Do Exceptional Work

Yeah, yeah ... now you're sounding like my mother ... maybe that's true. But here's the thing: if you consistently did exceptional work, no matter what you are doing, what difference would it make to your life?

Washing dishes? Do it in an exceptional way ... doesn't take longer, but looks better and above all, makes you feel better about yourself.

Writing an essay or a thesis? Do it in an exceptional way ... this one may take longer, but not only will you feel better about yourself, you might get a much better grade, or even find that the exceptional paper has moved you from one square on the chessboard to a much more advantageous one.

Taking a walk with your 6-year-old? Do it in an exceptional way ... this one may or may not take longer, but here again you will not only feel better about yourself, but you are creating memories for that child of yours that may never fade through all the years of his/her life, memories that may be recounted to your future grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Just three little examples. Where has each of them taken you, as opposed to where you would have gone had you not done the activity in an exceptional way? It has taken you into the present moment because you have been paying acute attention to all that you were doing during the undertaking of said activity. That is precisely one of the biggest ways of doing something in an exceptional way. BEING PRESENT. You can give your 'all' when you are being present. You certainly can not do that when you are not totally present, and hence it is almost impossible to do something in an exceptional way when you are not present.


I was inspired to write this short post by one of my favorite quotes by Robin Sharma, author of (among others) The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny

The quote is:

You can do exceptional work or you can make excuses. but you can't do both.



For more information about living an exceptional life, read my book Rewiring the Soul: Finding the Possible Self: How Your Connection to Yourself Can Make All the Difference

From the Introduction:

This book was written for you. It’s no accident that you picked it up or decided to buy it. There are no coincidences and the fact that you are holding this book in your hands simply means that you have now come to a place where you can begin, should you so decide, to apply its information. Lest you are put off by its deceptive simplicity, each chapter contains, in distilled and synthesized form, teachings that will allow you to live a life filled with well-being and satisfaction that in most cases can only be understood after many years of searching. Often the ways by which I came to understand the information were very roundabout, and included not only experiential living where I took my share of emotional risks, but also a pursuit of knowledge and understanding that took me down many intellectual, academic and professional paths. Much joy but also heartache, pain and many tears went into what I’ve extracted into the essence of this book and I offer it from the bottom of my heart and with much love so that you, the reader, may apply it in order to make your own life rich, abundant, and filled with love, joy, peace, harmony, and inner freedom.


Photo: The Flaming Mountains in Turpan, China