I had to get my car serviced recently and I always make sure I get it dropped off first thing in the morning – typically by 7 or 7:30am – I want to beat the rush.  However, it was one of those crazy mornings and I couldn’t get there until close to 8am, and it was like I was dropping my car off in the middle of a blue light special.  When I drop my car off between 7 and 7:30, there is no one there. I zip in and out in a few minutes, but when I was there at 8am there was a line fifteen cars deep.  As I sat in my car anxiously for thirty minutes waiting for the next service representative to show up I chuckled to myself thinking this will be a great MOJO.

Simply it’s more crowded when you do what everyone else is doing. You’ll find the lines are longer, what you’re doing takes longer, there’s more demand for the same thing so you get less, it’s more stressful, you are not in control, and so on.

Isn’t that how everything in life is?  If we choose to follow the pack (and be normal) there’s less to go around because there are more people. When you push yourself to be slightly ahead of the pack, there typically is the same amount, or more, of what you want with a lot less people going for it.  So not only is it easier to get what you want, but it’s also stress free.

In observation of both types of people – I’ve found there is only a slight difference in the habits of the ‘normal’ and the ‘ahead of the masses’ personality. So often we think in order to get what we want in life we have to make a radical transformation. Yet in reality, just being slightly more disciplined and pushing-it a little more will put you ‘ahead of the masses’.

If I had dropped my car off at 7:30am, I would have been out of there and on my way five minutes later. Arriving only thirty minutes later, at 8am (with the normal crowd), what should have taken five minutes, took nearly an hour. By the time I finally got out of there it was 8:50am. Not only did it cost me more time, but for the rest of the day I was late and scrambling for my next appointment. The entire day I felt like I was behind the eight ball, it was exhausting.

Now here is the scary part. If you are one of those who are chronically late for everything – think about what you’re getting. Life’s leftovers – the stuff no one else wanted. So begin by being on time, and then focus on being a little early and being a little more disciplined. Being a little bit ahead of the crowd will get you way ahead in the end.

Think about the people who may have what you want in your life. They may have a lot more, but do they really do that much more than you?  Usually not, usually they simply know how to stay slightly ahead of the masses.

Life is crowded and tough in the middle. Life sucks in the bottom 25%, and is magical in the top 25%. Commit to being in the top 25%!

Make it a powerful and successful week!