Success does not come by accident. It comes from deliberate planning with consistent positive actions and positive attitudes. One of such attitudes is the attitude of “going the extra mile” Going the extra mile requires that you do more than what is expected of you. It means going beyond the call of duty. Therefore, your goal should always be to exceed the expectation. When you do this consistently, you will set yourself apart from the crowd and at that point success is inevitable in whatever you are doing.
The concept of going the extra mile is well illustrated by the poem below:
At 211 degrees water is hot
At 212 degrees water boils
And with boiling water comes steam
And steam can power a locomotive
One extra degree….. makes all the difference
And the one extra degree of effort in business and in life ……
Separates the good from the great! (From “212 degrees, the extra degree” by Sam Parker and Mac Anderson)
Note that at 211 degrees nothing happens. However, when you go the extra mile to add just one degree, the potential energy in water is released in form of steam. The steam is so powerful that it can be harnessed to drive a 500 ton locomotive train at a top speed of up to 80 mph. Similarly, you can move your business or career to the next level by putting in that extra little effort. That extra little effort separates the winners from the losers, success from mediocrity and the high-flyers from the fringe players. The effect of going the extra mile most often will outweigh the effort that is required to produce it.
This concept can be applied in any area of our life to achieve outstanding result. As an employee, going the extra mile will make you an exceptional staff. As a single, it can be used to win the heart of a desired partner and maintain a great relationship. As a business man, going the extra mile will set you apart in the mind of your customers. As a matter of fact, some organizations have successfully used this concept to create a competitive edge for themselves. It has even become the Unique Selling Point for some clever organizations in commodity type industry. Commodity type industry is an industry where all the players sell the same non-distinguishable product. Examples of such industry are the Airline business and Oil and Gas business (Petrol Stations). If you master and apply the concept of “going the extra mile” very well, it will get to a point where you can afford to charge premium price for your products and services.
When you consistently go the extra mile in every area of your life: personal, relationship, job and business, you inevitably become excellence personified. This implies that you always do ordinary things in extraordinary manner. Consequently, you achieve extraordinary results doing ordinary things. Start going the extra mile today! Start going beyond the ordinary in your little business or job, God will surely reward you with extraordinary result. Thank you for reading, have a great week!
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Read, Act, Overcome and Succeed!
Muyiwa Okeola
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