subject: Demanding a Little More of Ourselves – The Quest for a Quality Life [print this page] Demanding a Little More of Ourselves The Quest for a Quality Life
"When people ask me what really change my life eight years ago, I tell them that absolutely the most important thing was changing what I demanded of myself." Anthony Robbins in Awaken the Giant Within
In the long run, some little things can turn out to mean a lot. Constantly demanding of yourself that you give that little additional effort in most things that you do is certainly one of those "little things" that can make a huge difference in your life.
When we read the biography of successful men and women, one thing soon becomes evident and that is the fact that these people had no room for complacency in their life. They always gave that extra effort and went the extra mile in everything that they did.
Doing our job and doing it well, is no longer enough. It will not even guarantee that we'll keep that job. There probably are already ten people waiting to take our place at the least sign of faltering.
Even doing an excellent job won't attract attention or prepare the stage for a promotion. We are expected to do an excellent job and that's what most people do. So, why should that be ground for advancement?
If we wish to get ahead, there is only one thing that will do it and that's by being outstanding at what we do. Being outstanding is what spells the difference between a very ordinary life and the life that most of us dream about.
No one ever got to be outstanding overnight. It's a cumulative process that takes character, dedication and the will to become all that we can be. We don't get to be outstanding by wishing that we were; we get to be outstanding by demanding a little more of ourselves everyday of our life.
Demanding a little more of ourselves is a state of mind that is created by habit. If we practice demanding a bit more of ourselves for as little as a month, it turns out into a personal characteristic; it becomes part of our personality, part of the way that we see ourselves.
We expect a lot from the people that we admire so why should we not also expect a lot from ourselves? All that it takes is some discipline and some motivation both of which come naturally when we have a clear vision of what the final outcome will be.
Anything is possible when we have a big enough reason to do it. How hard would you be willing to work if you were certain that ten years down the line you would enjoy the type of life that you've always dreamed off?
That life is out there just waiting for you to pay the price. The future is predictable; we are creating it today. We've all heard the proverb, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap." There is more truth than poetry in those words.
If we plant our garden carefully and tend to it with care, we can expect a bountiful crop; if it is planted in haste and only given minimum care, we can only expect meager results. In the end, life follows a logical path of action/reaction; there is nothing mystical about it.
Tomorrow's success begins with demanding a little more from ourselves today. It's that little extra effort that will make all the difference on the final outcome. It's by being a little more that we'll do more, accomplish more and eventually receive more.
