At whatever stage in life a person decides that there is an activity that has particular meaning for them, a kind of turning point is reached. It is then that they must make the decision that this activity is what they most want to engage in. Then, they must as well determine as best as they can if this desire will remain a consistent one. It is a process many people go through, and more times than most would probably like. Nonetheless, done correctly, the person’s entire life will depend on that choice made. It is both a highly personal and immense responsibility, because it is only partially built on a liking for the pursuit. To truly work at being the best, and in any field at all, requires more than anything a level of commitment that will not weaken when the inevitable obstacles present themselves.

Everyone, at some point or another, is thrilled to discover either a talent for doing something or a fascination in how something is done. It can be in business, in the arts, and in virtually every arena human beings move within. At best, the talent and the interest coincide; the natural skill to play the piano, for example, enhances the love of music already in place.

Other pursuits are less neatly arranged, and many people go from interest to interest, trying to isolate the one that combines aptitude with desire. There is, unfortunately, no equation; ability does not automatically translate to potential greatness, and a lack of talent can be turned around when the ambition is powerful enough. The best we can do is try to develop talent that will enable us to succeed at something we care about, because that caring will provide the needed drive to be the best.

It is not the most attractive reality, but the fact remains that aspiration, and even raw ability, are not nearly enough to secure excellence in anything. Passion for a subject is even dangerous because it can blind the person to their shortcomings. Perseverance in the face of an ability that is simply not developing is a frustrating and painful thing, and by no means admirable of itself. At some point, and irregardless of which actually is first manifested, skill must merge with interest for excellence to be the result.

The great difficulty, however, is that even this pairing is no assurance at all of achieving greatness. What is needed is a somewhat dry and unexciting understanding that the work will never, really, be done. To be the best at anything is, in fact, a contradiction in terms, because to be the best means that there is the knowledge that “best” is an evolving thing. To return to the piano player, he or she may have worked to the point where the world is in awe. Everything we do, however, is subject to changing standards, both from ourselves and the world around us. That brilliant pianist will very likely face a new, impressive talent as competition, or be introduced to a musical piece beyond his or her current talents. Then, there are always other obstacles to face, from physical issues to circumstances out of the pianist’s control.

Excellence is marked by one thing only: it is a static quality. Whoever decides to be the best at anything must always know that the day’s supreme achievement is only of that day. In setting a standard of excellence, all that is really done is the creation of a rung on that particular ladder,  and the “best” simply becomes a thing to be surpassed yet again. There is no end of the road, for any kind of excellence, and that is a hard reality. To truly work at being the best, and in any field at all, requires more than anything a level of commitment that will not weaken when the inevitable obstacles present themselves, or fresh challenges arise.