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You set a goal to be the best and then you work hard every hour of every day, striving to reach that goal. If you allow yourself to settle for anything less than number one, you are cheating yourself.
Don Shula
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Pursuing excellence and setting high standards for oneself leads to personal fulfillment.

The quote emphasizes the importance of setting high goals and dedicating oneself to continuous effort in order to achieve greatness. It suggests that striving for the best and avoiding mediocrity is essential for true self-fulfillment, as settling for less can be seen as a form of self-deception and failure to realize one's potential.

Themes

GoalSuccessHard WorkExcellenceStriving

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could inspire a team to push for their best performance during a project presentation.

More from Don Shula

When you're 0-2 in the Super Bowl, they say unkind things about you. They say, 'He can't win the big one.' And that's the worst thing that can be said about you.
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Strive for perfection, but settle for excellence.
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The problem with most leaders today is they don't stand for anything. Leadership implies movement toward something, and convictions provide that direction. If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything
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Failure isn't fatal, and success isn't final.
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The thing we found out was, when you get to a Super Bowl, both teams are treated the same, talked about in glowing terms. But when the game is over, only the team that won matters.
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