MORE EXTRA, LESS ORDINARY
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Those words, often attributed to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, were actually first written by the American author and historian Will Durant in his 1926 book, The Story of Philosophy. Durant was paraphrasing one of Aristotle’s core beliefs, that “virtues are formed in man by his doing the actions.” Durant’s famous words provide a powerful reminder for those of us chasing excellence here today, a reminder that our identity is shaped by our behavior. What we want matters, and what we think about matters…but what we choose to do determines who we ultimately become.
That means if we want to be extraordinary, then we have to do extraordinary work. We are what we repeatedly do. That word - extraordinary - is the perfect word to describe the champion’s identity and behavior. It is unique and uncommon. That word also provides a clear and concrete formula for the kind of work becoming our best requires us to do: more extra, and less ordinary.
The Hall of Fame football coach Jimmy Johnson once said that “the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” That’s such a simple explanation, but it’s true. Ordinary people are easy to find because ordinary work is easy to do. But choosing to become a champion means choosing to be different - to go above and beyond ordinary in pursuit of something more. Will Durant called it excellence. This is the challenge each of us face, the test we are administered every day - usually many times each day, and usually with varying results.
“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.”
Each of us have things to do. Some of them might be major and some of them might be minor. Some might be public and some might be private. Either way, each time you check something off your list, the quality of your work is casting another vote for the kind of person you are either working to or allowing yourself to become. What you do is validating who you are.
When you recognize that reality, it changes your perspective on the work that’s in front of you. That reality challenges you to raise your performance, especially in those areas that might be considered basic, boring, or elementary. Those are no longer menial tasks you are obligated to complete. Now they are critical votes you have the opportunity to cast. Even if no one else knows what you’ve done or how you’ve done it, you know. And with that knowledge comes confirmation that your approach, your decisions, and your performance have moved you closer to the person winning requires you to be.
So the formula here is pretty simple. If you want to be extraordinary, then you can’t do what most people do. You can’t do ordinary work. Instead, being extraordinary requires you to do what champions do. You have to do extra. You have to go above and beyond the minimum expectation. You have to devote more time, more energy, and more focus to the task at hand. You have to elevate your level of care and conviction. You have to make excellence the habit - in the major and the minor, both publicly and privately - over and over again each day. Why? Because champions do things differently. Because your identity is shaped by your behavior. Because you are what you repeatedly do.