A Little Extra To Transform Your Life

George Chingarande | Monday May 5, 2014 12:08

 

Everyone has the potential to live an extraordinary life. Leading and extraordinary is a choice; and so too is living a pretty ordinary one. Everyone has the potential to lead an extraordinary life because extraordinary people are not extraordinarily talented.

They are ordinary people who simply do things differently. They put in a little extra effort in their work. They put in a little extra time when everyone else folds up their hands. They are also not ashamed to ask for a little extra help when the need arises. In this issue we examine a few other extra things that the extraordinary people do.

 

A little extra learning 

The key to becoming extraordinary is learning. In this fast paced world, it is the learners that shall inherit the earth while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. The skills that were useful a few years back are no longer needed in today’s world. Without a commitment to life-long learning you will soon become a fossilised dinosaur associated with archaic ideas and nostalgia.

Every day you need to learn something new. No one ever suffered from a little extra learning. If you see anyone with an extraordinary skill; you can be sure that he was not born that skillful. If you meet someone with extraordinary knowledge; you can bet he did not inherit. Every skill is learned and every bit of knowledge has to be acquired. The good news is that all skills are learnable and all knowledge is potentially knowable. You have it in you to learn everything that you need to learn to become the extraordinary person that you wish to be.

 

A little extra change.

If applied intelligently; all learning ultimately leads to change. Everyday there are two things that present themselves to us crying out for change. These are the circumstances of our lives and of course ourselves. Ordinary people differ from extraordinary people in their approach to change. Ordinary people change their circumstances in an attempt to change their lives. They change their locations. They change their jobs. They can even change partners, friends and spouses. Invariably they attempt to change something external. They do this because they somehow believe that their circumstances are responsible for their predicaments. This kind of change is often just enough to get them away from their current problems. However, in so doing they miss the boat because getting away from your current problem is not the same as solving the problem.

Extraordinary people approach change differently. They seek to change themselves knowing that when they change themselves, automatically their circumstances will respond in kind.  Changing yourself positively will yield an upgraded version of you. The up-graded you will every time produce better results than the current you. As Jim Rohn once said, ““Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems; wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom.” Put differently he was simply saying upgrade yourself. Change you, first before you seek to change the circumstances. That is what extraordinary people do.

 

A little extra thinking.

The person who constantly thinks of losing sooner or later becomes a loser. The person who constantly embraces fears in his mind, soon realises that his worst fears become realised. The aphorism, as a man thinketh so is he; pervades every sphere of our being. You are what you literally think. And what you think you are. We are thinking beings, and thinking is a very critical life skill. Extraordinary people take time to seriously think through issues. They just do not drift along. Every day they set aside time to think. This is no time to worry or to fantasise; but time to seriously consider different possible solutions to their problems or challenges. When the quality of your thinking changes; the quality of your solutions will also change and with it the quality of your life will also change. A little extra thinking will benefit your quest for greatness. Thinking on its own is not life transforming. Thinking must be followed by planning; and planning must be followed by execution.

 

A little extra mentorship.

Most extraordinary people have had an extraordinary mentor in their lives. Mentors have the experience, knowledge, skills and even resources that you need but you do not currently have. They can therefore help you to get to where you have not been before. They equip you to not necessarily follow their paths but to find your own path, so that when you get it you can leave your own footprints. When you stand on the shoulders of a giant, you naturally see beyond what the giant has been able to see. Mentorship has two sides. The mentor’s side is to give, and your side is to receiver for there can be no giver if there is no receiver. You must be willing to be mentored and be open to the existence of ideas that are different to yours. However, as you get mentored you must also be willing to get a mentee on your shoulders. As you mentor others you also learn from them and you become better.

 

A little extra writing

Life is a journey, so keep a journal. Write down what has worked and what has not worked. Write down the lessons you learn every day. Write down your observations. Write down your thoughts and your ideas. Our calamitous habit of retracting and disengaging from the habit of keeping records of the lessons that we learn; and the ideas that cross our minds; as we journey through life costs a great deal. When we write something there is always the chance that one day we will get back to it and act on it. When we write down our victories, there is always the chance that one day we will read about it and be encouraged. We all need a little extra encouragement and a little extra confidence. Writing down your victories can provide this when you most need it.