How consistent are the plays on YOUR highlight reel?

If you're a sports fan like I am, this is a great time! March Madness launches shortly -- but today, eyes are on the free agents signing new contracts in the NFL.

All-day long, sports networks are showing highlight reels of a player's performance. However, when you examine who gets paid the massive bucks, it's easy to recognize that the money is going to those players whose consistent play is like a highlight reel.

Many times in business, we recognize the outlier. The exceptional, out-of-the-ordinary performance that is special -- maybe even one-of-a-kind.

However, distinction is never based on occasional or random greatness. It's a product of consistent performance at a high level over an extended period.

The true test of greatness is not your highlight reel. It's what you do day-in and day-out, even when nobody is watching -- when the pressure is off, and the spotlight is dim. That's where your character is really revealed. And that's what separates the good from the great...from the genuinely distinctive.

Here are the three keys to consistent performance:

1) Do the right thing, even when it's difficult.

My great pal, Sage Steele of ESPN's SportsCenter, loves to quote the West Point cadet's prayer that her father shared from his background as a student there: "Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole can be won."?

The right thing may be the hardest to do, but it becomes a mark of distinction when done with consistency.

2) Show up every day, even when you don't feel like it.

My friend, Olympic Gold Medallist Peter Vidmar, told me that he only had to work out two times to become a champion: when he felt like it...and when he didn't feel like it. If you show up and deliver -- even when you don't feel like doing so -- you, too, can be considered a champ!

3) Give it your all, even when you're not getting credit.

The world is filled with people who are just going through the motions, collecting a paycheck without putting their heart and soul into their work. Those who go above and beyond -- even when they're not getting credit for it -- are the ones who make a real difference. You may not always get the credit you deserve, but if you give it your all anyway, that's what really counts.

If you can do these things day-in and day-out, you will separate yourself from the pack. You will become somebody who is truly distinctive. And that's what it takes to build a highlight reel that lasts.

Just a thought: do you have a highlight reel in your business??

If not, maybe it's time to start one! A highlight reel is a great way to show off your best work, attract new clients, and model the high level of performance you desire for all members of your team.

Never forget: true greatness comes from consistency. So make sure your highlight reel reflects that!?

If you want to be considered distinctive, ask yourself: How far apart are the plays on my highlight reel? If they're too far apart, it might be time to focus on consistency.

Because in the end, consistency separates the good from the great...from the genuinely distinctive.?