This week, I had a conversation about the driving force
behind the Industrial Revolution. Those early railroads and
steamships created the world we know. Before the Industrial
Revolution, we lived on farms and traveled on horseback.
Afterwards, we lived in cities and railroads and massive
steamships made commerce, education, travel and prosperity
possible.
So, what powered the Industrial Revolution? Water. More
specifically and more explosively, steam!
My friend pointed out that humans have depended on water
for thousands of years. Water wheels have been around for a
long time, and primitive sailing ships made exploration and
early commerce possible, but they had little impact on the
average person. Even hot water is of little use. In fact
most of us avoid being in "hot water" and use it only for
brewing tea or washing dishes. Even at 211 degrees
Fahrenheit, water is not very exciting.
But add just one more degree and something amazing happens!
At 212 degrees, you get steam and steam moves mountains!
I'm convinced this metaphor applies to achieving our
dreams.
For a golfer, they know that the difference in performance
between a world-class PGA professional and a local club
champion is measured in the tiniest of increments. To earn
fame and fortune on "The Tour" requires the professional to
be an excellent putter, but no one makes every putt, every
time. In fact, a millionaire professional only makes two or
three more putts in a round of golf than some of the
golfers at your local club. In putting, small differences
are worth several million dollars per year!
When I started prospecting, there were three
other people who shared the same specialty in our
community. When I arrived, they had a monopoly and there
was "no market" for me to make a living. My three
competitors had years of experience. They had superb
reputations, and our referral sources all knew and liked
them. I was a nobody, young and untested. But I found an
edge.
My competitors took up to a month to complete evaluations
and get reports back to the people who needed them. I
determined to dictate my reports, have them typed and
delivered over-night. Were my reports any better? Of course
not. Given my lack of experience, they probably weren't as
thorough or as accurate, but when I personally delivered my
results the next day, I got lots of attention and soon had
all the business I could handle.
The difference between "good" and "excellent" is very, very
small. In my case, the difference actually had little to do
with the scientific accuracy of my results. I just
delivered my results faster, and that made "enough"
difference to build my business.
For many people, the difference between being slim and fit,
verses gradually becoming heavy and unhealthy may only be a
hundred calories per day. Consume even more calories than
you burn each day and you gain weight. Reverse that, and
you lose weight. Sure, optimum health may be more
complicated, but it starts with a very small number of
calories, maybe only one cookie per day!
This applies to any goal you want to achieve. Remember the
old saying, "inch by inch, anything's a cinch?" The
opposite is also true. "Yard by yard, everything is hard."
High achievers know that small differences make all the
difference. The Industrial Revolution changed everything
and it began with only one degree of additional heat
applied to common, every day water. Boil the water, channel
the steam, and you've got a locomotive to change the world.
What small differences will you make this week? Perhaps
you'll make one more sales call, or prepare a bit more
thoroughly for your next presentation. Whether in golf or
sales or in the more "mundane" things like parenting, the
top performers are rarely dramatically better. Typically,
they are "ordinary people doing ordinary things,
extraordinarily well." This week, strive to do a few
ordinary things just slightly better. I think you'll see an
extraordinary change in your results.
behind the Industrial Revolution. Those early railroads and
steamships created the world we know. Before the Industrial
Revolution, we lived on farms and traveled on horseback.
Afterwards, we lived in cities and railroads and massive
steamships made commerce, education, travel and prosperity
possible.
So, what powered the Industrial Revolution? Water. More
specifically and more explosively, steam!
My friend pointed out that humans have depended on water
for thousands of years. Water wheels have been around for a
long time, and primitive sailing ships made exploration and
early commerce possible, but they had little impact on the
average person. Even hot water is of little use. In fact
most of us avoid being in "hot water" and use it only for
brewing tea or washing dishes. Even at 211 degrees
Fahrenheit, water is not very exciting.
But add just one more degree and something amazing happens!
At 212 degrees, you get steam and steam moves mountains!
I'm convinced this metaphor applies to achieving our
dreams.
For a golfer, they know that the difference in performance
between a world-class PGA professional and a local club
champion is measured in the tiniest of increments. To earn
fame and fortune on "The Tour" requires the professional to
be an excellent putter, but no one makes every putt, every
time. In fact, a millionaire professional only makes two or
three more putts in a round of golf than some of the
golfers at your local club. In putting, small differences
are worth several million dollars per year!
When I started prospecting, there were three
other people who shared the same specialty in our
community. When I arrived, they had a monopoly and there
was "no market" for me to make a living. My three
competitors had years of experience. They had superb
reputations, and our referral sources all knew and liked
them. I was a nobody, young and untested. But I found an
edge.
My competitors took up to a month to complete evaluations
and get reports back to the people who needed them. I
determined to dictate my reports, have them typed and
delivered over-night. Were my reports any better? Of course
not. Given my lack of experience, they probably weren't as
thorough or as accurate, but when I personally delivered my
results the next day, I got lots of attention and soon had
all the business I could handle.
The difference between "good" and "excellent" is very, very
small. In my case, the difference actually had little to do
with the scientific accuracy of my results. I just
delivered my results faster, and that made "enough"
difference to build my business.
For many people, the difference between being slim and fit,
verses gradually becoming heavy and unhealthy may only be a
hundred calories per day. Consume even more calories than
you burn each day and you gain weight. Reverse that, and
you lose weight. Sure, optimum health may be more
complicated, but it starts with a very small number of
calories, maybe only one cookie per day!
This applies to any goal you want to achieve. Remember the
old saying, "inch by inch, anything's a cinch?" The
opposite is also true. "Yard by yard, everything is hard."
High achievers know that small differences make all the
difference. The Industrial Revolution changed everything
and it began with only one degree of additional heat
applied to common, every day water. Boil the water, channel
the steam, and you've got a locomotive to change the world.
What small differences will you make this week? Perhaps
you'll make one more sales call, or prepare a bit more
thoroughly for your next presentation. Whether in golf or
sales or in the more "mundane" things like parenting, the
top performers are rarely dramatically better. Typically,
they are "ordinary people doing ordinary things,
extraordinarily well." This week, strive to do a few
ordinary things just slightly better. I think you'll see an
extraordinary change in your results.
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