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The Core of the "AND THEN SOME" Philosophy
Going
the extra mile can make you stand out. Few people, unfortunately, are so
motivated. Thus, going the extra mile can set you apart, reveal your
conscientiousness, establish your reliability, or increase your value.
The Core of the "AND THEN SOME" Philosophy Part 1
The Core of the "AND THEN SOME" Philosophy Part 2
The Core of the "AND THEN SOME" Philosophy Part 1
Both as a college student and as a college teacher I was always
astounded at the number of students who would do what they needed to do
to “get by” rather than go the extra mile. Going the extra mile (and
then some) is simply doing more than you are asked or expected to do.
Often I attributed this to laziness, but in talking to students I
discovered that there were a wide variety of causes. Some told me they
were stretched too thin, or the course had little value to them. Some
said college was simply a hurdle that needed jumping; others stated they
were unwilling to give something for nothing. They had tried it before
and found it a waste of their time. They could see no value in working
harder, doing more, or giving greater effort.
I have discovered there is a great deal more to it than that. First,
life is unpredictable, and it is impossible to see exactly what’s coming
down the road next. You may think you are prescient (having knowledge of
events before they take place), but nobody truly is. A belief in
serendipity makes a great deal more sense: making fortunate discoveries
when not in search of them. Second, it is impossible to predict how you
will feel when faced with a new circumstance, new people, or new
demands. Sometimes going the extra mile results in added insights,
needed preparation, or the necessary knowledge that will help you deal.
Third, it is impossible to gauge all the effects of what you do right
now. Sometimes there are effects that can be seen, like smiles as a
result of a good deed, clapping after a great speech or presentation, or
“thank-yous” for gift giving. But going the extra mile in business or in
your personal life may result in no immediate effects that can be seen.
Waiters go the extra mile to get bigger tips. Employees go the extra
mile to get promoted. Businesses go the extra mile to get more
customers. So, why should you go the extra mile? There are a number of
reasons.
First, going the extra mile can make you stand out. Few people,
unfortunately, are so motivated. Thus, going the extra mile can set you
apart, reveal your conscientiousness, establish your reliability, or
increase your value. Second, it is likely to bring out positive emotions
in others. When positive emotions are connected either to you or
something you did, it will cause others to both remember you and feel
good about you. Third, it will help you move ahead of your competition
and succeed where others fail. Fourth, and finally, it can bring
personal rewards.
In one college course, I became so absorbed in the term project that I
exceeded all the parameters of the assignment. I knew what the value of
the project would be to me, and what I needed to know to help me, so,
like the Energizer Bunny, I just kept going, and going, and going. It
resulted in a grade of A+ in the course, but that was never the goal; it
was simply an unintended, and unexpected reward for my excessiveness. I
did the project
and then some.
In another example of personal rewards, Kerrie Moreau, Ph.D. and
research associate at the University of Colorado at Boulder, studied
postmenopausal women and found that walking an extra two miles every
day, in addition to the walking that the participants did as part of
their normal daily routines, significantly lowered their blood pressure,
regardless of diet. Moreau concluded saying “It gives you another
lifestyle strategy to lower blood pressure instead of pharmacological
intervention.” 50 million Americans have hypertension. Walk
and then
some.
Can you apply the “And Then Some” philosophy to others? Of course. When
you borrow a pan or dish from a neighbor, show your appreciation for the
loan by placing a goodie inside when you return it. When someone asks
you for a piece of gum, give him or her the whole pack. When going for
groceries, ask a neighbor if he or she is out of milk, needs a
prescription picked up, or a loaf of bread. Give people an un-birthday
treat—something that they had their eye on but wouldn’t pick up for
themselves. Give thank-you notes to people for something they have done
for you—even the small, often thankless, little courtesies.
Often, it is the small things—the little ways we have for showing
respect and caring—that count the most in others’ lives. Run errands for
a parent; take a friend out to dinner; call your existing customers just
to make sure they are happy with their purchase; help a co-worker with
their heavy workload; do a personal favor for an employee; say little
things that will build others up. Do what is expected
and then some.
But, too, you can be a model for the “And Then Some” philosophy. Going
the extra mile in your own life is often revealed in a positive,
optimistic, cheerful outlook. For example, people are more likely
attracted to those who avoid swearing, vulgar language, and gossip.
People, too, do not like to be talked down to. When you say nice things
to others, give out compliments, help others when they are cranky, and
tell the truth, you are showing others you are confident and
self-assured. When you reveal the traits above, too, you show others you
care about them. True, it is hard to do when you are in a bad mood, but
by lifting the mood of others, you will lift your own as well. Set an
example
and then some.
You all know people who say if they paid them more, they would work
harder. Or, if the world treated them better, they would be nicer. Or,
if they went to nicer places, they would wear nicer clothes. Or, if they
were in a better relationship, they would work harder at it. Or, if they
were richer, they would give more. If, if, if, if.... You have also
probably discovered that the situations are likely to be irrelevant,
people who possess this kind of approach, use it no matter the
circumstance. Work harder? Be nicer? Wear nicer clothes? Work harder at
relationships? Give more? Not a chance.
The “And Then Some” philosophy is clearly revealed by people who work
hard
because they are a hard worker. They are nice
because
they are nice people. They believe that everything and everyone is
special
because that is the kind of person they are. They dress
for the kind of person they are, not for where they are going. They give
more
because they are givers. And, they always do what they have
to do
and then some, because they follow the
and then some
philosophy knowing that it isn’t the key to the good life, it is the
good life.
