My wife Margaret and I are big history buffs. So, when the Berlin Wall was coming down in 1989, we talked about going to Germany to watch it fall in person. What an opportunity to see one of the greatest historical events of the twentieth century unfold right before our eyes!
It would have just taken a few days out of my calendar to experience a bit of history in the making, but we didn’t do it. With a little extra effort, I could have made a memory with my family that I would have cherished for the rest of my life. Instead, all I have is regret that we didn’t go.
If I took a survey, I’m sure most of you would be able to think of a time when you could have experienced something wonderful if you had only put forth a little extra effort. You’d probably also be able to recall a time when you could have excelled in some area if you had only tried a bit harder.
Perhaps your example would have to do with physical fitness, academics, your golf game, a personal relationship, or your career. Whatever the case, a little extra effort is all it would have taken for you to reach the next level of success.
I’m not trying to discourage you by reminding you of past regrets. Far from it. I’m hoping that reading this will prompt you to work a little smarter, listen a little better, push a little harder, or persevere a little longer when it comes to current and future projects, responsibilities, and relationships.
Is doing a little bit more really that important? Well, look at it this way. How do people at the top get there? Do they take an elevator? Does a helicopter drop them off at the peak? Of course not.
People at the top get there by going the extra mile, working the extra hours, and investing the extra time. They realize that nobody’s going to come along and carry them to the pinnacle; they have to get there themselves through their own hard work.
The same is true for you. If you want to get to the top in any segment of life, a little extra effort is essential.
In his book, “Leadership When the Heat is On,” Danny Cox advises leaders who want to achieve great things to ask themselves four questions:
- What do I really want?
- What will it cost?
- Am I willing to pay the price?
- When should I start paying the price?
“If you don’t answer the last question and make a commitment to a start date, the first three questions don’t really matter,” Cox writes. “The best answer [to the last question], of course, is ‘now.’ Achievers choose what losers won’t and pay the price that others don’t.”
In other words, achievers are willing to put forth a little extra effort in order to accomplish their goals.
What does it take to have a better marriage? A little extra effort. What does it take to be a better friend, team member, mentor or parent? A little extra effort. What does it take to become a better Pastor or leader? You guessed it-a little extra effort.
Don’t wait until tomorrow to start putting forth that extra effort. Do it now, while you still can. I assure you—you won’t regret it.
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John Maxwell grew up in the 1950s in the small Midwestern city of Circleville, Ohio. John's earliest childhood memory is of knowing that he would someday be a pastor. He professed faith in Christ at the age of three, and reaffirmed that commitment when he was 13. At age 17, John began preparing for the ministry. He attended Circleville Bible College, earning his bachelor's degree in 1969. In June of that same year, he married his sweetheart, Margaret, and moved to tiny Hillham, Indiana, where he began his first pastorate.
While serving in his second church, Maxwell began to study the correlation between leadership effectiveness and ministry effectiveness. On July 4, 1976, while preaching at a service commemorating America's bicentennial, John sensed that God was calling him into a ministry to pastors. Within days after that event, pastors began to contact him, asking for his assistance in nurturing their churches. Over the next four years, on an informal basis, John helped scores of fellow pastors. Then, in 1980, he was asked to become Executive Director of Evangelism for the Wesleyan denomination.
Though his time at Wesleyan headquarters was productive, John soon realized that his deeper desire was to help pastors from numerous denominations. He knew that desire would be unfulfilled if he were to stay at denominational headquarters. As a result, in 1981 John accepted the call to return to the pastorate, this time at Skyline Wesleyan Church in the San Diego, California area. But he did so with the church's blessing to pursue his vision. The Skyline congregation allowed him to continue mentoring and assisting pastors even as he led them to new levels.
In 1985, as he continued to equip and encourage other pastors, John took the next crucial step in leadership development. He founded a new company called INJOY and created the INJOY Life Club, featuring a monthly tape for leaders. The fledging operation, established in the corner of a garage, was soon bursting at the seams. The INJOY Life Club tapes were received with great enthusiasm, and the number of subscriptions quickly increased from hundreds to thousands. Simultaneously, the demand for other resources and seminars exploded. Pastors from coast to coast were responding, and their desire for help was even greater than John had anticipated.
As the years passed, INJOY began demanding more and more of John's time. In 1995, he resigned from his position as senior pastor at Skyline following a very fruitful 14-year tenure. The church had tripled in size and its lay ministry involvement had increased ten-fold. Dr. Maxwell is in great demand today as a speaker. Through his bestselling books, audio and video resources, and major conferences, he communicates directly with more than one million people every year. He is frequently asked to speak for organizations such as Promise Keepers and Focus on the Family, but his greatest joy and desire is to help pastors become better leaders.
Because the need for leadership development knows no borders, John established EQUIP, a non-profit organization which trains leaders in urban communities, academic institutions, and within international organizations. EQUIP is also spearheading a movement which has enlisted more than one million pastoral prayer partners who covenant to pray specifically for those who shepherd God's flock.
John continues to seek new opportunities to help churches and church leaders. He knows that one thing is constant: the only hope for the world is salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ, who gives life abundantly.
