How true that saying by an unknown author is, right? When you go the extra mile — whether it’s at work, on a project at home, in an activity, or in your business — you really stand out.
And not only do you really stand out because you’re the only one doing so, but you really get ahead. Think about the “stars” that you know, whether they’re at work, in a club, or even in the blogosphere. They don’t get there by being lucky, although sometimes we’d like to think so. They get there by working hard at constantly improving themselves, and focusing.
The norm
And lately, it seems that it’s easier than ever to stand out. That’s because all around us are people who do the bare minimum, if that. They show up late and leave early. They don’t volunteer for projects at work. They come home, and spend the rest of the night watching TV or playing on the computer.
So when you do more than you’re expected to, more good things happen.
Getting ahead in life
Ask people what kinds of things they’d like to be doing with their money, and you’ll hear things like taking nice vacations, not having to worry about bills, sending their kids to college, etc. Some people have very specific goals, too — which helps even more. When you know exactly where you want to be and are committed to getting there, it becomes easier to drive yourself further and become successful.
That doesn’t have to mean becoming a workaholic, either. In fact it doesn’t mean that at all. But it does mean becoming and staying focused, and then doing your best on a consistent basis. It means knowing what you want, and being willing to do what it takes to get there. It means doing a good job at what you choose to do. A great job, even.
So go the extra mile. It’s never crowded.
Posted in Success on 06.11.12 with 12 comments.
Good advice, though you always hear about how much extra people are doing as a result of the recession and fear of losing their jobs. This sort of points out that maybe some people are there more, but probably still not getting a lot done.
Yeah, although personally I never equated “go the extra mile” with “stay late at the office”. Much better I think to actually visibly get a ton more done than anyone else, while you are there, than to stay late.
I call it doing your best when it comes to anything I do. The outcome is similar!
Yup! Because sadly, so many people don’t even do “good enough”, let alone their best.
Yup, very true indeed! Most people are content with just being average – but if you really want to succeed, you can’t be. You have to be driven. Great post!
Thomas
Driven will get you a whole lot of places. Sadly though, just being better than average isn’t all that hard!
The extra mile is what makes you more than average. You need to stick out in today’s world to get ahead for sure in most cases.
That’s for sure.
Going the extra mile can go a a long way toward much more success. Even going an extra half mile, so to speak, can yield results. The “norm” for many isn’t always effective. We can simply look to the debt levels people have, and the paltry retirement savings far too many have, on average.
I so agree! It’s amazing how many people don’t put forth any extra effort at all on things.
This is definitely true. Most people settle into an easy, “good enough” pattern then wonder why they’re not happy. Pushing yourself a little bit can make a huge difference.
Yeah, and there’s a difference between “oh well that’s good enough” and being content.