Just Being Best in the Neighborhood

When we daydream about success, do we dream of world-wide fame, universal-accolades, and a chest full of gaudy gold medals? I think, too often, popular self-help wisdom pushes us to set our goals at unachievable levels. Then when we fall short -- which usually happens -- we give up. Successful workers realize goals set at less Olympic heights can be just as impressive

Mexico City's most famous chef, Enrique Olvera, said he did not dream of world-renown when he opened his restaurant, Pujol, 13 years ago. Chef Olvera told Hamish Anderson, of the Wall Street Journal Magazine (February 2013) his goal was just to be "the best restaurant in the neighborhood." Neighborhood? Only neighborhood? To the casual reader expecting an inspirational story, that might seem low balling the dream. Aren't entrepreneurs supposed to reach for stars and walk in the heavens on a daily basis?

No, not really. That star-stuff is good for fawning interviews after you are successful, but on a day-to-day basis, being "the best in the neighborhood" is the best recipe for success. Following Chef Olvera's initial humble goal, Anderson writes that Pujol is considered "Mexico's finest -- and 36th best in the world according to the much scrutinized S. Pellegrino rankings."

Rather than walking among the stars, Olvera works side-by-side with his cooks through lunchtime service. On a daily basis, work is often neither earth-shaking nor revolutionary. It is done faithfully on a consistently high level. The key to success is persistence and continual improvement. Each day you do the best you can with what you have. Then you get up the next day, and try to do a little better.

Most of the time, working toward being "best in the neighborhood" is usually quite extraordinary.