The Extra Mile Has No Traffic
There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.
Look at rush hour in any city.
Cars bumper to bumper. Everyone taking the same route, at the same time, moving inches per minute.
But there's a secret road most people never take.
Zig Ziglar knew it when he said, "There are no traffic jams on the extra mile."
Think about that.
When everyone else stops at "good enough"... When everyone else clocks out at 5:00 sharp... When everyone else says "that's not my job"...
The road ahead suddenly clears.
Most people do exactly what's expected. Nothing more. They follow the map to the dot, take the standard route, and wonder why they're stuck in traffic with everyone else.
But the extra mile? It's wide open.
The business that calls customers just to check in. The employee who solves problems nobody asked them to solve. The friend who remembers what matters to you when everyone else forgets.
They're all taking the empty road.
The funny thing about the extra mile is that it's not actually longer. Often, it's a shortcut to where you really want to go.
So next time you're stuck in life's traffic, ask yourself:
What's one small thing I could do that nobody expects? Where could I go just a little further?
The road is clear. The competition is scarce.
And the view is much better.
~ aq