Every week brings a choice.
Not between good or bad.
Not between right or wrong.
The real choice is this:
Mediocrity or greatness.
It sounds dramatic, but it is true.
You are either building something intentional—or drifting into the default.
There is no neutral.
Mediocrity Costs You More Than You Think
Mediocrity does not show up in big, obvious ways.
It creeps in quietly.
It sounds like:
- “That’s good enough for now.”
- “No one else is doing it anyway.”
- “I’ll fix that later.”
- “What’s the point?”
And if you’re not careful, those phrases become your operating system.
The scary part?
Mediocrity is easy. And it is everywhere.
You do not need to be lazy to live in mediocrity.
You just need to get a little tired. A little distracted. A little discouraged.
Before long, you are surrounded by people who stopped trying—and you start to think that is normal.
But normal is not your target.
Greatness is.
Greatness Is Built, Not Given
Greatness is not loud. It is not boastful.
It does not always come with a trophy or a title.
Real greatness looks like:
- Consistency when no one is watching
- Doing the right thing when it is inconvenient
- Asking for help even when your pride tells you not to
- Investing in mentors, even when it costs you
- Staying focused when the world is full of noise
Greatness starts when you get clear on your purpose—then back that purpose with a plan.
And more than anything, it requires a commitment to growth.
You do not rise to greatness.
You build into it.
Napoleon Hill’s Warning
In Think and Grow Rich, Hill gives a list of 30 causes of failure.
Number three is simple:
Not aiming above mediocrity.
That one line should wake us all up.
Not aiming higher is not neutral. It is failure.
Because when you do not set a higher standard, the world will hand you someone else’s leftovers.
- Someone else’s opinion of success
- Someone else’s default schedule
- Someone else’s expectations of what’s possible
If you are not aiming higher, you are settling.
And no one builds a legacy from the sidelines.
Who You Surround Yourself With Matters
You can talk about greatness all day long.
But if you are not learning from people who live it, you are wasting time.
Find the rooms where people are doing what you want to do.
- Not just making more money
- But living with more clarity
- Leading with more confidence
- Serving with more purpose
And when you get in the room—listen.
Apply what they teach.
Show them you are serious.
Because access is a privilege.
And consistency is how you keep it.
What Will You Choose This Week?
This week, you will face the decision again.
At home. At work. In your mindset. In your habits.
- Settle or stretch?
- React or lead?
- Blend in or stand out?
You don’t need to do it all.
But you need to do the right next thing.
You are one decision away from momentum.
One relationship away from clarity.
One action away from your next breakthrough.
But it will never happen by accident.
Final Thoughts
You were not built for average.
You were not designed to coast.
You were built to lead.
To grow.
To rise.
Mediocrity or greatness. The choice is yours.
And you get to make it again—today.
COACH MICHAEL DILL is an Award-Winning Certified Business Coach, global speaker, and published author. He is a proud ActionCOACH Franchise Partner as well as the President of Power & Ice Wealth Creation, a strategic leadership company that works with business owners, leaders, teams, and entrepreneurs to build systematized, structured organizations while accelerating mindset, efficiency, and effectiveness to achieve extraordinary results.
BusinessCoachMichaelDill.com