Chapter 8
Trust yourself — take action!
Until one is committed there is hesitancy, a chance to draw back. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.
Goethe
In ancient Rome, a centurion had the power to command those who were not Roman citizens to carry their equipment for a mile. At first the conquered people of Rome’s expansive empire were very resentful about being forced to carry the load of a Roman centurion and would go only as far as needed to avoid a brutal beating or even death. But in the first century Christians began the tradition of ‘going the extra mile’. Not only would they do what was a forced necessity, but they would do more … by choice.
Two thousand years later the saying ‘go the extra mile’ has become a powerful philosophy. The idea of not just exerting the minimal effort required to ‘get by’ but of intentionally ‘going the extra mile’ has become the hallmark behaviour of successful people the world over. While the marketplace of mediocrity is a crowded space, it’s never crowded on the extra mile. That’s because going the extra mile takes extra commitment, hard work and sacrifice above that needed to ‘get by’. Which is what this chapter is about: helping you identify the ‘extra’ actions you can take to set yourself up for success, creating for yourself an environment — internal and external — that continually compels you into the courageous and purposeful actions needed to enjoy the success you want in your work and beyond.
No monkey grip ...
