“Precision is not just accuracy. It is elegance.” — Wade Boggs
Precision is the quality of being exact, deliberate, and accurate.
It is not a small virtue. It is the thin line between mediocrity and mastery, between chaos and order, and between regret and results.
1. Life Rewards Exactness
Life is not random. It is a complex trajectory shaped by choices, habits, and attention.
As Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
The world answers to accuracy and exactitude.
The attitude of “It doesn’t matter” is the anthem of failure. In truth, everything matters: the way you speak, the way you dress, the way you keep time, and the way you handle a single email.
“God is in the details,” as Mies van der Rohe warned.
Cross the Ts. Dot the Is.
Do not form an opinion until you have conducted your independent investigation. “There is danger in a single story,” Chimamanda Adichie reminds us. Half-truths destroy reputations, businesses, and relationships.
2. Excellence Lives in the Details
Excellence is not an accident. It is the accumulation of precise actions.
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” — Zig Ziglar
Never settle for average in the performance of your duties.
Precision means not just doing the work, but verifying that it was done right. It means going the extra mile.
And as James Baldwin put it, “The price one pays for pursuing any profession or calling is an intimate knowledge of its ugly side.” That ugly side is in the details.
3. Precision in Daily Living Changes the World
Precision is practical. It shows up in the smallest places.
“For want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe, the horse was lost; for want of a horse, the rider was lost; for want of a rider, the battle was lost; for want of a battle, the kingdom was lost.” — Old English proverb
Small things matter.
You wake up and make your bed; your room stays orderly, and so does your mind.
“If you want to change the world, start by making your bed.” — Admiral William McRaven
– You wash dishes immediately — no flies, no clutter.
– You stop at the traffic light — no logjam, no accident.
– You lock your door and double-check — “A stitch in time saves nine.”
– You reread a post before publishing — you avoid errors and defamation.
“The pen is mightier than the sword, but the edited pen is mightiest.”
Small disciplines compound. Small negligences compound too.
4. Precision in Relationships and Responsibility
Precision is also character.
– Someone asks for an account number; you send or give it immediately. “Procrastination is the thief of time.”
– You receive payment; you disburse it for execution first. “A faithful man will abound with blessings.” — Proverbs 28:20
– You mourn with those who mourn and celebrate with those who celebrate. “Bear one another’s burdens.” — Galatians 6:2
– You owe money; you pay before you are asked. “Owe no one anything, except to love each other.” — Romans 13:8
– You conduct a background check before letting people close. “The wall has ears.”
– You keep a secret as a secret. “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.” — Proverbs 11:13
5. Precision Is Planning
Precision hates excuses.
“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” — Alan Lakein
“Oh, I locked my keys inside” is the ranting of a mediocre mind.
Have a checklist for the day.
Keep a diary for meetings.
Have a system for your priorities.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” — Benjamin Franklin
6. Learn from Those Who Were Precise
If you admire successful people, study how they got there.
Autobiographies are manuals of success.
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” — Isaac Newton
A few recommendations:
– My Life — Bill Clinton
– My Story — Hillary Rodham Clinton
– Dreams from My Father — Barack Obama
– My Watch — Olusegun Obasanjo
– The Accidental Public Servant — Nasir El-Rufai
– Long Walk to Freedom — Nelson Mandela
– My Life — Tony Anenih
Read them not to copy lives, but to copy principles.
7. Think Like Chess
Precision is like playing chess or draughts.
“Every move must be made with an objective.” — Paul Morphy
One wrong move can be fatal.
So, before you act, think through the consequences.
“Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” — Matthew 10:16
“Look before you leap.”
Conclusion
The world does not reward effort alone. It rewards precise effort.
“Precision is the soul of leadership.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower
Cultivate it in your work, your words, your relationships, and your use of time.
That is where power lies.
About the Author
Douglas Ogbankwa, Esq., a Nigerian lawyer, writer, activist, and policy analyst, is the Convener of the Intellectual Hub and the President of the Benin Writers’ Society.
Email: douglasogbankwa@gmail.com