My mentor shared this simple tip with me several years ago. “Do more than you have to as an investment into your future.” What he meant by this little statement is this. Doing what you said you would do is great, and you will have ordinary results. However, if you give more than you have to in all interactions, you are not only meeting expectations but you are making an investment into your future and this will lead to extra-ordinary results in everything you attempt to do in your life and your business.
I pride myself as being a hard worker. I learned this from my parents. They both worked hard their entire life. No “sick days” and No “I just don’t want to go to work days.” I have always showed up early and stayed late to get a job done. I was, and am, a team player in all aspects.
Here is something that I have noticed about myself here recently and something I watch on a daily basis with most people as well. Not everybody is willing to “do more than they can.” No instead they go the other way and “do all they have to.”
Examples:
- There are days when I am in the gym where I am working out really really hard. But in my mind I know I am doing just what I have to, not all that can.
- As I look at my budget. I am managing it. I am doing what I have to, but I know I can do more.
- I work with a group of sales people. They are successful. But I know they are doing all they have to, and not all that they can.
Today, I read a great quote by Grant Cardone. “Work to your potential not your quota.” I think this sums it up very well. Meeting quota is great, but reaching your potential is better and this is how you get extra-ordinary results.
As we look at the quote my mentor shared with me. What would be my results if I always did more than I had to (more than I have to) and did all that I can (could do) in every aspect of my life? What would be my results? What would be your results?
If I jumped on the floor right now and in my mind I said I wanted to do 10 push-ups. So I get to 10, but I have more left inside me that I can still do. If I stopped at 10. Sure that is good, but I had more in me. Why wouldn’t I just do more? The “more”, above 10, would be that investment into my future that my mentor talked about. The additional push-ups above 10 would give me confidence and strength that would allow me in the future to do more than 10 and many more.
In my budget, what would happen at the end of the month after all bills are paid and everything is taken care of including saving and investing and I have some money leftover. In this case, I have already did what I have to, right? But I can do more, can’t I? Should I blow the rest of the money? Or should I save it as well? If I save it, I am making an investment in my future.
If at the end of the day of work I don’t complete the project that I was working on. What if I stayed a little later and was able to finish the project? Would it matter? Where is the investment here? Well, a couple of ways. If I get the job done today, I can start on a new project tomorrow and this is where I am now pushing things forward for me and the organization. If I just stop and say, I can finish it tomorrow. I come in to work and finish it up, easy enough. But did I gain anything? Did my inner strength and endurance and commitment change by doing this?
If none of this interests you, you wouldn’t be reading this blog first of all, and second of all you wouldn’t have made it this far into the blog.
So what do we do now? Here is what I am going to do.
When I am in the middle of something that I have already committed to doing, I am going to be sure I do all that can the whole way. I am going to create my mindset to be of abundance rather than of scarcity. Abundance means I know I can do more, because there is so much more out there to do. Scarcity mindset is there is only so much, and I will only do what I have to.
That is my challenge for you today! Do all that you can in anything and everything.
To your success and your future.
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