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The Core of the "AND THEN SOME" Philosophy Part 2
“Do as I say, not as I do,” is an old-fashioned expression, and the
“And Then Some” philosophy would be an
easy one to preach and not follow. That has not been the case in my
life, and that was not the case when I first wrote about
And Then
Some more than twenty years ago.
And Then Some
probably represents, better than anything else I can think of, the very
epitome of what it means to be a human being, and it comes close to
having faith in something greater than or beyond ourselves—faith based
upon the interpretation of the intangible instead of the physically
tangible.
The faith associated with
And Then Some is that associated
with trust—believing that the results of a choice you have made will act
in specific ways despite the potential influence of known or unknown
change. It is to have faith that the results of your current decisions
will in some way intensify, heighten, magnify, strengthen, augment, and
enrich you in the future.
And Then Some is a belief that
your choices will result in a future that will be improved over the
present with which you are familiar now—belief in and trust of your
abilities, based on everything you know right now, to make decisions
that will raise, lift, and elevate your life.
Although
And Then Some can and does work in small ways
everyday of our lives—especially as we interact with friends and family
members—the big ways you see
And Then Some work can be
crucial, weighty, and extraordinary for the way it sculptures lives. I
have eight of those “big ways” that have so altered the pathways of my
life, they have molded me into what I am (have become) today.
The first way in which
And Then Some dramatically altered
my life was my decision to take college seriously, stop rebelling
against my parents, apply myself, study hard, and do well. Had I not
adjusted my attitude, dug in my heels, and added
And Then Some,
I would have been without a
University
of Michigan education and without direction and purpose—adrift.
The second
And Then Some application, closely related to
the first, was my change in major from pre-medicine to speech. I have
written about it often only because of the effect it had on my life.
This belief in
And Then Some underscores the importance of
pursuing what feels right for you, what fulfills you, and what is your
passion. There are no precise, explicit, or clear-cut directions or
guidelines to help you make these life-altering decisions. You must
trust your abilities and instincts, and reach out in faith.
The
And Then Some application that occurred third, in
chronological order, is my marriage. This application was made more
dramatic by a newspaper headline that read, “Marking 25 years of
marriage proving more elusive” (The
Toledo Blade, September 21,
2007, p. 8A). The story, attributed to the New York Times, begins, “More
than half the Americans who might have celebrated their 25th wedding
anniversaries since 2000 were divorced, separated, or widowed before
reaching that milestone....” My wife and I have been happily married
more than 40 years, and I consider her my friend, supporter, encourager,
and number-one fan.
My choice to go to
Indiana University
and study with Dr. Robert Gunderson was my fourth
And Then Some
application. It changed my life by forcing me to become a better writer,
adding greater discipline and control to my behavior, and, in the end,
granting me the Ph.D. I needed to credential me for a future as
professor and disciplinary writer. For a secure future in higher
education, a Ph.D. is not a choice; it is essential.
A fifth
And Then Some application was my agreement to
write the textbook
Communicating Effectively with Saundra Hybels who asked me to be her
co-author just four years out of graduate school. That textbook had its
first two editions (under another title) with Van Nostrand publishers,
the next two with Random House, and the remaining seven with
McGraw-Hill—for a total of eleven editions. It not only launched a
career of writing textbooks and scholarly articles, but it yielded the
credibility, self-confidence, and authority needed to do a wide variety
of other writing as well—for example, speeches and essays.
The decision to go to
Bowling Green State University to teach was a sixth
And Then
Some application. Because of the size of the change from
teaching small classes at the University of Massachusetts and the move
to directing a large, basic, required course utilizing graduate teaching
assistants who had to be trained, as well as weekly lecturing to 1500
undergraduate students, this
And Then Some decision
presented a momentous opportunity and yet, for me, an earth-shaking
challenge. This pivotal decision in my life had the
And Then Some
benefit or propelling me through the remaining 22 years of my teaching
career, but facing it required a critical evaluation of my experience,
skills, and abilities: was I even capable of raising my performance to
this new level?
My seventh
And Then Some application was the choice to
write Saturday essays for The (Toledo) Blade. Why was this an
And
Then Some moment? First, it is risky for a writer to surrender
to the decision of a gatekeeper, newspaper editor for possible
publication of his work. Second, it is risky for a writer to compete
with other local authorities (educators, lawyers, doctors, deans,
pastors, and civil authorities) for publication. Third, it is risky for
a writer to put aspects of his personal life out into the public for
examination, review, and comment. That decision has had the
And
Then Some benefit of writing well over 200 essays and providing
a stimulating, challenging, enjoyable life.
The eighth
And Then Some application occurred with the
decision to leave teaching to depend entirely on writing for the
remaining portion of my professional career. After teaching in a secure
situation and environment for 31 years, taking early retirement to
depend for income on the fickle profession of writing—even with the
possibility that my textbook will be discontinued—was an
And Then
Some application that has resulted in close to a dozen years of
delightful, challenging, self-sufficient entrepreneurship.
Daily
And Then Some moments have never ceased, and will
never cease, but with respect to influential, life-altering, high
density, transforming events, nothing compares with the colossal
And Then Some phenomena that become the benchmarks for reshaping
a life and establishing a new pattern and approach. These eight
And Then Some events offer the exemplar—textbook examples—for
what
And Then Some is all about and the faith you must have in
your skills and abilities.
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