The distance between ordinary & extraordinary is shorter than you think!
By
Image courtesy of photobucket
What do you think of when I say the word “ordinary?” These are the words that come to my mind: Common. Usual. Normal. Boring. Average. Something you see everyday.
What about “extraordinary?” I think of: Amazing. Incredible. Uncommon. Unusual. Special. Above average. New.
In the English language, only four (UPDATED: oops, five) little letters separate “ordinary” from “extraordinary:” extra. And while “extra” can be defined as “outside,” in English it also means “just a little bit more.”
The word we use is not as important as the idea: the distance between ordinary and extraordinary is shorter than you think. For too long, people have thought there was a huge gap between normal and special. They’ve assumed that “above average” was far above “average.” Unfortunately, once you believe that, it’s easy to conclude that since you’re “average,” you’ll never be anything else; that there’s no way to claw your way up to “above average.”
I’m here to tell you that you’ve made the gap too wide. Let me illustrate. If you’re an average reader, you’ve taken 2-3 seconds to read this paragraph so far. Two lines of text = one second. How much more would you be able to read in another second? Another line? Not very much, but really, what difference does a second make?
Well, in some areas of life, a second makes all the difference in the world. Have you heard of Usain Bolt? Often referred to as The Fastest Man in the World, Bolt is the current world-record holder for the 100-meter race in track and field. His record for that race is 9.69 seconds. In the Olympics, he won the gold medal racing against seven other men in the finals. What was the time difference between his time and that of the silver medalist, Richard Thompson? Thompson ran the 100 meters that day in 9.89 seconds. The difference between gold and silver was .2 seconds. The “fastest man in the world,” the winner of that race and world-record holder, ran 100 meters in 2/10 of a second less than his nearest competitor. A second – or even a fraction of a second – CAN make a huge difference.
In life, just as in sports, an extraordinary performance is often separated from an ordinary one by the slightest of margins. What if your ordinary life could become extraordinary with only the smallest of changes? Would it be worth trying?
Here are some “extras” that can help you close the gap between ordinary and extraordinary:
A little extra effort. There is a price to be paid for achievement. Sometimes it’s a large price. But sometimes just a little extra effort can yield significant results. What price are you willing to pay for success?
A little extra time. To give something time, we need something other than perseverance. We need patience with the process of growth. I believe that many of us overestimate events and underestimate the process. But we’ve got it all wrong. As I wrote in the Law of Process in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, leaders develop daily, not in a day.
A little extra help. I love this saying: “If you see a turtle on top of a fence post, you know he had help getting there!” Why do I love it? Because I’m a turtle on a fencepost. I know that I didn’t get to where I am in life on my own. I’m just not that smart, gifted, or fast. The truth is that those who reached “extraordinary” had help getting there. And many types of success can only be achieved with help. If you refuse to ask for – or accept – it, you limit yourself and your work to a lower level of achievement.
Remember that ordinary and extraordinary are not far apart. If you accomplish just one of the above “extras,” your work will begin to be above average in that area.
If Ordinary People …
Gave a Little Extra Effort,
Spent a Little Extra Time,
Sought a Little Extra Help …
They Would Become Extraordinary!
Which 4 letters of the 5 letters in “extra” are we talking about?
I learned a couple things from this blog. The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is four letters not five like I thought before and I am a below average reader in terms of speed.
Just missing with you John. Really I enjoyed the blog a lot.
You do such a great job outlining & illustrating & reiterating, John. Thanks again! You are a gift!
Not to be a stick in the mud, but “extra” has five letters.
Great advice nevertheless.
I’ve always had a difficult time asking for help but this post has made me re-think that! Thank you!
Very good article. I will share on my blog. Thanks for the info. We are ordinary living an extraordinary life–at least that’s my goal.
I appreciate the “extra” time you take to twitter and connect. To me this sets you apart and it really does “add value” to people. I look forward to reading your blogs and giving us an opportunity to respond. “Connecting” is your gift and passion and somehow it really connects. I have learned more from you than any other person or teacher. I feel like you understand yourself, your gifts and your calling. You are the extra that adds value to me. You are extraordinary no matter how small its made a huge difference in my life personally. I want you know I appreciate the extra you do and are.
i feel realy grateful for this impartation of wisdom.
I think sometimes we don’t ask for help because we think we don’t deserve it. I know for me, its an image problem I often struggle with.
WOW! Impacting! “Extra” — just a few letters, just a little more…. I’m motivated.
)
@ every level I will certainly give a little extra effort and time and get extra help. I’m truly inspired by this article and I appreciate the wealth of knowledge you share on your blog for free. Thanks and God bless.
Once again if anyone needs to know what a servant looks like. It would be you. You are always teaching, always pouring in, always mentoring, always discipling, always putting others first. ecetra….
I’m so grateful to sit at your feet.
Encouraging and Inspiring… ahahahah that error always happen to me.. God bless you.. Great wisdom from…
Enjoyed this blog post. It got me thinking about new goals that I have set and others I need to set. I will be sharing it with others.
Thank you very much John! effort, perseverance and openness are the key to success. No instant success. I will keep on pursuing my goals and share with others your teaching.
