Beyond mediocrity

On the path to excellence lies mediocrity.

Before we can run, we must first learn to walk.

Mediocrity is nothing to scoff at; it's acceptable, worthy, and the logical end for many. It is a natural progression we must take on our way to greatness.

As the saying goes, "learn from your mistakes." No one great ever shied away from failure.

To improve, you need to open yourself up to mistakes. They are your friends. Invite them, accept them; don't reject them when they come knocking. Reflect and learn from them.

Excellence also requires deliberateness, willingness for discomfort, and trust in the process.

Show up; often, put in the effort, be with the discomfort, learn from your setbacks, and see it take you beyond mediocrity.

All great musicians played poorly once.
All great software coders created many throwaway buggy implementations.
All great essay writers wrote poor syntactic incorrect sentences–a journey I travel consistently and one day might get beyond mediocrity.

Understand that we can't excel at everything but can be great at many things. Choose wisely and purposefully.

Excellence is no guarantee; mediocrity is more likely.

And remember, someone with a growth mindset will always outperform someone with a fixed mindset, regardless of talent and innate abilities.

Skill-building cannot be bought; it can only be developed over time and with sustained intention and effort.

If the journey to excellence were easy, more people would take it.

Miguel,
Sparknotion – Think Differently.