#546 Catching Excellence

As We Chase Perfection

In our last +1, we talked about Ben Bergeron—the CrossFit Games coach whose athletes have won six world championships. I briefly mentioned his book: Chasing Excellence.

Today I want to talk about how he came up with that title.

It’s from this epic Vince Lombardi quote: “Gentlemen, we will chase perfection, and we will chase it relentlessly, knowing all the while we can never attain it. But along the way, we shall catch excellence.”

Think about that for a moment.

We’ll chase perfection. Relentlessly. KNOWING we’ll never attain it.

But along the way? We’ll catch excellence.

That’s genius.

John Wooden said nearly the EXACT same thing. Here’s how he put it: “Perfection is what you are striving for, but perfection is an impossibility. However, striving for perfection is not an impossibility. Do the best you can under the conditions that exist. That is what counts.”

What happens when you do your best moment to moment to moment in pursuit of perfection?

You catch excellence.

Today’s +1.

How are your standards?

Are you simply trying to get by and going with the “Meh, good enough?” level of competence? Or are you willing to step back and look up at what you COULD be and then look back down at this moment and give it all you got?

Here’s to chasing perfection. Relentlessly. Knowing we’ll never attain it.

And catching excellence along the way.

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