In Pursuit of Excellence

Last Sunday I attended a concert by the Vienna Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall, featuring Yoyo Ma and conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. I’ve seen beautiful concerts, but this is the first time I’ve been moved to tears. It felt important, transformational, and it has stayed with me.

What is it that is so important about transcendental levels of excellence? Coaches spend so much time focusing on balance, calm, being present and acknowledging the small successes. So where does the crazy, unbalanced, destabilizing pursuit of excellence fit in? And why do we need it so badly?
In truth coaches also spend a lot of time on fulfillment. And fulfillment by definition is about urgency, purpose and impact. When you think about Mozart and how he locked himself in a room, not eating or stopping until his work was finished, you see fulfillment at work. Dan Pink talks about three intrinsic motivators: autonomy, mastery and purpose. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his 1998 book Finding Flow, reveals how having that sense of larger purpose and your impact on others, makes it easier to take pleasure in the ups and downs of everyday life. In my coaching program (CTI), they say that, “Living a fulfilling life is a radical act.”
Next time you are wondering whether doing what you love and being someone you can be proud to be is worth it, remember that between evenings performing at Carnegie Hall, Yoyo Ma has plenty of tedious rehearsals and photo shoots. Excellence is not about ease and bliss every moment, but it is about drinking from one of life’s renewable sources.
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