You know the saying. There are lots of almosts out there. A lot of people whose skill are rated average. And a ton more who wallow in mediocrity – in parts of the world where this is considered normal.

But then there are those people who master a skill or topic in a way that makes people wonder if geniuses are born or made. They seem incredibly successful at the things they do – whether they lead quiet lives (and prefer staying out of the limelight) or they are famous (and love being in the spotlight).

Some people have the necessary ingredients in them but they don’t have the stomach to handle the hard work that comes with being extraordinary in:

• the way they carry themselves and how they treat others (think about those with the gift to edify, inspire and hold others accountable)
• a skill many possess
• school
• showing compassion
• starting something from the ground up and building it into something that affect the lives of many others in a good way
• forgiving others (and themselves) and moving on – fast
• seeing things through. Staying committed during the good and bad times and generally getting things done compared to the many who just let their dreams mix with the air flowing to who knows where
• not following the herd – and questioning things when necessary while not being a jerk about it at the same time

Want to do the extraordinary? Want outstanding performance? Want to be a successful person? Want to be the best – and have a special way of doing something that appeals to people’s needs and wants?

The following reasons will compel you to get started immediately.

1. Sometimes your competitors will only bow when you become an extraordinary performer

What do you when your competitors are already doing something great? Do you also start a me-too thing? Do you shelve your dream? Do you start then attract losses instead of profits?

What you need to do is not to do anything ordinary.

Do ‘extra’.

Research.

Put in more hours and creativity.

Experiment. Understand what you are trying to solve. Go the extra mile…and time will come when even your competitors will unashamedly say: ‘That is extraordinary.’

And some of their customers – or whatever group of people they appeal to – will gladly turn to you to take care of their needs and wants.

2. Extraordinary performance is fun

Want to have more fun?

Why not push yourself a little and see the fruits of your ‘brains’ ripen?

Facing challenges voluntarily is fun especially when things work out.

Or even if they don’t, because there are always lessons to be learnt that can be used in the present to reach your goals faster the next time you take on a similar or different challenge.

Won’t it be exciting when something you have been working on for months or years finally work out?

Get to work till ‘incredible’ becomes the word people use to describe your performance (fruits of your labour).

Enjoy doing because enduring the challenges that come with striving for extraordinary performance has its good sides.

Like:

• laughing at yourself when you do something silly or make some mistake – and then correct it
• when your face lights up in excitement when you discover something new and unexpected
• when you face your fears, focus on doing something and at the end of it all finding out that the fear you dreaded was nothing but fear – that could have easily denied you a chance to have fun using your brain had you let procrastination sway you to its dark corner of nothingness.

3. Your gifts (your pot full of talents)

I wonder what always happens when someone fails to utilize their gifts.

If you are good at something, isn’t it a good idea to polish your skills?

To make your plans a reality?

To seek more challenge – and thrive?

To solve people’s problems – for free or for profit?

I don’t see the point of having a gift but failing to do anything beneficial with it.

Is it fear that makes people sit on their gifts? Is it choice or is it the, ’I am still waiting for the right time to launch.’ attitude keeping people from unwrapping their gifts to benefit others?

If you want to know what’s in the box, you got to unwrap the gift. Not so?

Your gifts, they are like the materials you need for a new building: cement, metal, glass, wood etc.

It is up to you to decide what kind of building you build with the materials at your disposal.

The funny thing is that everyone wants that extraordinary building. But no one ever built one wishing.

God is there for us all and has blessed us immensely, even giving us the effort to make sure we do extra ordinary things.

How you are going to use the breathe in you to make your gifts (and the fruits that come from them) extraordinary is up to you.

You can squander time or build – more than ordinary – by going that extra mile.

4. Satisfaction knowing you are working towards achieving your goals

I don’t know what your goals are but I do believe that you know that sometimes the best way to work on achieving your goals is to step out of your current state and be an extra-ordinary performer.

Extra-ordinary performance is like a car’s accelerator. When used carefully, you’ll reach where you want to go in one piece.

Faster.

Without causing any accidents.

Or reaching your destination with dents.

With extra-ordinary performance you get a lot of things done…done in time.

You learn to de-clutter your life.

You learn to manage stress and the pressures of life quite well.

You give attention to new challenges.

You learn more about yourself and what you are working on.

You make mistakes and learn from them.

You edge closer to your goals each passing minute.

And that’s how you get an edge over everybody else working to achieve the same goals. That is how you become successful at the things you do.

5. The lure of monetary gain

Performance begets gain.

But extra-ordinary performance attracts extra-gain.

Everything seems to be getting expensive these days. Inflation is on the rise.

More countries are getting deeper into debt. And junk is taking away the little money left over after taxes, bills and that little disposal income (note: I am not excusing the act of using money inefficiently then wishing you were making even more believing that more money is the answer to the inefficiency).

A few extra-notes (thousands, millions, billions or trillions or more) for extra-ordinary performance isn’t a bad thing as long as you lay your hands on what your performance has honestly attracted.

But you already know that it is a step in the right direction to always keep your hands off that which doesn’t belong to you.

Remember: Hard work, creativity, integrity, passion, hope, determination and love for people can easily make you an extra-ordinary performer.

What does this mean? You already have all the ingredients you need to be an extraordinary performer in your chosen field(s).

You already have what it takes to be.

So are you still going to wish or be? Are you going to put in the hard work to become a successful person in life? Are you going to do the extra-ordinary work needed to be done? Are you going to put your talents into better use – or are you just going to shelve your dreams – and just let time pass by because of this and that (excuses)?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.