The Extra Mile..

We talked about the importance of being different with a purpose. This ‘purpose’ normally is the aspiration to be successful in whatever we do at all times. In today’s competitive world, to achieve that sense of satisfaction, many a times we need to go ‘an extra mile’.

By definition, it means performance beyond expectations. There is always a scope for ‘going an extra mile’ both in our professional and personal lives. It is a conscious decision you make to put an extra effort in an attempt to differentiate yourself from the majority who retires from the race once their targets are met. If being different from the crowd is an easy way to get noticed, going an extra mile will definitely help you to emerge as a winner.

The philosophy of ‘extra mile’ is not industry specific or job specific. We live in a world, where doing your job on time with expected quality is not something that ensures applauds or awards, rather it is a basic expectation from any individual. In such a scenario, it is essential for someone to go beyond the basic expectations and deliver something ‘extraordinary’ to be in the limelight. So, gradually this ‘extra mile’ is becoming less of a choice for many of us.

There are some areas where every extra mile you put will definitely pay off in some point or the other. Learning (knowledge acquisition) is an example. You have an option to learn what is been taught or what is required for a given situation, but if you put extra efforts to go an extra mile by acquiring some additional lessons, you will find them very useful in future and those additional lessons might also become your best differentiator.

In any case, going an extra mile calls for some sacrifices in terms of time, energy, leisure and so on. So, it is important for an individual to do a comparison between those sacrifice(s) he or she is making and what he/she achieves by going that extra mile. Results will vary from individual to individual. But, this comparison will eventually prove in the long run whether it makes sense for that individual to take ‘the extra mile’ path.

Remember, it is not about 1 extra mile or 2 extra miles. No matter which level of success you are in, there is always ‘another extra mile’ in front of you. So, it is all about a mindset with a clear focus on continual improvement and better success.

If you believe in ‘the extra mile’ principle this question will always be echoing in your mind –

‘What more can I do today?’