You vs. You. [The Art of Overcoming Mediocrity.]

Happy Monday! Ready to start a new week?  Today marks the beginning of a new month but chances are that not much has changed in your life from last month and the one prior.  I can say this with confidence because I believe that most of us (including myself)  are operating in a state of mediocrity. 

That statement might offend some folks.  But, if you fully digested this message, you would probably agree with me.  When most of us think of the word mediocrity, we often associate it with a negative connotation.  It's viewed so negatively that we rarely think of our lives as mediocre.  I'm here to explain why & how you are living a mediocre life and exactly how to break free of it.
One definition of mediocre I came across was "neither good nor bad."  We could also use the term "ok" as a synonym.  When someone asks you about the restaurant that you visited that was neither good or bad, you tell them that it was "ok".  The person you're talking to understands that there's nothing remarkable about this restaurant and that it's really not worth a visit. 

When someone asks you how your week was and you respond that it was ok, you are indirectly acknowledging the uneventful nature of your week.  When this happens too frequently, your life has the potential of becoming mediocre. 

So how do we stop this?

First, let us identify the opposite of mediocrity.  Terms like excellence, exceptional and extraordinary (extra-ordinary) come to mind when I think non-mediocre lives.  I'm sure that all of us would love to enjoy exceptional experiences.  Let's talk about how to make that happen!

What we must accept is that mediocrity doesn't particularly mean that our lives are in shambles.  Things could be just fine in our world of mediocrity.  Heck, you might even like it there because this is where you feel the most comfortable.  But, if you want to venture out into the world of the extra-ordinary, you must build one specific habit.

The one trait that I urge you to pursue is the art of "being better than you were yesterday. "  This is a figure of speech we've all heard before but I'm talking about really turning into something real. I'm inviting you to practice the art of competing against yourself in pursuit of excellence.  (Your definition of) greatness does not and will not happen overnight.  Instead, we can experiment with living a life where you are constantly evolving to the ideal version of yourself. 

We all have an ideal version of ourselves.  Oftentimes, there's a large gap between our ideal and reality.  That gap is where mediocrity dwells.  By working to close in that gap, you move further away from mediocrity towards a remarkable life. 

You vs. You

To begin this journey, you first want to take an account of all the areas of your life that are doing poorly or just ok.   For everything you list, you should also identify the corresponding ideal outcome.  For example, you can identify your current vs ideal weight. Your current vs ideal salary. Current vs ideal career.  Current vs ideal savings. Current vs ideal living environment. Current vs. ideal relationship.  That's how you vs. you works.  It's the current version of yourself versus your ideal.

Once you fully accept the fact that you can absolutely experience your ideal outcomes, it's time to get to work.  The work involves you stepping out of your normal, comfortable behaviors.  The mediocre version of yourself skipped going to the gym last week.  But you can't allow that to happen if you wish to experience your ideal body.  Heck, even if you work out once this week, you've won the You vs. You battle.  You've outperformed what you did yesterday.  Tomorrow, you will be going against yourself again.  Today, I must push myself in order to become better than I was yesterday.  It's as simple as that.

I can't operate in the exact same way that I did last week.  Doing so only breeds mediocrity.  And we're not about that life.   We've all seen people who've created transformation(s) in their lives.  Sometimes it's a weight loss transformation, other times, they've upgraded their entire lifestyles. Some left their dead-end jobs to launch successful businesses.  That stuff doesn't just happen.  It's a direct result of doing things every day that lay just outside the comfort zone. 

Side Note: You don't have start with by doing something grandiose.  Just identify some areas where you fell short yesterday, and try to correct it today. 

Monday is when most people typically plan their week.  As you put your plans in place, think about what would it take for you to outperform what you did last week.  Within a short 7 day span, you can make progress towards becoming your ideal self.  Repeat this process over and over again and you'll see how easy it is to create the life you've always dreamed of.