| Recently I participated in a committee with a group | | | | 3. Stay positive. Our thoughts control our lives. If you |
| of women who were involved in planning a high | | | | choose to continuously fix your eyes on what is |
| impact conference. During the eleven-month process | | | | going wrong, you will soon start to believe that you |
| we met many difficulties and hardships, and as a | | | | are incapable of doing a good job. You then allow |
| result a number of the women became discouraged. | | | | feelings of despair to overpower you and you will |
| Each one reacted differently to this discouragement: | | | | find yourself unfit to function properly; not because |
| dropping out of the team, spreading attitudes of | | | | you are not talented, but because you believed the |
| negativity, or even gossiping and criticizing the | | | | lies about your lack of skills. |
| leadership. | | | | 4. Run from gossip. It is not true that all women |
| A few days before the big event, a meeting was | | | | enjoy gossip. This is a huge lie that somebody came |
| held in which each woman was asked to rate her | | | | up with in order to appease their own guilty |
| individual performance on a scale of 1-10. I sat in | | | | conscience. I do not need to tell you how destructive |
| complete astonishment as every single woman rated | | | | this habit of spreading rumors can be. Stay away |
| herself below four. One went so far as to rate | | | | from any situation that promotes, leads to, or allows |
| herself a zero! They were being completely honest, | | | | for gossiping. When the members of the team found |
| but how useful was their sense of remorse a few | | | | themselves constantly gossiping about each other |
| hours before the big event was to take place? | | | | (because it is true: the one who brings news also |
| Of course there is always room for improvement, | | | | carries news) they inadvertently weakened the |
| but we must learn to live our lives in such a way that | | | | bonds that joined them. |
| we do not waste energy regretting not having done | | | | 5. Be accountable. Most people dislike being held |
| more. Life cannot be run on good intentions and | | | | accountable for their actions. But in your quest for a |
| thoughts of what you should have or could have | | | | lifestyle of excellence you cannot shy away from this |
| done. Excellence is not something you do if the time | | | | step. One of the tasks assigned to the team |
| (or price) is right. Excellence is a lifestyle, and it is | | | | members was to sell tickets for the event. Half of |
| available to all but there is a fee to be paid. When | | | | them were unable to comply with the amount of |
| you make up your mind to live in excellence you will | | | | tickets assigned to them. When questioned, every |
| be called names, people might shy away from you, | | | | single one had the perfect excuse. But excuses were |
| and others might try to destroy you. But keep these | | | | not going to get the tickets sold! You must live your |
| tips in mind as you take firm steps toward achieving | | | | life in such a way that when you are called to |
| a standard of distinction: | | | | answer you do not have to rely on improvised tales |
| | | | to justify your actions (or lack of them). |
| 1. Stay focused. One of the reasons why the women | | | | 6. Always do your best. It does not matter how |
| on the team were unable to do more was because | | | | small the task that you have been asked to do might |
| they forgot that their main objective was to work | | | | be, still do your best. I try to stick to activities that I |
| together for a common purpose. Most of the times | | | | love, that way it is a lot easier to fulfill my |
| after the monthly meetings were adjourned, some | | | | commitment to excellence. Occasionally I might |
| of the team members would stick around to chat, | | | | become involved in activities I do not enjoy much. |
| eat, and watch movies. That simple act made them | | | | This fact is no excuse for a mediocre performance. I |
| lose sight of their goal. They started seeing the | | | | still do my best. |
| meetings as opportunities to network and catch up | | | | If you purpose in your heart that you will live your |
| on the latest gossip. | | | | life in such a way that everything you do or say is |
| 2. Stay motivated. Contrary to what you have been | | | | done to the utmost of your ability, you will have no |
| told, nobody can motivate you. This is something you | | | | need to waste valuable energy and time justifying |
| need to do for yourself. It is a choice you make. You | | | | yourself, making excuses, and regretting not having |
| decide to stay motivated even when things are not | | | | done more. Even if it so happens that at some point |
| going as planned, even when everybody else has | | | | you did not do all that you could have done but you |
| chosen to give up and thoughts of despair are taking | | | | put your best effort into what you did do, you are |
| over. | | | | still on the right track. |
