The Uncomfortable Truth About The Things You Want: It Demands Being Extra

Word: Extra

Dictionary: Oxford English Dictionary

Definition: 2. (Informal) Excessive or extravagant in behavior or style.

Example: "Crudite is so extra – just call it a snack.”

We live in a culture that praises moderation. Work-life balance, self-care, knowing your limits – it all sounds sensible. But when it comes to real achievement, moderation is the enemy.

I'm not claiming to have all the answers or some secret formula for guaranteed success. I'm no world-renowned expert either. But along the way, I've stumbled into a few wins, achieved some goals I wasn't sure were possible, and picked up some hard-won lessons that most people would probably rather avoid.

Let's be brutally honest: exceptional results rarely come from half-measures. The most successful people – the ones we admire – aren't just a little bit dedicated. They're borderline obsessive, willing to work harder and sacrifice more than most deem reasonable.

Think of it this way: Imagine a spectrum with laziness on one end and 'extra' on the other. Lazy gets you nowhere. Moderately hardworking? You're still not really getting to the place that you want to go. It's only when you push past what others consider excessive, when you're fully in "extra" territory, that real breakthroughs happen.

Let's be clear: extreme laziness gets you nothing. It's not a judgment on anyone's character, it's simple math. No effort? No results, period. There's actually an upside to this – at least when you're doing nothing, you're not wasting time or resources on half-hearted attempts.

The second stop on the path to achievement is where things get ugly: mediocre effort leading to mediocre results. This, to me, is the worst possible place to be. You put in just enough work to feel like you're trying, but not nearly enough to see any real payoff. It's a recipe for burnout – draining your time, energy, and resources for a result that's utterly forgettable.

Now, let's talk about the extreme end: the crazy, borderline-obsessive effort that might lead to equally crazy results. This is the zone of potential exponential gains, where the payoff can – sometimes – eclipse the sheer insanity of your efforts. Of course, you'll probably be a broken, exhausted mess, but that's actually where the real learning happens. The emotional toll is brutal, but that's what makes the lessons stick.

And don't even get me started on all those "it's the journey, not the destination" posts. That kind of feel-good nonsense is for people who haven't truly pushed themselves to the brink. Unless you're utterly exhausted, basking in the aftermath of victory or failure, and taking a hard look at everything you sacrificed – only then can you truly appreciate the journey. It takes courage to abandon moderation.

This isn't about glorifying burnout. It's about focus and strategic effort. It's saying "no" to the trivial distractions so you have the energy to be extraordinary in what matters most. In many ways, there's an unimaginable wisdom in laziness as long as you're being lazy in the right ways for the right reasons.

This philosophy might feel jarring at first. We're so accustomed to hearing about taking care of ourselves. But sometimes, the greatest self-care is pushing ourselves beyond comfortable limits, venturing into the zone of being "extra." Because that's often where success lies.