We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

Excellence is not a gift, but a skill that takes practice. We do not act ‘rightly’ because we are ‘excellent’, in fact we achieve ‘excellence’ by acting ‘rightly’.

How excellent is thy name in all the earth.

Real excellence does not come cheaply. A certain price must be paid in terms of practice, patience, and persistence—natural ability notwithstanding.

If happiness is activity in accordance with excellence, it is reasonable that it should be in accordance with the highest excellence.

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.

I am not remotely interested in just being good.

The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential…these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.

Badness you can get easily, in quantity: the road is smooth, and it lies close by. But in front of excellence the immortal gods have put sweat, and long and steep is the way to it, and rough at first. But when you come to the top, then it is easy, even though it is hard.

Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal—a commitment to excellence—that will enable you to attain the success you seek.

Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones.

A burning desire is the greatest motivator of every human action. The desire for success implants ''success consciousness'' which, in turn, creates a vigorous and ever-increasing ''habit of success.''

Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition, is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have.