The Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Happy 2019! Yes, I’m a month late to the party. But hey, now that everyone’s finished setting resolutions and forgetting about them, we can get down to the real stuff. The stuff that really brings a sense of achievement and feelin’ good, rather than simply lots of social media likes, wows and loves from others!

I’m going to start with the phrase ‘The Extraordinary in the Ordinary’. Think about that for a second. Most of the time, we’re darting around like bees without a hive to achieve the extraordinary. When, it’s like a magic trick. It’s hidden in the ordinary itself. In the every day, the usual, the not so extravagant or glamorous-enough-to-go-viral-online. Ordinary really isn’t so ordinary at all…providing we stop getting distracted every time someone shouts ‘squirrel’. And with the ‘online-let’s-all-improve-ourselves-because-we’re-never-good-enough-world’, that shouting is all-of-the-time.

So, my invitation to you is to find the extraordinary in the ordinary this year. In life and in business.

In life, try to appreciate and enjoy the subtleties, the little moments and loved ones in every day that are SO valuable and can easily be taken for granted. Notice and appreciate them, every day. Being filled up inside and feeling good, doesn’t get easier than this. We’re surrounded by everything we need and want. Don’t spend your life looking for it in your head or in some unrealised future. See it and appreciate it now. It’s here staring at you in the face, quietly, hoping you’ll value it and stop pushing it aside.

The Extraordinary in the Ordinary Life Activity:

1. Write down what you would love to feel e.g. feel content
2. Now look for things already in your life that make you feel this way e.g. a cup of coffee that your partner made for you this morning, the birds singing, blue sky, sleep, a child’s curiosity, chocolate cake, being able to drive, breathe…you get the drill.
3. Do this every time you find yourself striving to get from A to B …and enjoy feelin’ good as you are

In business, try to keep it simple and stay focused. Sometimes the ordinary stuff is what gets you moving, rather than the stuff that just sounds or looks good.  So, take a look at what works and do more of that.

If we completely simplified it, our businesses would feel good if they allowed us to earn money, have a work-life balance and enjoy what we do. Right? So, let’s stay focused on the task. Make sure all activities lead to the goal and take out the drama. Now, that doesn’t mean only doing things you love. After all, my January tax return wasn’t exactly my favourite activity of the year. But, necessary. So, try not to confuse it all too much. Take simple actions to get you there.

The Extraordinary in the Ordinary Business Activity:

1. Write down 3 things that worked for your biz in 2018 or in the past – i.e. made money and brought in customers that you enjoyed working with
2. Write down 3 things you enjoy doing in your biz and outside of it e.g. making a video, taking a photo and sharing on Instagram
3. Do what you wrote down in 1 and 2 – add it to your schedule as simple actions that you can take…and take them!

I hope you have an ordinarily, extraordinary year.

Did the above activities help you? Let me know how below.