Get All Access for $5/mo

Do You Want to Be Good or Great? How much we achieve begins with what we set out to do.

By Grant Cardone Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Photography by Emma Sutcliffe | Getty Images

Do you want to be more motivated in life? Quit settling for good. All of us have the potential for greatness. Every day I strive for how can I be greater. How can I be great, not good? How can I have a great marriage, not a good marriage? How can I be a great dad, not just a good one?

What do you end up with when you're going for good? You get something less than good or maybe good. Everybody knows nothing happens with just good. Nobody reports on good. They report on great. If you're going to have a marriage and you're going to be married to the same person for what 30, 40, 50 years, do you want a good marriage or a great marriage? It's all up to you.

Related: 8 Reasons Married Entrepreneurs Are More Likely to Succeed

What's your target, good or great? Look, don't settle for good when you can be great. Just make a decision. It doesn't mean you're going to succeed today. It doesn't even mean you're going to be good at it today. But go for great every day. You've got to keep that in front of your face. If you think good is your target, you might end up with less than good. If you think great is the target, good you will attain.

Think about it in sales -- do you want good sales or great sales? There is a big difference between the good salesperson and the great salesperson. There's also a difference between a good closer and a great closer. What is the difference?

Commitment.

To be great at anything you must devote yourself completely. If you are a business owner you need to devote yourself, your energy and your resources to that business. Commit: to pledge or bind (a person or an organization) to a certain course. But how does one commit 100 percent? The first step I take is to eliminate any and all other options and devote myself completely to learning everything I can about the topic.

Related: What Bad Managers, Good Managers and Great Managers Do

You need to be a fanatic. I discontinue looking at other options. Don't be the guy who keeps looking to the neighbor's lawn to see how the grass is greener "over there." That's the same person who never commits to taking care of the lawn he already has. He just ends up mediocre and miserable.

Lawns are green because somebody committed to them. Committing is when you make a firm decision. I would rather commit to the wrong thing all the way than commit to the right thing halfway. Commit and be done with it! Whenever I commit fully to any line of action I get immediate results. When I'm not committed 100 percent I find that results are delayed or non-existent.

Great athletes know there is a difference between good and great. Muhammad Ali said he was the greatest. A good quarterback may make the NFL, but it takes a great quarterback to win five Super Bowls like Tom Brady. Michael Jordan was great, Beethoven was great, and Muhammad Ali was great. The difference between good and great is a different level of commitment. The greats train like fanatics.

Related: Muhammad Ali's Greatest Quotes of All Time

Having been in sales and business for over 30 years, I know the difference between good and great and I want to help you become great. I've codified it all in my Playbook to Millions.

Be great.

Grant Cardone

International Sales Expert

Grant Cardone is an international sales expert, New York Times best-selling author, and radio show host of The Cardone Zone. He has founded three companies: Cardone Enterprises, Cardone Real Estate Holdings, and the Cardone Group. He has shared his sales and business expertise as a motivational speaker and author of five books: Sell to Survive; The Closers Survival Guide; If You're Not First, You're Last; The 10X Rule; and Sell or Be Sold.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Leadership

From Crisis to Control — How to Lead Effectively in High-Stress Scenarios

From the eye of the storm to the heart of leadership: How BELFOR's Sheldon Yellen's approach to the disaster recovery industry is revolutionizing resilience in business.

Business News

Southwest Airlines Is Switching Up Its Boarding Policy and Assigning Seats for the First Time Ever

The airline, known for its unique open seating model, will assign seats for the first time in company history.

Growing a Business

You'll Never Satisfy Your Customers — or Grow Your Business — Without Doing These 3 Things

Customer feedback can be used to drive sustainable growth. Here are three approaches to how you can move past measurement to drive improvement and ultimately grow your business.

Growing a Business

5 Lessons Nonprofit Leaders Can Learn from Big Tech

Nonprofits can do more good by adopting a few key lessons from tech companies — like focusing on efficiency and using data for strategic decision-making.

Operations & Logistics

3 Reasons Why Your Business Should Start Digitizing Payments

Customers will continue to demand more digital payment options and expect convenience, security and simplicity — and businesses will need to adapt or struggle.

Business Solutions

Amp up Productivity with MS Office 2021 for Just $60

Unlock the full potential of your business with a lifetime license to the suite of beloved apps.