“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” T.S. Eliot

The Habit of Doing One More most certainly nudges us in the direction of this famous quote.

I have yet to encounter one person who has made The Habit of Doing One More a part of their daily routine and who has not been pleasantly surprised by all this habit has brought them.

And of the many adherents to this habit I have spoken with, all have confided in me the one factor that has driven them to this practice: an unquenchable determination to achieve a goal.

In fact, as I think back to the many interviews I’ve conducted with people who have achieved phenomenal success, they have all, in one form or another, relied heavily on The Habit of Doing One More to help propel them to the great results they produced.

Of interest to me were the stories I have heard of how frequently doing “just one more” led to consistently two more or three more or simply “a whole bunch more.”

The link between effort and result has been long-established. There are few who doubt the common themes shared by the truly successful include: long hours, extraordinary effort, unshakable conviction, sacrifice and, perhaps most important, a willingness to absorb pain and discomfort today in order to reap the benefits and enjoy great pleasure tomorrow.

The Habit of Doing One More is not a now-and-again undertaking. It is a way of life that flows into everything for those who allow nothing less than excellence into their lives.

We have in the past spoken of those who are watching the game versus those who are in the game. We know that the fans in the stands, as committed as they are to supporting, and cheering for their team, are having an experience far different from those in the field taking the hits and then getting up, battered and bruised, ready for the next play.

Those who practice The Habit of Doing One More are the ones on the field, playing the game. Regardless of how many hits they have taken, their willingness to do one more is their way of telling the world they are still in the game and still on the offensive.

Please allow me to invite you to consider this challenge. We are close to that time of year when many make New Year’s resolutions only to see them broken by noon on January 1.

My invitation is this. Make an unbreakable pledge to yourself that in every area of your life in which you are striving, or seeking, to grow or to enhance, you will apply The Habit of Doing One More to every action connected to the goal you would like to achieve.

Promise yourself to do this unfailingly, and with no exceptions, for the first three months of the year and keep accurate and precise records of what this brings.

It is both my fervent belief and my prediction that if you take up this challenge, you will not only be astounded and delighted on March 31, you will hold on to this habit as tightly as you can and never let go.

Because doing just one more will bring you so much more.

Let’s make a habit of meeting like this.