How to Overcome the ‘Average’ Mindset

We live in a society of means, and by means, I mean average. Much of the statistics we see around tend to evaluate things based on means. And unsurprisingly, so many people have become so accustomed to what is considered ‘average’ and only aim to get that far.

For example, we often see the average salary or wages of a particular occupation or group of people, average life expectancy, average job satisfaction, average performance at work, the average rate of this or average rate of that. And the list is indeed endless.

So, as individuals, we have been programmed to believe in means (averages) and by default, many of us feel somewhat OK if we can just hit that average mark; which I believe is a approach to life.

And, not only does achieving average status make us feel good about ourselves, but it also gives us a false feeling of self-satisfaction or comfort. We tend to feel gratified when we find ourselves tracking along the same lines where the majority of the population fits.

The result? A disinclination to push ourselves beyond the mean. Our minds tell us that as long as we are able to maintain the mean, we are all well and good.

For me, ‘average’ is mediocrity.

And if you are still aiming for average, it is time to change that approach to life. And here is why.

I guess I never really knew at a time that I was getting too comfortable with just being 'average'. For me, looking at everybody else and tracking along the average line felt like an OK spot to be in.

Thus, I never really felt compelled to push myself out of my comfort zone. I wouldn’t even dare to play around unfamiliar terrains. Once I got close to something or an idea I knew little or nothing about, I would back off or step away.

At such times, I would say to myself, “why do I have to go this far? Who among the people close to me are daring to do the things I am trying to do?"

And so, with that kind of mindset, I would get comfortable with “the average” spot.

It felt great to be at the same level as the majority, instead of pushing to get past the majority.

Without directly acknowledging it, I was actually involved in the comparison game. Comparing myself with other people and feeling good about it when it felt like I was just doing fine, judging by the popular standards.

Average is mediocrity.

An average mentality kills productivity and innovation. Working with an average mindset limits the extent our minds can go. We tend to feel comfortable with the crowd and that actually dampens our potentials without us even becoming aware of it.

AVOID comparing yourself with average. As long as you think you are better than the average number of persons or what people consider the average yardstick, you feel good. Wrong, because you can never excel beyond that benchmark if you do not change the way you think.

Never settle for average.

You may never be able to make your mark here if you decide to settle for what everyone else settles for.

If you want to stand out and stand taller than the rest, dare to stop pushing for or pursuing average. You were never created to be average. You were created to make an impact, to change the world, which can not be achieved with the mindset of a mediocre.

And with the influence of social media, it is very easy to judge ourselves against others based on what we see across our social media pages.

Social media is good but be careful not to be caught in its web of mediocrity.

Social media encourages mediocrity because it is an easy means to judge one’s success or failure, based on what you see going on with others.

So, yes, if you want to do great things; if you want to make a difference in this world and if you want to imprint your footprints in the sands of time, it’s time to give up the average mindset and begin to step outside your comfort zone.

It is time to give up mediocrity and aim higher. You can do great things!

Thank you so much for reading!

Evi Abada, MD, MS, is a Resident Physician in Pathology with a Masters in International Health Policy and Management and writes about life, global health, cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.