Wage war on Mediocrity
In our lives we come across numerous areas where we marginalize ourselves by retreating instead of waging war. We allow our shortcomings to dictate our future and become the definition of who we are. I've spent some time evaluating issues that many of us face that force us into submission and acceptance of mediocrity in our lives. This article is designed to target some of these areas and suggest to you how to "Wage War" on them.
Attacking Fear of Change
Ever so often we experience a change in scenery that prompts us to run in a different direction or be paralyzed by fear. Relax, It's normal most people have an issue with change, but this can be a very subtle problem that you may not even realize you have. Imagine changes that could cause fear, maybe changing bosses, your company being bought out, your job title changing or maybe its something as simple as a new policy put in place. Regardless of the specific change, we don't naturally like it, but that doesn't mean we can't overcome it. Anxiety to change can be conquered by accepting it, rolling with punches and making cognitive decisions that will strategically place you in the proper position when the change happens. Change creates new opportunities or passivity, mediocrity or a chance to vanquish a new task.
Snipe out Bad Habits
We all have them, some are slightly worse than others (Smoking), but we can all control them if we try. A bad habit can cause major issues in your career if its along the lines of an awful attitude, tardiness, apathy, laziness, being rude or unprofessional. These kind of habits put you on a straight path to mediocrity, no one wants to promote or incorporate people that are submersed in these bad habits. Battle against habits that don't promote your goals or show who you really are, it will be a struggle at first but its worth the fight. Put the specific bad habits in the cross hairs of your scope and snipe them out.
Send the Cavalry after procrastination
If you are looking for a sure shot way to mediocrity, procrastination is about as good as it gets. Consider this area to wage war on, as one of the most important. People who allow this kind of behavior in their profession will never taste a victory in any challenge. Procrastination is a sign of laziness and being a sluggard, to put it bluntly, no one will want to hire you and if by chance you obtain job, you will either fail or be fired. One of my biggest pet peeves is dealing with people who procrastinate, we all have the same amount of time as each other in a day and what a productive person can do in one work day will take the procrastinator a week to complete. Fight this battle with as much intensity as you can give, send in the cavalry !!
Wear your helmet and protect your mind
We watch what we eat, we're careful to properly hydrate and we set our alarms to make sure we get enough sleep, but we neglect the command center which is our mind. Negative in, negative out, you will become what you frequently think on. It's not a new concept nor is it a trivial one, it actually makes sense and can be the difference between success and failure. Avoid people that are negative, stay away from the Water fountain conversations that just spread rumors, avoid complaining and watch what you say. If all you do is allow negative thoughts into your head what do you think this will do to your quality of work? Believe me, Monday morning is hard on all of us, but when you add more negative attitudes to it, it become unbearable. Protect your mind, if people get you to be negative with them, mediocrity will creep in and take hold.
Fight for the Freedom to pursue your Passions
We all have them, they change from time to time and unfortunately we always marginalize them, they are our passions, the little desires that make us unique in the work place. First off, if you aren't passionate about what your doing it may be time to reconsider your career path. Let's assume you like what you do, do you have a passion to lead? Perhaps a passion to be the best? Maybe a passion to create a better alternative to something your company already does that will save them money or streamline a report. Whatever your passion is at work, fight for it, we often roll over on our passions and lose sight of what makes us who we are. This isn't a suggestion to reinvent the wheel or anything, but if we always stand by and allow the other guy to get ahead, how can we expect to ever feel satisfaction in our careers? When you give up on your passions what do you have left to inspire you? The answer, nothing just a void left, an abyss that leads you down the path of mediocrity.
Fight the Good Fight
Whether or not all of these may apply to you, I'm sure at least one does, and with assumption I hope you see how any of these could lead you down the path to mediocrity, wage war on these areas, take no prisoners and do not retreat from the battle at hand.