Just a Little Bit More

If you have followed my blog for any length of time you know that my desire and passion is to live an extraordinary life. An extraordinary life is not simply made up of extraordinary events - although that is part of it - but is a life lived out in daily obedience. My obedience is a response to the voice, promptings, and intuitions of God. This means obedience to crazy-big decisions (i.e. donating a kidney!) AND also to the small things (i.e. taking that extra moment to look my child in the eyes!) In light of this desire, I have been challenged this week by my business and life coach, Tony, and through the book by Darren Hardy, The Compound Effect. I realize that my "extraordinary" life has become safe and complacent. I have been giving the bare minimum. A truly extraordinary life requires something extra, something more, than the average person is willing to give.

Imagine what would happen if in each task we take on today we did just a little bit more.

Business: Instead of making ten calls, make eleven.

Finance: Instead of putting $50 in the savings account, put $55.

Parenting: Instead of the 30 second "close your eyes and go to sleep" speech, give five intentional snuggling and listening moments at bedtime.

Marriage: Instead of greeting spouses with a quick kiss and "how was your day?", greet with a full seven second kiss followed by an embrace.

Health: Instead of the regular 30 minutes on the treadmill, push an extra two minutes at the fastest pace.

These ideas may seem small, but what would happen if we embraced just a little bit more over time? This is what Darren Hardy calls "the compound effect." Our choices compound over time, whether negative or positive. And extraordinary does not come about because of a one-time decision; it comes about through the compounded results of little choices each day.

Where can you step up to live extraordinary in your life? What little choices will you make that over time will make all the difference? This is the crazy thing about extraordinary living: making one extra sales call or spending two extra minutes on the treadmill don't seem that extraordinary, but the results of those actions and that mindset creates an extraordinary life.

It is not always easy, but it is worth it!

Be Extraordinary!