Stop Chasing Motivation. Start Chasing Standards.

In my late 20s, I joined a local CrossFit gym, not because I loved fitness, but because I was tired of starting things alone and letting myself off the hook when it got hard. I needed community and accountability, the kind you can't get from a home workout app.

There was this one guy who caught my attention. He wasn't the loudest in the room or the strongest by any measure. But he was different. He showed up 10 minutes early, every time. He tracked every single workout in a worn notebook. While others celebrated finishing a brutal workout, he was already setting up for the next movement. Quietly focused on what came next.

One day, curiosity got the better of me. "What are you training for?" I asked, expecting him to mention some competition or fitness goal.

"Life," he said simply.

Turns out, this guy followed Ben Bergeron's Chasing Excellence like it was his personal operating manual. Not to win some trophy, but to lead himself with the kind of discipline that most people only dream about.

That conversation changed how I think about everything.

Excellence Isn't What You Think It Is

Chasing Excellence isn't about chasing success at all. It's about something far more fundamental: defining your standard.

Ben Bergeron has coached some of the fittest humans on the planet, multiple CrossFit Games champions who redefined what peak performance looks like. But here's the thing: his system works way beyond the gym floor.

The core principle that drives everything:

Don't focus on outcomes. Focus on the behaviors that create them.

In Bergeron's world, excellence isn't situational. It's not something you turn on when the stakes are high. It's a habit you build when nobody's watching.

He calls it "controlling the controllables":

• Your effort

• Your attitude

• Your preparation

• Your focus

Notice what's not on that list? Your follower count. Your quarterly revenue. What your competition is doing. All the external noise that usually hijacks our attention.

Most people have this backwards. They chase feelings. They wait for inspiration to strike, motivation to kick in, or the perfect moment to finally act. But the best performers? They flip the script entirely. They act their way into motivation.

Bergeron proves this through his athletes. They train in complete silence to sharpen their internal drive. They build pre-performance routines that give them emotional control when pressure mounts. They create systems for sleep, nutrition, and mindset, so when game day arrives, nothing is left to chance or reactive decision-making.

One principle stands above the rest: "character over talent." In Bergeron's gym, raw talent means nothing without the discipline to harness it. That translates directly into your professional life. You don't need more skills, more connections, or more opportunities. You need fewer excuses.

Want to become someone who writes consistently? Don't chase perfect writing conditions or wait for inspiration. Set a time. Show up. Hit publish. Repeat.

Want to grow your side business? Don't wait for the stars to align, your finances to be perfect, or your fear to disappear. Show up. Build. Adjust. Stack another day of progress.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: Excellence is boring. That's precisely what makes it so powerful.

It looks like repetition when others seek variety. Simplicity when others chase complexity. Mastering fundamentals that most people ignore because they're not exciting enough for social media.

But Bergeron's insight cuts deep: the unsexy, unglamorous work becomes your competitive edge, because so few people are willing to sustain it long enough to see results.

He uses a phrase that changed everything for me: "Win the workout." Not win the competition. Not win the season. Just win today's effort. Win the thing right in front of you.

That's the system in its simplest form:

1. Define what winning looks like today: be specific, be measurable

2. Block out everything else: protect that definition from distractions

3. Stack that behavior until it becomes identity: repeat until it's who you are, not just what you do

This is the fundamental shift. You stop chasing excellence like it's something external to capture. You become it through daily decisions that most people aren't willing to make.

Your Daily Excellence Protocol

Every morning, before you check your phone or dive into your inbox, write down two things:

• What does "winning today" look like? Be specific. Make it measurable.

• What's one thing I can do to earn that win before noon? Choose something completely within your control.

Then do it. Do it without negotiating, without waiting for the right mood, without creating conditions that need to be met first.

This isn't about perfection. It's about building the muscle of following through on what you say matters to you.

The Question That Changes Everything

Are you designing your days to earn excellence; or are you waiting for the right moment to feel ready?

Most people wait. They wait for motivation, for inspiration, for fear to subside, for conditions to improve. But excellence doesn't wait. It shows up regardless of how you feel.

The gap between who you are and who you want to become isn't filled with more knowledge or better circumstances. It's filled with more consistent action on the things you already know matter.

Get the Book

If you want a complete system for becoming elite in your habits, your leadership, and your life, Chasing Excellence is your manual.

This isn't just about athletes or fitness. It's about showing up like a professional in whatever arena matters most to you. It's about building the kind of character that creates opportunities instead of waiting for them.

Whether you're leading a team, building a business, or simply trying to lead yourself better; Bergeron's principles will give you the framework to turn good intentions into consistent results.

Chasing Excellence by Ben Bergeron: Because the difference between good and great isn't talent. It's standards.

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