Motivation & hard work

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

– Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy (1926)

What does it mean?

Being excellent is not about one great moment; it comes from doing things well every day. The line is often credited to Aristotle, but these are Durant's words summing up Aristotle's ideas.

Key vocabulary

Excellence
the quality of being extremely good

Who said it?

Will Durant: American historian and philosopher (1885–1981). Source: The Story of Philosophy (1926).