Here in this article, I will like to expose you to the three things you need to do to become a person of excellence.
(I) Think like God. Everything that God does is excellent. Even the amoeba as shapeless as it is, is excellent. When you look at the lion in its magnificence, fishes in the waters; the way they swim – is it not excellent? They are all perfect! No mistakes! A lot of us encounter challenges most times because we are not living life the way God wants us to live. And a life, home, society or organization that does not adore excellence will soon end up in the trash bin. Also anyone that does not take cognizance of living an excellent life will end up in the trash bin.
It does not cost much to live an excellent life. Tell me, how much does it cost to live orderly? How much does it cost to live a well planned life – nothing, it’s the mind. God, who is our perfect example, did not spend a dime for all he did, yet he did them excellently well. We all need to understand that opportunities in life expand where there is excellence, when you put a touch of excellence in the small things you do, it opens doors for you. So, why handwrite a letter or proposal when everyone is printing theirs because you feel you have a good handwriting? Why allow a letter full of cancellation leave your office? Think! God gave us brains so that we can put our lives in order, he gave you brain so that you can think. When you do your work or live life excellently well, your reward is appreciation. You cannot see anyone who is excellent and not valued or appreciated; some may grumble but with time, they will join the league of people who will eulogize you for excellence because excellence has a source and the source is God. So, think like God.
(II) See like God. This is another thing we must do if we really want to be people of excellence. The life we live-in is structured in such a way that we become what we see. God saw “good” in all he did, he was sure it was good. You must also look out for good in all you do, be sure your work is good, be sure your home is good, be sure your relationship is good – see it first! Whatever you can captivate in your mind, you attract to yourself.
(III) Act like God. God sees those things that are not as though they are, though those things are yet to exist but He acts and behaves as though it existed- that’s faith! If you can think, see and act like God, you will surely become excellent in all you do.
Having known these 3 things that can be done to become excellent, there are 6 more steps we need to take to bring out our godly thoughts, visions and actions into excellence. Everyone, every organization you see today took these same steps to become what they are. So, if these steps have worked for them, it will work for you.
(I) Have a Hunger for Excellence. This may sound simple but it the truth, be hungry for excellence. The bible says “blessed are they that hungers and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled”. In other words, long for excellence, pursue it and you will get it.
(II) Benchmark with the best and learn from them. Please note that what you are doing or want to do is not absolutely new, some people have done it before, and some are presently doing it perfectly well. Get close to them, learn from them. Don’t go down to the mediocre, benchmark with the best, be mentored by the best, ask questions from the best; find out how they are doing what they do, find how they do it well and do it the same way. A lot of us fail in this area because of pride. Some are shy to ask questions or see it as a weakness to ask questions. That’s the attitude of the mediocre. Listen, you have to be bold in life because excellence is not for cowards, Life on the other hand does not give you what you deserve, but what you decide and demand. Ask questions from the best; find out the how and the why.
(III) Build a strategy – put a plan in place. In 2 chronicles 27:6, the bible says “And Jotham became mighty because he prepared his ways before the Lord God” he just didn’t become mighty like most of us want, he prepared himself. To become excellent in anything you do, you have to make good preparation; you have to build a strategy – a plan. There is a saying that he who fails to plan is actually planning to fail. This means, when you fail to plan, what you are equally doing is that you are walking on a map that leads to failure and failure can never lead you into excellence. As such, develop the habit of consistent planning. Before you do anything whatsoever, no matter how small it seems, make a plan and then be sure it is good.
(IV) Believe you can do it and believe it’s possible. In Luke 1:18-20, the bible talked about Zachariah, when the angels of the lord appeared to him and said to him that his wife Elizabeth will give birth to a son and that he shall be called John. Zachariah who was a high prophet said it’s impossible; I am old and my wife Elizabeth is also old”. And the angel said to him that he won’t be able to speak until the prophecy came to pass. That’s how many talk of excellence “it’s not possible”. When you say “it’s not possible”, you have stopped your God sent angel to work for you. Angels are ministering spirits to us. Please note that in God’s hierarchy of authority, God comes first, followed by the redeemed man, then angels, the devil and his cohorts, and then the unsaved man of fallen man. Man appeared twice on the hierarchy. When you sincerely give your life to Christ, you have transcend from the ordinary or fallen man and lifted beyond the devil and his cohorts and the angels of heaven to sit with Christ at the right hand of God. However if you are yet to be saved, you are directly under the devil. The lower does not give command to the higher but in Zachariah’s case, the lower did not only command but took authority over him. The angel didn’t even go back to God to get permission before he pronounced those words against him. He did it because he has relegated himself as a result of doubt. Whenever you say “it’s impossible”, you have relegated yourself; you have brought the supernatural power in you to a halt. Believe it’s possible; don’t believe it’s for the rich. Believe it also for you, believe you can do it.
(V) Do not limit yourself. Do not look down on yourself. The fact that you live in a room apartment does not stop you from being excellent; do not look down on yourself. The only thing that can transform your life to what God wants you to be is excellence. God will not come down to do it for you; he will only give you wisdom and wisdom will help you design a strategy, the strategy however requires excellence and with excellence, it will bring you victory and the victory will then bring glory in the long run. So, you need to understand this simple truth that, you must not look down on yourself, that’s what failures do and since you are not a failure, you therefore must not limit yourself.
(VI) Be adaptable to change. Beloved, the world we live in is an ever changing world and as it changes, you must also be changing. When I was a child, the television set we use is not the same we use today, much has changed. Then, it used to be foldable with few channels coming up from 4pm to 12am but today, it’s plasma with 24hrs channels. Then, no one touches or carries computer anyhow but today, it’s now modified into liftable tools; you have laptops, ipads, and androids everywhere. The world is changing and you as an excellent minded person must be adaptable to it, you must be conscious and sensitive to it, that’s how excellent minds work, you must always strive to be the better you, because the ever moving world waits for no one. When you refuse to change when the world is changing, you become irrelevant and soon you will be exchanged and forgotten.
With these six steps, you can move into the excellent world. However, there is something called the impartation