You can skate through life pretty easily without making a lot of ripples in the pond. You can have some fun, make some money, and coast without too many problems. The problem with that, is that by coasting, you may not achieve much success, either. Luck can be described as the place where effort and circumstance meet. However, even without the right situation, you can achieve great results. The key to this is being proactive.

What is “Being Proactive?”

The true meaning of being “Proactive” easily interpreted by the two halves of the word. Pro means “before.” Active means “taking action.” Being proactive means taking action yourself, without needing to be told by someone else. Being proactive means anticipating potential pitfalls and working to avoid them before they happen. Being proactive means taking charge of your own life course and planning to achieve your dreams. Being proactive means completing an assignment, not just to the specifications, going the extra mile or noting what comes next and presenting it to your supervisor.

Going the Extra Mile

If you are humming along, comfortably, in your job, completing the tasks that are given to you, but not many others, you will probably keep your job, but you are unlikely to be promoted or given more than a cost of living raise. However, if you are creative and productive, and take assignments and run with them, you are likely to be singled out for more responsibility, participation on more interesting projects, and higher pay. Going the extra mile is not just a cliché that people throw around—going the extra mile produces the results.

How did the phrase originate? Nobody can pinpoint the exact beginning of use. Some point to the Sermon on the Mount from the Bible as the origin. However, if that is the origin, the phrase has grown far from it to take on a much more giving tone. Today, going the extra mile is cited in almost every business book, customer service manual and marathon runner’s blog. Going the extra mile means pushing yourself beyond where you thought you could go. In literal terms, running an extra mile after you are completely worn out and used up is a way to take an extra step in your training and prepare yourself for that grueling race.

The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step

To be proactive and go the extra mile, first you have to change you way of thinking and believing. Changing your beliefs will lead you to change your actions. It is a self-fulfilling cycle. To begin being proactive to achieve great results, every day do one thing that is outside of your comfort zone, and a bit beyond your grasp. Each time you accomplish a small thing, you will gain strength to do more. Do not wait for an opportunity to drop into your lap. Identify what you hope to achieve in life and go for it. Seek opportunities to stretch yourself and grow. That is being proactive. That will help you achieve great results.

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