5 Ways To Supercharge Your Efforts

Average is ok, right? You can graduate with a 3.0. You can keep a job by showing up and putting forth minimal effort. If you really think about it, standing out is rarely rewarded and often criticized. Good enough is often good enough.

Have you made these statements to yourself, or heard them from others? Congratulations! You can have, be, or do the same as everyone else.

All people have dreams, desires, goals, ambitions, wishes, or wants. They change and grow (or shrink) as we age and experience life.

Early on we are conditioned to believe that average is acceptable, that normal is a desirable character trait, that it is objectionable to stand out from a crowd. We watch others experience the success we want and attribute it to luck or having an unfair advantage.

In reality, the biggest difference between high achievers and the rest of us is effort. Not normal, average effort but massive amounts of focussed effort.

Motivation, for most of us, fizzles early when expected results fail to materialize. We overestimate our abilities. We anticipate an impossible speed and size for the outcome. So… long before a fraction of the needed effort is expended, we give up and move on muttering lame excuses to anyone watching.

How do we overcome this tendency of half-hearted attempts at the success we desire? First off, acknowledge that you aren’t putting in enough time or effort and possibly money into your passions, dreams, and relationships. 

Next, I have 5 simple actions that can accelerate your achievements:

1. Start with very small tasks or goals. Build motivation and momentum by completing them before moving on to larger and harder goals. Stretch yourself each step to grow into the person necessary to accomplish big things.
2. Implement rewards for yourself along the way. When you make an accomplishment or reach a milepost, be sure to celebrate. Withhold gifts or activities from yourself until the predetermined work is done.
3. Remind yourself daily that normal effort will only accomplish average things. Commit completely each morning to put forth massive, focused effort to accomplish the goals that scare you. (Definitely, have goals that scare you.)
4. You must have a support or accountability person. It can be a friend or a professional or even a group of people. It is easy to lie and make excuses to yourself, It’s another ball game when outside people are involved.
5. Don’t spread yourself too thin. Put most of your time, effort, and money into the most important or effective task in front of you.

Finally, at the risk of belaboring the point unnecessarily, you are probably not putting forth enough effort. Estimate the time needed and multiply it by 5 or 10…same for work, ditto for expenses.

To be good requires effort. To be exceptional requires monumental effort. You deserve exceptional.

Note: Upon completion of this blog post, I was immediately reminded by my personal coach and my wife that I have failed to put the required effort into a series of children’s books that teach success principles. I am extremely grateful for their support and encouragement…and for calling me out.