There are more people who would like to be a star athlete than there are people willing to invest the time and effort it takes to become one. It is fun to be the leader but the process of becoming the leader can be difficult and challenging. Being the company’s sales leader would be a remarkable achievement, but the hours of effort required to achieve that recognition aren’t nearly as glamorous or enjoyable.

You don’t get the benefit of “being” without investing in “becoming.”

In other words, remarkable performers are developed one remarkable performance at a time. If you are a person who dreams of giving up the routine in life for the remarkable, good for you!

If you are a person who has decided to be the best of the best instead of the best of the worst, I say, “Go for it!”

If you are a person who knows there are remarkable performances hiding inside you, then let them out!

Begin this way: Whatever important job or tasks you have to perform before turning out the light tonight, do them remarkably. Even if you’re alone, you are still watching. And self-respect is the beginning point of respect from others. Asking more of yourself today is the first step toward having others ask for more of you tomorrow.

Sports fans love to back winners. And when their teams are giving encore-producing performances the fans will keep filling the seats. But sports fans—and your fans—can often be fair-weather-minded. Yes, your mother and (hopefully) your spouse are committed to you through thick and thin. But the public isn’t. It doesn’t take too many lackluster performances before they’re ready to move on to the next performer.

I realize there are big differences between business and sports, but sports definitely illustrates the point: Performance counts. If you want to win the loyalty of your customers, co-workers, constituents or call-them-what-you-will, then you need to turn in a consistent string of remarkable performances that really rock the stadium in which you live and work.

Every Day is Game Day every customer is an opportunity to give a remarkable performance.

Make your important performances remarkable.