Philip Humbert wrote, "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 getting 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.
As a golfer, I know that the difference 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 none of them sink every putt, every
time. In fact, a millionaire professional makes less than
two more putts per round of golf than some of the golfers
at your local club. In putting, small differences are worth
millions of dollars per year!
When I started as a Psychologist, 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
arranged 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
good but when I personally delivered my results the next
day, I got 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. Eat even a few more calories than
you burn each day and you gain weight. Burn a few extra
calories each day, 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 even in 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 getting 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.
As a golfer, I know that the difference 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 none of them sink every putt, every
time. In fact, a millionaire professional makes less than
two more putts per round of golf than some of the golfers
at your local club. In putting, small differences are worth
millions of dollars per year!
When I started as a Psychologist, 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
arranged 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
good but when I personally delivered my results the next
day, I got 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. Eat even a few more calories than
you burn each day and you gain weight. Burn a few extra
calories each day, 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 even in 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment