Allergic to Average (part 2)

 

In any form of competition, the goal is always to win. Be the victor. Take home the gold (ok, ok…I promise…LAST Olympics reference!!!) or the crown (sorry I can’t promise that’s the last pageant metaphor yet). Be the best. Place first.

You get it…we all want to win. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

“Do your best!”

I’m guessing you’ve never heard someone say, “Go out there and be average!” Of course not. Average doesn’t win a game. Average doesn’t make a sale. Average doesn’t get you a raise.

We most always try our hardest and do our best if there’s a prize at the end. A reward. But what about in our everyday routines? Is average really good enough or should we always strive for excellence?

I’ve said it before – be allergic to average – in your job, your relationships, even your boring household chores. Yes, it’s hard work to strive for excellence when you hate cleaning the house or mowing the lawn. It’s really hard to be better than average at work if you hate your job.

But by setting a goal to strive for excellence – to be allergic to average – you’re pushing yourself one step closer to greatness and fulfillment. So many of you told me that this phrase really “spoke” to you. I loved hearing your stories and being encouraged by your enthusiasm.

Try it this week with one task. Just one.

I’m not asking you to suck up to your mean boss or prepare your house for a photo shoot with Southern Living.

Just be better than before – be allergic to average – and see how your attitude changes (or the attitudes of those around you).

You might decide those intolerable co-workers are a little more fun to be around than you realized. You might find a misplaced treasure in your home or office. You might even catch the eye of someone special who hadn’t noticed you before because you were just “average.”

Pick one thing. One. Thing. Be allergic to average when you work on it this week. And let me know how it goes.

Allergic To Average

Everybody is allergic to something. For some its food, for some its fragrances, some even animals or dust. Me? I’m allergic to penicillin. Or so my parents tell me. I don’t know exactly what happens to me if you give me PCN (I learned the medical abbreviation for it a long time ago – it’s something you have to know when you have to write it on EVERY form you ever complete during your entire life). I understand it was given it me as a toddler and the result wasn’t pretty, so doctors suggested I not have it again. So for 40+ years, I’ve been allergic to penicillin.

But now, as an adult, I’ve determined I’m allergic to AVERAGE. I know, I know…no one WANTS to be average – whether its standardized tests, work, even how we speak, dress, write or appear in photographs. (Aren’t you glad there are digital cameras now and we can delete the “below average” pictures and only share the really good ones?) But I digress…

When you complete an online or telephone survey about a recent experience – maybe in a store or a restaurant – you’re often asked to rate the experience above or below average. Those of us who work in the public always strive to be above average. We’re also usually a little more disappointed than most when we don’t get above-average service from others.

So are you like me? Allergic to average? Do you embrace an opportunity to be ABOVE average every single day? Maybe it’s by returning phone calls or emails in a timely manner? (I admit, that’s a hard one for me!) Maybe it’s by going “above and beyond” or sending a hand-written thank you note? Or by “paying it forward” for a stranger or public servant?

Statistics show you’re ten times more likely to have a negative experience than a positive one. I challenge you to help me change that statistic. Have an “above average” experience lately? Tell someone! Write an online review. Mail a thank you note. Reward someone. Share it on social media. (Wouldn’t you prefer to see something positive go viral for a change?) Tell me – I’ll share it for you!

Join me in becoming #AllergicToAverage and seeking those businesses and individuals who always strive to be better today than yesterday.