Successful People Go Above and Beyond!
One day, Adam was walking around the Garden of Eden looking rather sad. So God asked him if anything was wrong. Adam replied that he was lonely because he didn’t have anyone to talk to. God told Adam he would make him a companion and that the companion would be called woman.
God said, “This person will gather food for you, cook for you, and when you discover clothing she’ll wash for you. She will always agree with every decision you make. She will bear your children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them. She will not nag you and will always be the first to admit she was wrong when you’ve had a disagreement. She will never have a headache and will freely give you love and passion whenever you need it.”
Adam asked God, “What will a woman like this cost?” God replied, “An arm and a leg.” Then Adam asked, “What can I get for a rib?” And the rest is history.
You get what you pay for. You reap what you sow. Or put another way, you get out of life what you put into life. Successful people understand this principle. That is why they go above and beyond what is expected! They are anything but average.
The importance of possessing a clear and compelling vision of your future cannot be understated. But consider this: successful people don’t just DREAM about extraordinary things. They DO extraordinary things! A vision must be followed by determination, discipline and DOING in order to become a reality. Those who invest much will reap great rewards.
Think of Olympic athletes. They are at the top of their game because they do more than is expected of them. They go above and beyond the call of duty to win the gold. They are not average in any shape, way or form. We admire them for this very fact. (It’s important to note that these athletes also understand the power of working with a coach!)
Successful people get the raises and the promotions because they come to work early and stay late. When they run out of work to do, they find out what more they can do to add value to the people around them. This gets them noticed, and leads to further advancement.
Understand this clearly: you can’t enjoy the many benefits of success without paying the price to get there! You must be on the lookout for opportunities, and seize them when they appear. It has been said that the opportunity of a lifetime must be seized during the lifetime of the opportunity. I couldn’t agree more. Thomas Edison once said,
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
Successful people understand that not only should you strike while the iron is hot, but you also MAKE IT HOT BY STRIKING. Don’t just wait around for opportunities to come your way! Create new opportunities by taking action now and going above and beyond! Approach life in this way and you will discover that opportunities find you!
Don’t settle for anything but the best in life. And remember that “good” and “better” are often the greatest enemies of “best.” Successful people pursue excellence and refuse mediocrity. They stand out from the crowd because they refuse to be average and to simply go along with the flow. They do more than expected! It’s as simple as that.
Someone has written that there are four kinds of bones in the world:
- Wish bones who spend their time wishing someone else would do the work;
- Jaw bones who do all the talking, but very little else;
- Knuckle bones who knock everything that anyone else is trying to do, and
- Back bones who shoulder the load and get the job done!
In any organization or team, aim to be the back bone. Strive to be that individual who stands out from the crowd and goes above and beyond the call of duty. Don’t give in to mediocrity!
A recent article revealed a football coach’s tactics for getting the best out of his players. He reminds his team regularly that if they aren’t careful, it is an easy slide into complacency. Winning the last game is no guarantee that they will win the next one. His players know that if they want more play time – more minutes on the field – they have to go above and beyond. They have to study more film, practice more plays, and endure more drills. In other words, they have to do MORE! And they have to expect more out of themselves, as individuals and as a team.
Great companies go above and beyond for their customers. They do more than expected, and that is why they succeed over the long-term. Take a moment to identify the last time you were impressed about a company’s service. What made them stand out? If you own your own business, how can you do more than expected for your clients? Look around you and take advantage of opportunities to go above and beyond, and you will reap the rewards of success.
By being passionate about the work you do, you will deliver more in quality service than you expect to receive in payment as compensation. This, in effect, is a way to keep money or value chasing you, rather than you chasing money. By always going above and beyond and doing more than expected, you’ll always be underpaid!
Consider this: if you’re paid more than you’re worth, eventually you will be restructured, re-engineered, replaced, fired, declared obsolete and disposed of. Overpaid individuals are over-drawn on their knowledge and skills bank account. Individuals who are underpaid for the level and quality of service they provide are always in demand and always ahead of the pay scale in terms of knowledge and contribution. So money and opportunity are always chasing them.
Take your cues from the successful. Refuse to be average. Stand out from the crowd. Go above and beyond!
Next on the agenda? Successful people take risks!
