---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Real excellence does not come cheaply. A…"
description: "\"Real excellence does not come cheaply. A certain price must be paid in terms of practice, patience, and persistence - natural ability notwithstanding.\"..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c17/stephen-covey-339_ability_real-excellence-does-not-come-cheaply-a_2968448.png"
---

#  Real excellence does not come cheaply. A certain price…

![“Real excellence does not come cheaply. A certain price must be paid in terms of practice, patience, and persistence - natural ability notwithstanding.” quote by Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c17/stephen-covey-339_ability_real-excellence-does-not-come-cheaply-a_2968448.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c17/stephen-covey-339_ability_real-excellence-does-not-come-cheaply-a_2968448.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c17/stephen-covey-339_ability_real-excellence-does-not-come-cheaply-a_2968448.png)

> “Real excellence does not come cheaply. A certain price must be paid in terms of practice, patience, and persistence - natural ability notwithstanding.”

[Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Excellence requires practice, patience, persistence, and effort beyond natural talent.

**In simple terms:** Excellence costs effort and perseverance.

Key Takeaway

Commit to disciplined practice.

Themes

self-improvement discipline effort growth

Mood

motivational practical

Type

self-help inspirational

When to use this quote

- career development
- education
- sports training
- personal coaching

Key Concepts

habit formation skill development motivation

Questions to Reflect On

- What habits can you build for excellence?
- How do you maintain persistence over time?

A Different Perspective

Talent alone is insufficient without sustained work.

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[Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Natural ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-ability/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Patience and persistence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience-and-persistence/) [Persistence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persistence/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/)

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