Do you aim to be good -- or the best -- at doing things?

Do you strive to be good at the things you do in life, or do you try to be the very best at them?

In my case, it all depends on whether I enjoy doing the task or activity in question. I like to sharpen my skills as much as I can at things that I truly enjoy doing -- whether it's reading, writing, or vocabulary. My goals in life include reading as many books and writing as many things -- whether books or blog posts -- as I possibly can. I want to be known as *the* writer or wordsmith among my peers. To me, that is the ultimate compliment.

But if it's something I have little interest in doing from the outset -- like fixing or assembling things around the house, or putting together Excel spreadsheets at work, it's hard for me to summon the motivation to become good at it. In such scenarios, I try to complete the task with as little effort as possible, or with the aid of someone else.

I'm just one of those people who really disdains spending time doing things that bring me little or no enjoyment.

I suppose most of us are the same way. For example, if you couldn't care less about basketball, you're not going to care much about having a sweet jump shot. If reading is not your thing, it won't make much of a difference whether you read quickly or slowly.

I admire well-rounded people who have taken it upon themselves to become good at things they don't necessarily consider hobbies.

Are you able to separate things you're good at from things you enjoy doing? Do you try to be great at things you don't enjoy doing all that much?

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