and apply to your life:
P1: Passion. Excellence is fuelled by passion. Passion provides an unrivalled energy, an attention to detail and a hunger for growth and improvement. Passion enables people to accomplish the unimaginable. You can feel it. It radiates from within exceptional people, things and experiences. It is captivating, and addictive - when we feel it… we want more. So, the first step to excellence is to do the things you are the most passionate about… and to recruit the most passionate people to work, play and create with you.
P2: Practice. Excellence takes time, dedication, commitment and focus. I remember as a kid reading an article about my hero – David Beckham. It said that he was never the most naturally gifted athlete, but he was always the one that trained the hardest. He would spend hours and hours at the park on his technique… and would stay back after training kicking thousands of extra balls… until one day he became the best. A global superstar, the captain of his country’s football team, and arguably the most effective set piece specialist of all time. Beckham combined passion and practice… and became a master.
P3: Precision. Excellence is an obsession on the fine details. It is recognising the things that most people miss. It is making the incredibly complex look beautifully simple, through seamless execution of the ‘little things’. I remember a conversation I had with a mentor once who said “the difference between 90% and 100% is not one big 10% block… it’s a series of tiny little 1%s and 0.5%s that most people don’t even care about. I’ve applied that theory to so many of my endeavours and so far it has served me well. So ‘zoom in’ and start focussing on the little things.
Whatever your personal pursuit of excellence is… be it your health, your study, your career, your relationships, your business, or any of your other endeavours… I challenge you to play with the three Ps… to constantly refuel your passion and remind yourself of WHY you are doing it; WORK hard, commit to the long game and seek continual growth and improvement; and FOCUS on consistently doing the little things really well.