Something happened this past weekend that reminded me why going the extra mile is so important.
MAL and I had to go out of town for two days for a family funeral. When we came home, we noticed a card stuck in between our front door and the screen door. It was the card of a police officer from our community. He wrote a message saying that he had moved a box that was delivered to our house from the front porch to our back porch. Maybe I was so touched by this gesture because I was just coming off an emotional two days, but I wish the officer knew just how much that little effort meant. That box contained a Christmas gift for MAL’s dad, and if we had come home from the funeral and learned someone had stolen that gift, it would have added unnecessary stress and frustration to the mix of emotions we were feeling. I emailed the officer to thank him and let him know that his little act of kindness meant more than he probably realized.
The officer didn’t have to go the extra mile. He could have kept patrolling the streets and completely ignored the big box sitting in front of our house. But, he didn’t. He took five extra minutes out of his busy day to stop and save us from someone potentially stealing that gift. I may never meet this officer in person, but he showed he’s a person who truly cares about his community and takes his job seriously.
Are you going the extra mile, both in life and in business? Are you taking time to put in the extra effort, or are you allowing excuses to stop you from achieving greatness? Putting forth extra efforts in life and in business shows that you stand for something. It shows you care and you have passions and ambitions. It shows you’re worth the time, energy and dollars people will invest.
Here are a few simple suggestions on how to go the extra mile in your personal life and in your career/business:
Personal Life
- Don’t allow yourself to grow distant from family and friends. Even if you have to schedule time on your calendar to call someone (I do this), make the time to call people you care about. Yes, we live in a world full technology, and sometimes it’s much easier and quicker to send an email or Facebook message. But nothing can compare to hearing someone’s voice or spending time with someone in person. Make an effort to frequently call and spend time with friends and family.
- Offer to help. Whether it’s a coworker who you notice has been down lately, or someone you don’t know so well asking for recommendations on something that falls within your expertise, take the time to offer to help. Now, I’m not saying devote so much time to helping others that you can’t accomplish your own work or goals. You will have to say no to some things. But, when you do, point the person in the direction of someone who you think can help.
Business
- Always do more than what is expected of you. If you’re ambitious and you want to move through the ranks in your company, show initiative. Come in early and stay a little later to complete a deadline ahead of schedule. Share creative ideas you have to grow your business or your client’s business. If your company has internal committees (team building, newsletter contributors, etc.), join one. Do things that make your boss’, coworkers’ and clients’ lives easier, and do them without being told. Put customer service at the core of your business, and go above and beyond to impress the people who spend their hard-earned money with you.
- Many companies offer professional development and continuing education opportunities. If yours does, take advantage of opportunities to expand your knowledge about your industry. I don’t care how old you are – the learning should never stop. Another idea is to set a goal to read a certain number of books per quarter. I know you’re exhausted when you come home, and if you work at a computer all day, you’d rather stare at the TV screen than your computer screen when you come home. But, if looking at the computer screen for another hour or so at home means you have time to catch up on reading industry blogs that enhance your learning, do it.
Trust me, I know there are days when you just have to curl up on the couch after work or else you risk losing your sanity. And there are days when you know you should call your family member or friend, but the last thing you want to do is have an hour long conversation.
Never forget to take care of yourself, and absolutely allow yourself to have days where you focus more on you than the rest of the world. But don’t forget that even the tiniest of efforts can produce grand results.
What are your thoughts on going the extra mile, and how do you do this in your life and business?