Dear John,
Thanks for this excellent post. I would say, “slow and steady wins the race”. It is all that “extra” that counts whether it is motivation, patience, perseverance, or work. A journey to extra miles always beneficial and spiritually rich.Sometimes these extra miles help us to discover new of way doing things and leads us to higher dimension of consciousness.In short, I can say that riches in life in all its forms is a function of “extra”. Thanks again for highlighting these emphasizing the importance of this beautiful word.
Kindest Regards,
Imtiaz
Dear John,
Good one! A litlle extra effort, a little extra time, a little extra care and love can make a whole lot of difference in our lives as well as the lives of those around us. I believe the challenge to be extraordinary is to “stretch out of your comfort zone” The extraordinary stretch out a bit more and dare to come out of their comfort zone while the ordinary remain within their comfort zone. Thank you for the article.
Joy be all yours
Sohan
Read this sometime ago. Extraordinary people are ordinary people doing ordinary things that ordinary people don’t want to do.
Great post John. My question is, how do you explain to the leaders you are mentoring that giving a little bit more is the the real difference maker?
It seems to be more natural for someone already in leadership to understand, but what is the crossing over point that helps a developing leader change their attitude about be extraordinary?
Thanks for the inspiration!
Truer words were never spoken. I remember the first time I heard the following phrase. They were from a speech by Jim Valvano, a few years before he passed away. It is a mantra of sorts that I have never forgotten.
“There are no such thing as extraordinary people, there are only ordinary people, that can do extraordinary things!”
I love this article. I am in a transitional time in my life and in the process of making numerous changes that at the moment don’t quite feel comfortable. I read your book ‘Thinking for a Change’. In it you said that if it doesn’t feel uncomfortable, then it is not a change. This particular article emphasizes the fact that if I put the most effort in the right areas with the right help, I am sure that I will see results.
Thanks again
Once again, a fantastic bit of leadership/life insight from John Maxwell. I love how you are all about making even “the little guy” see their importance and taking your time to not just help and advise big CEOs but the “average joe” who tends to make a much bigger impact in the world. Thanks, John for all of your wisdom and time-tested principles. God bless.
Given this little bit of unique insight, I discovered that I am already extraordinary in many ways. Now I just need to keep my edge by continuing to grow, change, and develop. Thanks for pointing out the obvious, John!
Inspiring and challenging !
I tend to give up too early, or I get distracted from my major goals when change is not happening quick enough. Something has to change in my life. An extra effort, some extra time, some extra help for EXTRAORDINARY results.
Thank you John.
Hi John,
This is a good reminder to me. I used to add up an EXTRA something in everything that I do. And that pushed me to achieve a lot. But somehow, I got tired of all the EXTRA efforts and got contented at where I am. Your article reminded me to keep on adding up that EXTRA something in anything and everything that I do, not just the ones I choose to.
Thanks again for the Great Article!
I am sorry for most seem to see the” four” in the post. However I love the idea. ExtrA mile of effort spells the difference in average and excellent people. Tnx
GOD bless you sir…….
Just what I needed to hear today!!!! Thank you so much John. I’m in a transition with my whole life and need to rebuild from scratch. Extra will make the difference for me in reaching higher ground.
Thanks. This is eye opener. ”If I put in extra I will be extra-ordinary”
Thank You for the great post. I really do appreciate you sharing your knowledge and wisdom with all of us.
Thank you for giving the KEY.
How I can get your leadership books?
Amazing John! Sometimes the best thing to do is just start somewhere with the end in mind. Along the way we can change, edit, and improve our path. That’s creativity!
As a leader, we do not work until the clock ticks 5pm, we work until the job is done. Sometimes that does take a little ‘extra’ work, time, effort, persistence, and commitment to excellence, but those who are willing to put in the ‘extra’ separate themselves from the ordinary! It’s easier than you think!
Be blessed!
Evan
These words are tru Dr John. I hope to daily put them into practice, thank
So, “Extra” are not 4 letter are five…that means the distance betwen is little longer than we believe ! LOL. God bless you
Dr Maxwell, I have had a short paper approved in principle for publication. Amongst the minor modifications required is to cite the original references of several statements of yours I have used.
I hope I will be able yo discuss eith you via email – the editors require turn-around in about a month…
Cheers,
Andrew
This is a good one Sir, more power to your elbow!
Mr. Maxwell, I just want to publicly state that you are a true inspiration to me. One day I hope to shake your hand and to personally thank you. God allowed your books to reach my hands, which have been instrumental in molding the man that Christ has called me to be.
I don’t have enough money to listen to you speak!!! =] but I look forward to the day where I am renowned enough for you to be in the audience of one of my motivational seminars. I can see it now!! John Maxwell attends Lampkin’s Attitude of Gratitude, not Baditude!! Lives were changed!!!
It always amazes me how close most of are. Its the subtleties that often take us to the next level. This is a great reminder as I am working with clients, colleagues and even my family.
Adding a little extra, can make my efforts extraordinary! On the other hand, my dilemma that I often face is striving for perfection. When are things good enough? extraordinary? perfect? How do you balance high quality with extraordinary. I imagine it is the process of identifying what produces the best results and the things that just don’t matter. Balancing analysis paralysis with extraordinary actions/results!
thanks for the insight John.
[...] Maxwell on the distance between ordinary and extraordinary Posted in [...]