Yesterday, I talked about putting your soul into whatever you really want to do in life. Today is a new day.
Not everyone is born a master at something, it's often something that's built up to. Being able to do that, however, isn't just acting on a whim though. It takes time and dedication to really get anywhere and the determining factor in whether you'll fully commit to something or not is your attitude.
To me, striving for excellence is like an obsession. In order to create something amazing you have to put yourself above the norm, which means putting in more work and effort than anyone else. A lot of people talk about how smart Einstein was, but in reality, he was always reflecting on his theories and thinking about how he could improve upon them. He spent years perfecting his theory of relativity, it didn't just happen over night. Rome wasn't built over night and in the same way neither is anything worthwhile.
With my work, (unless I'm out with friends) I'm usually lost in my head thinking about the next post I want to write, the next painting I want to work on, and what I can do in general to improve upon myself. Last night as I nestled into my bed a spark of inspiration jolted into my head and I just started writing ideas down for the next 3 hours. As for whether they're any good or not I'll have to go over them later today, but instead of ignoring the call and going to sleep I decided to head back into the grind and keep working. It's insanity and I ended up sleeping in this morning to make up for the lost sleep, but I also feel great about doing it, which I think is the key.
I think that people who strive for excellence thrive for the thrill of success when all of that suffering comes to fruition. Like pulling an all-nighter to finish an essay for class, once it's all over and you've submitted your work you feel a rush of relief and satisfaction. That sort of mental high is something that the greats live for and it's this obsessive attitude that I'm trying to foster within my own work.
As I continue to keep writing these daily thoughts being mindful of whether I think my writing is good enough is something that's kept me striving to improve with each post. That, to me, is how I can get closer toward achieving excellence with my writing.
Peace
"Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude." - Ralph MarstonI'm making progress on the piece I've been learning how to play and I feel like I'm nearing the final phase, perfecting the piece. This involves making sure that I play can play all of the notes properly as well as include my own expressions consistently. Doing one is hard enough, but doing both is something that's always been the greatest challenge for me. Although I could be content with just playing the piece, it wouldn't be great if I didn't put my own self into the piece. I need to make it my own piece, which is what I feel separates the good from the excellent in anything. Although I still have a long way to go, it's a goal that I set for myself whenever I take on a major piece.
Not everyone is born a master at something, it's often something that's built up to. Being able to do that, however, isn't just acting on a whim though. It takes time and dedication to really get anywhere and the determining factor in whether you'll fully commit to something or not is your attitude.
To me, striving for excellence is like an obsession. In order to create something amazing you have to put yourself above the norm, which means putting in more work and effort than anyone else. A lot of people talk about how smart Einstein was, but in reality, he was always reflecting on his theories and thinking about how he could improve upon them. He spent years perfecting his theory of relativity, it didn't just happen over night. Rome wasn't built over night and in the same way neither is anything worthwhile.
With my work, (unless I'm out with friends) I'm usually lost in my head thinking about the next post I want to write, the next painting I want to work on, and what I can do in general to improve upon myself. Last night as I nestled into my bed a spark of inspiration jolted into my head and I just started writing ideas down for the next 3 hours. As for whether they're any good or not I'll have to go over them later today, but instead of ignoring the call and going to sleep I decided to head back into the grind and keep working. It's insanity and I ended up sleeping in this morning to make up for the lost sleep, but I also feel great about doing it, which I think is the key.
I think that people who strive for excellence thrive for the thrill of success when all of that suffering comes to fruition. Like pulling an all-nighter to finish an essay for class, once it's all over and you've submitted your work you feel a rush of relief and satisfaction. That sort of mental high is something that the greats live for and it's this obsessive attitude that I'm trying to foster within my own work.
As I continue to keep writing these daily thoughts being mindful of whether I think my writing is good enough is something that's kept me striving to improve with each post. That, to me, is how I can get closer toward achieving excellence with my writing.
Peace
 |
| Through the endless repetition of deliberate practice come the results we seek - hark work and dedication |
What are you working toward perfecting? What are you pouring your soul into?
ReplyDelete