Passion, Precision and the Pursuit of Excellence

This is a guest post by Amy Statton, a professional ballet dancer who has worked with several ballet companies including the Tulsa Ballet and the Pennsylvania Ballet. In 2009, she received the bronze medal at the 6th Annual Tanzolymp Dance Festival in Berlin for classical ballet.

What is excellence?

The dictionary defines excellence as the quality of being outstanding. The pursuit of excellence comes in many varieties, but the principle stays the same: no matter how good you are, you can be better. With this mindset, you’re able to push yourself to heights otherwise unattainable. For example, a ballet dancer and a shutter craftsman both actively pursue excellence in their work. However, they can only achieve excellence by letting their passions push them to their greatest potential.

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So what does a ballet dancer and a shutter craftsman have in common?

Ballet dancers and shutter craftsmen may look nothing alike, yet both pursue their passions in similar ways — specifically by having a perfectionist mindset, using their passions to propel them, and reaping the reward of producing something they can be proud of.

Perfectionist Mindset

Perfectionism is the belief that you can always be better. There is no limit to how far you can go, and no detail is too small. In ballet, great effort is put into making a performance look effortless. Every jump and turn has to be precise and calculated, otherwise the magic is lost. It is this same attention to detail that sets the shutter craftsman apart.Every detail of his work must have that same precision in creating a blind or shutter that is well-made and appealing.

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Letting Passion Push You Further

Loving what you do and getting a thrill from your work is a strong motivator. No dancer could do what they do without being head-over-heels passionate about ballet.

It is this love that takes them to the ballet studio every day and assuages the physical toll on their bodies. Similarly, a craftsman is pulled into his daily work by his passion. Discovering ways to propel his work and provide excellent service pushes him to create quality installations.

The Final Product

Making something you are proud of is what it’s all about. For a dancer, those moments on stage and the thrill of satisfaction makes everything worthwhile. When the shutter craftsman sees the finished product and the quality of his work, he knows that he has made something to be proud of.

The pursuit of excellence may be difficult, but the struggle is worth it for the few who let their passions take them to new heights. Nothing can compare to the satisfaction of creating a high quality product, no matter what you are passionate about.

Photos:
– Amy Statton pictured at the 6th Annual Tanzolymp Dance Festival for Classic Ballet in Berlin, 2009.

– Back Bay Shutter Co. shutter craftsman proudly displaying his creation.