Why You Should Go The Extra Mile In Life and Business

Why you should go the extra mile was brought home to me on a recent visit to the seaside. Amazing how being near the sea gets me thinking. Scotland’s been enjoying a bit of a heat wave over the last week so myself and my better half decided some sea swimming was in order. With the temperature in the very high 20’s we headed for Prestwick on Friday.

We usually do this sort of stuff on weekdays because most people are at work and things are pretty quiet. We’d forgotten that schools are off and lots of people are on holiday this month though so it was pretty busy but only in places. This actually made me think of 3 facts about human nature in general and about pushing yourself in particular – why you should go the extra mile.

Prestwick has a long sandy beach that you can follow all the way to Troon and beyond. There is a big car park and promenade there with a café and public toilets. There is also a kids play area and a couple of small skateboard ramps. This is as far as most people actually go in fact some people don’t even leave the car park. They unfold deck chairs at the back of their car and that’s it.

So as you might expect, on a hot sunny day this area is mobbed. The beach here is crowded and swarming with screaming kids, barking dogs and flustered parents. Not for us. This brings me to my first point – why you should go the extra mile.

Why You Should Go The Extra Mile AND Take the Plunge

I mean literally in this case as by walking a mile or more away from the car park area things improve vastly. You can easily find your own stretch of deserted, sandy beach and enjoy some serious chilling out. All you have done is put in a little extra effort. Business works the same way. That’s why you should go the extra mile – to get the rewards.

This leads to the second thought I had on the beach. Taking the plunge: Again in a literal and metaphorical sense. Let’s face it, the sea in Scotland is never going to be warm. At Prestwick it slopes away very gently so you have to wade out some distance before it starts to get deep enough to swim.

In this scenario the few people who have gone the extra mile are faced with another dilemma. It’s bloody cold – at first. For some a toe dip is enough to send them packing. Others persevere past the barriers of groin, chest and finally total submersion – the plunge.

Like the reasons why you should go the extra mile, taking the plunge is always immensely satisfying. Once you’ve done it you wonder what all the fuss was about. You acclimatise quickly and it feels wonderful – on a hot day at the beach you’ll warm up as soon as you get out anyway.

Why You Should go the Extra Mile, Take The Plunge AND keep Good Company

This part of the journey reminds me of starting a business – or any new venture. It’s the run up to finally taking the plunge. You can either ease your way in slowly and cautiously or just take a run at it, dive in and get it over with. You went the extra mile anyway when you were looking at options, doing research, making the business plan – didn’t you?

The final lesson I got from our Friday at the beach was about the company you keep, both in business and in your personal life.

After we had gone the extra mile and taken the plunge, we headed back to our spot on the beach and settled down for a spot of sunbathing. After an hour or so the peace and quiet was disturbed. A group of slightly drunk young guys came along and decided to take their own plunge right in front of our spot.

There were about 10 of them and a big ghetto blaster. Much as I hate to categorize people, these were neds. They were noisy, swore a lot and were completely oblivious to anyone else’s space.

Their cold-water shock was voiced at maximum volume and in words of four letters. You could see the classic – spurring each on behaviour in play as they waded further and further out.

We headed off at this point. We’d had enough sun anyway but felt sorry for the few other people nearby who had gone the extra mile for some quiet time. As to the neds – a classic example of how the company you keep will influence the results you get in life.

Another reason why should go the extra mile in business is that your customers will love you for it. If you’re thinking of taking the plunge and starting an online business you can do your research first by checking out the Six Figure Mentors Free video series on the link below. This will also show you importance of keeping good company.