These Two Factors Will Help You Destroy Mediocrity Effectively And Quickly – Praise Uloh
These two factors will help you destroy mediocrity effectively and quickly – Praise Uloh
Sometimes, it is easy to just throw in the towel and allow things to remain the way they are. There is no one-size-fits-all way to destroy mediocrity. However, if you are unwilling to take a risk and cannot accept the prospect of failure, you are likely to become stuck. Mediocrity affects productivity, whether you are employed in a firm or running your own business. Focusing on the right factors will get you to excellence. Anything is absolutely possible if you know where to start and what to do. These two factors will help you destroy mediocrity effectively, efficiently, and quickly.
- Decision-making:
We tend to take making decisions trivial unless there is an immediate consequence to that decision. A quick example:
Adam drives himself to work every day, and he has two routes to go through: a 25-minute drive on a major road and a 15-minute one through some shortcuts. He normally takes the short route because it is cost-effective. However, on a Monday morning, he was in a hurry to get to work. He overslept because he had prepared his presentation overnight.
Amidst double-checking the documents in his briefcase and starting his car, his neighbor walked up to him on the driveway to tell him to take the longer route because the route he normally takes would be blocked to repair a damaged part of the road.
Adam gave a loud sigh saying he was running late already, still arranging his presentation. His neighbor empathized with him but advised him to take the longer route to avoid unnecessary drama. He told his neighbor that it wasn’t possible to start repairs so early; it was 7:33 a.m.
The neighbor explained that they had made the announcement a week ago at the exact time, which would be 7:30am. Adam replied, ‘There is something called “African man time.” Don’t worry, they will not be there.’ His neighbor smiled, bade him goodbye, and went back to his car.
Adam hurriedly left through the short route. He was going through the route and found out it was not blocked for the first 8 minutes, until he got 5 minutes to his office and found red tape across the entire road. It dawned on him that he was not listening to what his neighbour said. He started sweating; his presentation was in less than 20 minutes, so he had to get to the major road quickly. On getting to the major route, he met bad traffic, and by the time he got to the office, the meeting was over. They lost the deal.
From this story, we see Adam’s immediate consequences for the decision he took. Most of the time, we know what the repercussions of our decision will be, but we keep plunging head-first into it. Repeatedly taking wrong decisions over time will yield mediocre results. It might not come instantly, like the one in our story, but it will be pricey.
Making certain decisions may seem uncomfortable, but in the long run, they will pay off. Going to the gym instead of sitting on your couch, watching television, and drinking soda is not the best thing in the world. For a student, reading for hours in the library instead of just talking about the latest movie series with friends feels awkward. However, this decision, compounded, will only leave you with excellence.
- Association:
Ultimately, a person is the sum total of the circles he or she engages in. Your association defines how fast you can go. This means the people around you can allow you to run or fly. Therefore, to destroy mediocrity, you have to relate to people who are not mediocre. To be wealthy, you have to interact with the wealthy. Books are the cheapest and easiest way to do this. You might not have excellent or wealthy people around you currently; however, you can reach them via books. Words convey the thoughts of people. This means you can be associated with a person by reading their books. It is a lot easier now with the internet, where you have a ‘good enough’ level of access to productive individuals. Videos, podcasts, and books are available at almost zero cost. These are more than enough to build an association to get you steps closer to excellence and far from mediocrity. Others are;
- Mentorship/accountability
The simplest definition of a mentor is a person who has gone where you want to be. It is a form of association or relationship with someone who is currently in your desired future. He or she must have conquered an enviable feat and is willing to show you the ropes. To get to higher levels in life, you will need a mentor. Most times, a mentor is gotten by deliberate effort, either paid or by honour. In a mentor-mentee relationship, the mentee is wise to always go to the mentor for guidance. Good mentorship is not just a proven way to get rid of mediocrity; it is a quick and effective route. By implementing tasks or procedures laid out by a good mentor, you will deal with mediocrity and get the most out of life.
- Community: In getting rid of mediocrity, joining a community is often overlooked because it consists of a large number of people. This network of quite a number of like-minded people has a common interest, which can leave you with a whole lot. If a community is properly managed, discussions from the community can leave you with quality relationships and ideas. To get rid of mediocrity, be surrounded by people who are on the same path as you are. Be valuable and give value when you are in communities.
- Masterminds: This is a sort of small community of consciously selected individuals to achieve a goal or set of goals. In a mastermind, insights and experiences are shared by members. People who are masterminds do not have to be in the same field. However, they share common or similar objectives or intentions. Paid masterminds are owned by a facilitator. You can also form a mastermind with a group of people who share your interests.
All three kinds of associations are important to deal with mediocrity. It helps to create the right mindset necessary for excellence to thrive. In your endeavours, make sure to always aim for better and higher. Don’t stop when you get to a particular feat; look for the next mountain to conquer.
