4 Key Words for Success

Over the years, I have come to see the difference between good and great really boils down to four key words. I believe almost everyone wants to be good at everything they do. Whether it is in their marriage, with their children, in other family relationships, in business, in finance, or just in life in general, being great boils down to four keywords.

What are those four key words? A little bit more! It seems so simple, yet so profound. When you decide you will do a little bit more, you will quickly pull away from the pack and begin to stand out from the crowd. Why is that? Because, for the most part, everyone else wants to do just what is required of them, and no more. Have you noticed how quickly people leave the classroom when a bell rings? Have you noticed how people leave work exactly on time...even if they didn't arrive on time?

In a personal relationship, it is easy to expect the other person to say and do everything just right in order to elicit a good response from you. However, the secret is for you to do a little bit more for them. If you do that, you will soon realize the little bit more you are doing is paying big dividends.

Recently, while lingering after an event, I noticed a young man straightening up chairs and cleaning the area. When he finished, I engaged him in conversation, asking, "How old are you?”  He answered, “24.” I asked who taught him how to put up chairs. He smiled and said, "My father. He always taught me to do a little bit more. He told me this is where the secret to life really lies." He went on to tell me that he had already purchased his first house and was learning that the next most important thing besides doing a little bit more was paying his bills on time in order to avoid having to pay a late fee. We had a good conversation, and I told him that I was confident that he would succeed in anything he did because he had the attitude of giving a little bit more.

I would imagine that we are all in agreement with this philosophy, but the rubber meets the road when we start doing a little bit more.

In school, I found, if I stayed a little while after the bell rang and asked questions, I was able to resolve some unanswered issues in my mind and build closer relationships with my teachers. In marriage, doing more than is expected of me and not waiting for my wife to do things for me first pays huge returns. And, going the second and third mile in business to help customers and clients pays rich rewards as well. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.

I once heard that UPS does not pay for someone to clean their offices. Everyone is required to clean their own workspace. They even wash their own big brown trucks. They say, "If we care enough to clean up our own area and to wash our own trucks, we care enough to get your package where it needs to be, on time." You know what that sounds like to me? A little bit more!

Are you willing to do a little bit more? Why not try getting to work a little earlier and maybe staying a little later this week? Look for something you could do that you don't normally do. Look for ways to put these four words into practice. After all, a little bit more goes a long way in everything you do!