Want Something You Never Had, You Must Do Something You've Never Done

Published: Wed, 08/08/18

Today I will do what others wont, so tomorrow I can do what others can't.

— Jerry Rice

You know that famous quote that says if you want to be in the top 1% you have to be willing to do what the others 99% won’t.
It makes perfect sense, doesn't it?
You have to set yourself apart from the competition and outworking them is as good a plan as any. I’ve heard it repeated so many times by well-meaning and ambitious travelers on the road to success. It's a compelling idea, but for some reason, I could never take it on board. I tend to accept a new idea and let it rattle about in my head. Give it time to sinks in, and I can appreciate the deeper significance of it.
That's just me.

Contemplating what must be done to go the extra mile.

I always thought of going the extra mile as representing competition and a perpetual rat race I didn’t want to be a part of. Then it dawned on me. The only competition I had to concern myself with was staring at me in the mirror. Nothing else mattered, and that distinction was what flipped my attitude towards going the extra mile. My all-time favorite personal development writer Napoleon Hill dedicated an entire chapter of his book Think and Grow Rich about it.
He said.

“An important principle of success in all walks of life and all occupations is a willingness to Go the Extra Mile; which means the rendering of more and better service than that for which one is paid, and giving it in a positive mental attitude.”

I get it now.
Instead of worrying about what my fellow writers are doing, I need to challenge myself and only myself. I will never rest on my laurels, and the only standards that mean anything are the ones that drive me to be better. Each novel I write must be better than the last - in my eyes at least. Every marketing campaign improved. Every social media engagement must be significant.
That takes a habit of acquiring new skills and mastering old ones.
It takes a habit of going the extra mile.
I think I may have cracked it.

Hope this Helps

Napolean Hill's Golden Rules was written nearly a century ago but its wisdom is evergreen. The concepts such as Sex Transmutation and visualization were cutting edge then and up to this day are revolutionary to my mind. Napolean Hill's Golden Rules is a great read and recommended to anyone who is looking to improve their personal circumstances. Give it a read.