Deliver elite level quality
When we deliver something, whether a product, or service or just offering our presence or help to someone close to us, we have a choice. We always have a choice. WE can choose to deliver mediocre, or we can choose to deliver elite level stuff. We are the boss of this decision, not the victim.
The reason we get mediocre stuff most of the time is because of the stories we tell ourselves. From my interactions with most regular people, and my “market surveys”, it looks like most people tell themselves the story that it’s ok to take the easy path. The easy path of just doing the minimum. The easy path of not having to stretch to our limits and edges.
Then it becomes a habit. “ If in doubt always take the easy path”.
There is nothing “wrong” with this approach, except that you are more likely to starve in the future economy and you are more likely to be shallow in your interactions with people who matter. That’s because most of world are already taking the easy path. It’s a very crowded place.
When you are confronted with a choice, if you are in the habit of always choosing the easy path. Please do yourself a favour. Stop and think: what’s the path of most resistance, and what is stopping me going that way, and stretch myself. The key is “how do I stretch myself” beyond what I am used to. This is the most impactful thing to do and is the way to grow.
So if I am making a product, I can choose to take a path that’s “least easy”. If I succeed, I will be in a category of one because the others would have taken the easy path. If I have to have a human engagement, I do the difficult thing: I offer more empathy than is expected, listen more deeply than is possible, and care more than I have ever done. And guess what, I would offer so much more value to another human being than she has ever bargained for.
I am curious, what would my life transform into if I always stop and think, why do I have to keep choosing the easiest, most efficient path? I owe it to myself to stretch to my good limits because I deserve to, my customers deserve it and everyone I have the privilege to engage with, deserves it.