You are what you eat. You are what you think. These two truths can be your asset or your enemy. These two truths also have a big impact on those around you.

When I was young my parents instilled in me a standard of excellence with which to operate. They never came out and said, “You must operate with a standard of excellence, young son”.  What they did, however, was live their lives in the manner they wanted me and my siblings to live our lives. They acted as they wanted us to act.

Having a child of my own, as well as working with young people in a mentoring relationship, has shown me more and more the importance of holding yourself to a high standard. People don’t listen to what you say, they listen to what you do.

In The Magic of Thinking Big, David Schwartz conveys the idea of going “1st class in everything you do.” You have the choice to operate with a standard of excellence in every single thing you do. It’s not always easy, and very few people do it, but starting small and building gradually can pay large dividends.

So the next time you’re debating doing something with 60% of your effort, take a second and think to yourself, “Am I going 1st class?”

I dare you :)

Spaniard