Go the extra mile means to make more effort than what others expect of you. Let’s say you go to your office daily and do some jobs allotted to you. So you receive a fixed salary for the service you give. Then why to make more effort others don’t expect of you? What benefits will you get out of those efforts? To be sure, the present post will answer the questions.
Let me start with an incident. It goes like this.
Many people come to the State Bank of India, Burnpur. They keep their vehicles in two temporary parking spaces (suppose A & B)t that two unemployed persons look after. They keep watch on their vehicles against theft and charge an Rs.1/-per vehicle.
I see that the number of vehicles kept daily in parking space A is much more than that of B. Now, the point is, why is it so? So I observe the details. The person looking after parking space A helps his illiterate customers in filling up different bank forms and guides them too. Simply put, he makes more effort than what his customers expect of him.
“Go the extra mile” attitude helps.
Each of the persons gets Rs.1/ per vehicle for keeping watch on the vehicle. But the person looking after parking space A has a “go the extra mile” attitude. So what does he do? He goes the extra mile, fills up forms, and guides his customers. Thus he makes a mark in their hearts. So they observe the difference and rush to him. Why so? They understand that they receive more than what they pay to him. Hence more customers rush to him. In this process, he earns more. The point is not earning more; the point is making a mark.
You can get similar ideas in my post-here
Action Steps
- Whatever you do, do it perfectly.
- Then do some value addition to whatever you do.
- Make more effort than what you are paid for
- Make a habit out of this attitude.
- It keeps you ahead in life
- Have a successful living.
People who have difficulty going the extra mile are less likely to make a mark in their life.