The word easy has its origins in the French word for aisie. To put at ease, facilitate, to be comfortable, tranquil, and quiet. There is nothing easy about being uncomfortable, getting loud, and working well past your comfort zone. Taking the extra time needed to make something right is hard work. Bucking the system is hard work. Working your tail off beyond what you are asked or paid to do is hard work.
Because if it were easy, everyone would be doing it.
Taking the extra time to make something perfect is difficult work and that is why exceptional things are rare and valuable.
Doing nothing to improve is easy.
Telling an unhappy customer that you are sorry but this is the way we have always done it, is easy. Finding support for the difficult work of changing the company culture is hard. Doing more is often expensive, it takes more time, and it is difficult to sustain.
The status quo is easy.
When you intentionally seek the less easy path you usually create more value for yourself and your clients. I’ve heard this message over and over from the guests here at Cars Yeah. They rarely take the easy path.
Because if it were easy, everyone would be doing it.
Chances are that if what you are doing in your life is always easy you’re on the wrong road. Find a more challenging path and you’ll probably discover a life well worth living.
Excellent advice!
Being exceptional and not mediocre is a choice.
Mark–your blog reminded me of this quote that I try to apply to my work. I like the way this is said. I have this posted on my bulletin board.
“Quality is not an accident; it is the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”
Attributed to William A. Foster