You get what you pay for.
You reap what you sow.
You get out of life what you put in.
Successful people understand this principle. That’s why they go above and beyond what’s 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 what’s expected of them. They go above and beyond the call of duty to reach for 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 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.
The price of success
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’s 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!
Refuse to be average
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 with the flow. They do more than expected. It’s as simple as that.
Someone once wrote 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 your organization, aim to be the back bone. Strive to be that person 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’s 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 playing time, they have to go above and beyond. They have to study more film, practice better, 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 deliver great service
Great companies go above and beyond for their customers. They do more than expected and that’s 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!
You’ve just read the fifth in a six part series on the characteristics of successful people. If you’d like to read more, the next article is called Successful People Embrace Change or you can jump to any of the articles from the list below.
Successful People Have Six Things in Common
1. Successful People Take Risks
2. Successful People Have Vision
3. Successful People Focus on Solutions
4. Successful People Make Things Happen
5. Successful People Go Above and Beyond
6. Successful People Embrace Change
Eric Deschamps | Ottawa Business Coach
Co-Leader of Rhapsody Strategies
“Helping others succeed has always been my passion. There is no greater feeling in the world than coming alongside someone and empowering them to achieve their goals and dreams.” I work with individuals with a single and simple purpose: to help them define and attain their goals, one step at a time. Through the coaching relationship, I help business owners and professionals achieve more by delivering world-class growth strategies, tools and advice individually tailored to each owner and his/her business.