This past Sunday early-morning, ( I originally wrote this on June 17) at 2:30 a.m., a tornado hit southwestern Omaha, where I am writing this right now. I was not in town, and luckily, my office building was spared, experiencing just a few downed tree limbs, unlike some of the mature trees I can see out my window, across the street that were totally uprooted or destroyed.
Luckily, and astonishingly, no one was injured. Which is quite amazing given that the tornado sirens didn’t go off until AFTER the tornado blew through (the TV meteorologists are a bit embarrassed about that one!)
And talk about close calls! One woman was asleep in a chair in her family 
room, while just down the hall her entire roof collapsed on her empty bed.
window.
This all got me thinking about how little things can make a big difference in our own performance and achievement as well. I was reminded of a cool little book on the topic that I reviewed a few years ago when it came out: “212-The Extra Degree,” by S.L. Parker.
Here is what I wrote.
Go The Extra DegreeAt 211 degrees, water is hot.
At 212 degrees it boils and creates steam.
And steam can power a hundred-ton train.
And just one extra degree of effort does amazing things
for us, too.
212 is a very uncomplicated, simple metaphor that Sam Parker has beautifully described in his book “212: The Extra Degree.” http://www.212club.com/bp
Let’s face it, there’s no “secret” or easy way to success–in sales or life–despite what the infomercials and spam emails try to tell and sell us to the contrary. As Parker points out, “…in many cases people will actually work HARDER to avoid the extra effort than actually applying the extra effort that will produce the originally desired outcome.”
Look around you. Analyze the wildly successful people you know. Most likely you see that the difference between success and just barely getting by is effort.
Action.
And doing extra.
The extra degree. 212.
Parker further points out that while action is required for success, few people experience the EXTRAordinary success that comes with the extra effort. What’s lacking is the COMMITMENT to achieve, not just a desire or an intention.
Yes, little differences can bring major rewards. At the Masters golf tournament over a recent five-year period, the
average margin of victory between first and second place was 2.4 strokes. That’s .6 strokes per day. But the winner
earned an average of $344,000 MORE than the second place finisher!
At the 2002 Winter Olympics, the difference between a gold medal and NO medal at all in Men’s 500 Meter
Speed Skating was .26 seconds.
Are you thinking of ways you can apply this concept?
How about one extra call per day? Or per hour? (Do the math and figure out what that would mean over the course of the year!)
Why not one extra hour per week devoted to self-improvement and education?
And think about how you can apply this to your exercising, your family, your friends … anything important to you that you’d like to improve.
When working a muscle, the greatest growth occurs as a result of the last, extra efforts…when the muscle is pushed to failure and beyond. It applies to sales, too. So, go for it!
(I strongly recommend “212: The Extra Degree,” by S.L. Parker. A short, quick read with major impact potential. If you’re a manager or business owner, get one for all of your people. http://www.212club.com/)