Excellence is like anything else in life, it takes time, energy, and preparation to achieve. Think of your excellence strategy in building terms. Luke 14:28 says, “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?”. When we think of “building” excellence in our own lives, the logical first step is to sit down and plan out our journey to excellence.

While every journey of excellence begins with a want (desire), it is sustained by a framework that sets a direction with intention. When starting out, the concepts are fuzzy and require time to be unveiled, as new information and experience give detail to the overall master plan. So, take a moment to consider your master plan of excellence. What does the big picture look like – your ZOE (Zone of Excellence)? Do you see where you are headed, 5, 10, or even 20 years down the road?

Once you’ve established your master plan for excellence, it’s time to put together the blueprint. This allows you to map out the structure that will surround your journey to excellence. As you start the blueprint process it may seem vague or not as detailed as you would like for it to be. Adding details to your blueprint (think of how bedrooms, closets, and kitchens are mapped out in an architectural blueprint) will allow you to visualize the big picture more fully. Without the details, you don’t have an actual plan, it’s just an idea.

By adding detail to your excellence blueprint, your vision transitions to a rendering. You start to see the real and achievable steps toward your ZOE. Your vision becomes more than just a floor plan of ideas, it becomes a map for your journey. As you put the plan to action and begin your journey of excellence, consider this the actual building portion in your pursuit of excellence. This is the point where your mission and values become important. For this analogy, your mission would be the type of construction and your values would be the materials that you will be incorporating. You can also think of this as the area in which you are pursuing excellence and the tools that you will use to accomplish your goal.

Excellence doesn’t simply happen overnight; it takes time and effort. Planning your blueprint of excellence is the first step of the journey and as you establish that blueprint, the rest of the plans will begin to fit in that framework.

Action step:

• Set aside time to begin putting together your master plan. What does excellence look like in your current role? What does your ZOE look like in the next 5, 10, or 20 years?
• After you’ve identified your master plan, begin to map out your blueprint. What does your general journey look like?
• Add details and finalize your plan rendering. Rather than considering your rendering inflexible, use it as a guideline.  Make the steps of your rendering achievable and then consider your next steps as you begin your journey of excellence.
• Decide how you will accomplish your goals and what tools you will use along your journey (remember your mission and values?).
• Don’t wait to start your journey of excellence. Each day offers the potential to getting closer to reaching your ZOE. 



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