The best starting point on a path to excellence is mediocrity.

To be “mediocre,” it sounds kind of negative, doesn’t it? It somehow sounds like less than average. It sounds like someplace we wouldn’t want to be, someplace without real effort, just barely above failing.

I believe it is the ideal starting point when desiring excellence. It can be celebrated because you have shown that you are willing to take the first step. Give yourself credit for simply showing up.

Shift the way you think about your areas of mediocrity, and don’t criticize yourself for settling for mediocrity, but rather celebrate the fact that you chose to do something at all. Now that “doing” has put you in a position to desire more. More will come to you when you change your thinking.

If you force yourself to action without changing your thinking, you will eventually fall back to mediocrity because it is difficult to maintain any action when your incentive is from outside in. If you change your thinking first, you can achieve greatness, and never ever fall back.

Shift your thoughts to fully accepting where you are right now, and then shift your thinking to appreciating your new journey toward greatness, including experiencing the feelings of how good it will be when greatness arrives. Imagine how great excellence will feel, know it will arrive, and imagine how great it feels right now to be on the journey toward excellence.

Congratulate yourself in your areas of mediocrity, because now you are in position to achieve excellence. You HAVE taken the first step!