Turning ordinary into the extraordinary.

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

Consistently putting yourself in a strong position in life is a form of leverage. It lets you take advantage of opportunities while those in bad positions are forced to struggle.

But the way to reach good positioning is as simple as it is frustrating.

The position you find yourselves in today is an accumulation of all the small choices made by you over time.

The question is if the above statement is true, why doesn’t everyone make the right choices that put them in good positions in the future?

I think it's because most people don’t pay attention to these ordinary choices as there aren’t any immediate rewards or penalties imposed on them. In other words, there’s a lack of feedback.

For instance,

• Skipping a workout today won’t make you unfit, just as doing one today won’t suddenly turn you into an athlete.
• Saving a bit of money today won’t suddenly make you rich, just as spending some won’t make you poor in that instant.

Not doing the obvious thing you know you should do — the thing that positions you for future success — rarely hurts you right away.

Good choices let time work in our favor, while bad ones make time an enemy. Initially, the differences seem subtle but over time, they get amplified.

Most of us do make the right choices most of the time. But the truth I’m coming to terms with in my own life is, “most of the time” isn’t really enough.

Short bursts of Intensity will only carry you in the short term. If we want compounding results we need consistency. Lack of consistency prevents ordinary choices from becoming extraordinary results.

This is the price of success in my opinion. Committing to small but consistent choices that set you on the path to greatness, even when the results don’t show it yet.

So how can we be more consistent?

Implement positive feedback mechanisms for actions you want more in your life. For instance, every time you stop yourself from spending money, reward yourself by saving or investing it.

Observing the results of your action can help enforce it into a consistent habit.

Moments that look like giant leaps are just daily ordinary choices that suddenly stand out.

If we’re always looking for that magic moment, we might miss how the ordinary becomes extraordinary.