Succeeding in spite of adversity can be painfully hard and potentially traumatizing, but it can be done. One just needs to study, understand and abide by the universally applicable principles established in nature for us by the Creator.

What I’ve found from my experiences and observations over the past 2 decades as an adult working – initially – in paid and later in self-employment, is that many people miss this truth, and go running after rewards to be had, without doing the needed studying, understanding and abiding!

What I say here applies to ANY area of endeavour, no matter what it is you do.

Let me begin by stating, at the risk of sounding immodest, that I’ve routinely and repetitively defied various degrees of adversity to excel by following this rule in everything I have done, since I discovered it.

So the ideas I share here are based on real life achievements I’ve gotten under my belt. I KNOW what it takes, and am able to do it again and again, to achieve the results I want.

But I did not get to this level of proficiency overnight. It took time, and lots of hard work.

Initially I did most of it unconsciously, and then as I became a keen student of success philosophies, I honed my ability to do it consciously and at will.

My studies of success philosophies opened my eyes to the need to GIVE MORE than the average person does, if I want to reap more than others do.

It’s simple common sense isn’t it? Of course it is!

Yet one continues to see so many people who LIVE their lives doing the exact opposite and wondering why they never seem to achieve sustainable LONG TERM progress in their chosen fields of Endeavour.

Note here that the progress I refer to may be slow, but it will be measurable and it will be sustainable. You will KNOW that you’re experience it, and it will be clear, to you especially (others may be blind to it due to bias) that you are NOT retrogressing

So why do people want to get more without giving enough or more?

I argue that it’s what they learn from society as they grow up and live their daily lives.

Today, we live in an instant gratification world, where people indulge their impatient cravings by taking advantage of the PC and Internet technology driven conveniences available to be had.

This is why some employees show up at work and do the barest minimum specified in their job descriptions ALL year round, and STILL expect an end of year bonus in their pay slips.

Then when they do not get the bonus (some even demand a promotion based on how long they’ve been “there”!), they scream that they’ve been denied what it rightfully theirs.

That leaves the employer wondering if the employee is so afflicted by his/her entitlement mentality that s/he does not realize the company needs tangible contributions that go beyond the call of duty, to boost productivity and profits that can trigger bonuses and other rewards.

Now, some big companies that can afford it typically hand out some kind of fixed bonuses or increments at the year end. But that is the exception and not the norm.

Even in “rich” companies than can afford to dash out bonuses and extras, those who do more tend to get MORE than those who do not stretch themselves beyond the minimum.

Exceptional workplace contributions that boost the organization’s bottom line are what typically earn an employee such extra rewards.

It’s the same for those in the world of business, or self-employment: You need to add tangible value to get paid

Indeed, for this latter situation, the opportunities to get without giving enough or more are fewer, unlike the case of employee.

For the entrepreneur, when operating in a market where little or no corner cutting (like bribe giving or taking) is possible, the ability to go above and beyond the call of duty can become a most valuable asset for setting yourself apart from the competition.

The reason is simply because, just as it is with employees, people in business come from the society, and if society encourages them to give little to get a lot, they will display those traits in doing business with themselves and others.

The above understanding was what led me to focus on serving clients solutions I knew I had FANATICAL passion for providing

The need to do so became apparent to me after a few years as a startup entrepreneur in Nigeria’s Lagos.

My experiences made me realize even decision makers in organizations I was approaching seemed more interested something other than finding the best consultant to help the company they worked for!

So, I made up my mind that if I was to work with ANY client company, they would find me so resourceful and driven by relentless passion to go above and beyond the call of duty, to deliver what I promise, that they would not only give me repeat business (i.e. call me to do more), but also refer others.

And THAT has been my experience over the years.

This strategy I adopted is why I am able to boast, today, of client relationships lasting 7 years and longer – in a wide variety of markets starting from 2005/6 when I began to get a firm grip of what to offer.

Nothing beats being able to go above and beyond the call of duty to serve clients who VALUE and RESPECT you for what you do for them.

It goes without saying that I’ve had to weed out some bad “eggs” from my client list every now and then. Client attrition is a HEALTHY thing.

But my client recruitment process involves use of a series of screening systems that minimizes the need for me to do this often, as I tend to end up with people who are generally a good fit for me.

Once that happens, I know I it’s less likely that I’ll be wasting my time going above and beyond the call of duty to serve them.

Even if I provide the solution for FREE or at very low cost, I NEVER lose, because it’s my passion, and therefore always fun for me.

BUT…here’s the best – indeed my NUMBER ONE – reason for habitually going above and beyond the call of duty as a way of life:

This is my secret reason for doing this with so much relish…!

You see, routinely Going The Extra Mile (aka Going Above & Beyond The Call OF Duty) helps me GROW continually in my knowledge, skills and abilities, so that at any point in time, I am ALWAYS evolving into a smarter, stronger and more competent expert and person.

This makes me better prepared to serve EVEN more people than are already in my network. And all of that happens while I’m having fun doing what I LOVE!

See what I mean?

You simply cannot LOSE if you do this right:

I KNOW how to do it right – wand I’ve shared it in this piece (Need more? Click here to send me a message).

Start going above and beyond the call of duty, in anything you do, and you will enjoy the reward of being able to succeed in spite of (or defy!) adversity, in any form it may occur, and no matter how long it lasts,