[00:00:03] Welcome to The Messy Mind podcast, a show to support you in seeing the messiness can lead to your life bulb moments on your host Tammy L. Davis Have you ever felt like you're swimming against the currency of mediocrity?
[00:00:22] So in today's world it seems like doing just enough to get by is often celebrated more than going to extra mile And there's a quote from Paula Appdole that Brendan Bashard always says, and there's no traffic after the extra mile
[00:00:42] But if you're anything like me someone who craves depth has a high attention to detail And really experiences the pure satisfaction that comes from doing your absolute best This trend that we have going on right now can be disheartening
[00:00:59] And the reason why I want to share and talk about this today is let me just go into quick story time Many of you, but you all don't know that for the past 15 months I have been sharing an office space with my husband
[00:01:12] We are in the midst of a full home renovation and have been for probably over a year or 15 months Before I moved into my office which is upstairs his offices downstairs
[00:01:26] I wanted to have this accent wall of course instant Graham got me with showing you know how easy the wall could be Done my husband had just finished laying all the hardwood floors in the house
[00:01:38] And I said well maybe we can use the remnants look I say we maybe we can use the remnants to build my accent wall that's going to be in my office My husband and I we know our strengths and one of our strengths is not working together
[00:01:53] He does the heavy lifting I come in on the cleaner. We have formulated that over the years and it works well He might ask me hearing their screw this handy this drill whatever the case may be
[00:02:06] But I knew I didn't want to do this wall with him and I didn't want the burden of him to I don't want the burden of him Have to do this wall we outsourced it meaning that we hired someone to put up the accent wall
[00:02:21] And I had seen their work on this person then we hired this company. I had seen their work on Instagram and again Like I said Instagram got me again when they come in and they start to do the wall
[00:02:32] The quality that I had seen on Instagram was not the quality that I was getting on my wall And thank the Lord my husband is a contractor and he's so talented and he just
[00:02:45] He was he was only supposed my husband was only supposed to serve as the helper and this contractor I'm putting in in quotes was supposed to be the lead but it ended up switching my husband Really did 90% of the wall and this contractor did the rest
[00:03:00] But there was a checkpoint and my husband before they finished asking me to come up and take a look at it and this other contract And he would call him a contractor handy man. Maybe that's it. I call my husband a contract
[00:03:13] I'm called this person handy man. This handy man really thought that the work that they had done thus far was good And I thought it was okay and I'm saying to myself why is being okay enough like how are we operating in this world where okay?
[00:03:33] Is okay okay is fine. Needless to say as they got halfway through We were still mediocre once the job was finished them doing their part It was mediocre and they were cool with it which again sparked me to really want to share that story
[00:03:50] And I want to share my journey towards embracing excellence in a world that often settles for less I want to share with you some of my personal tips on staying detail oriented and really how to shine in an environment that might not always appreciate the extra effort
[00:04:07] Because like Paula Abdul said there is no traffic after the extra mile and that's relevant. Let me tell you number one Why I choose excellence and is something that my husband and I have instilled in our children
[00:04:22] And I'm hoping that they're embracing it for me number one why do I choose excellence It's three buckets underneath that first personal growth for me aiming for excellence is about pushing my limits and constantly learning
[00:04:38] I like to say there's nothing like mastering a new skill or refining an old one And with that I have respect for my craft Whether it's the work that I provide for my clients even doing daily chores. I literally just finish
[00:04:53] Just mopping the hardwood floors or doing things in a way well That really is showing respect for the task and respect for myself And then the third bucket as to why I choose excellence is to joy of achievement
[00:05:12] Now let me tell you there's nothing like nailing a project or task with all the little tiny details in check It's a feeling like no other so I get excited about that tip number two
[00:05:24] How do you deal or offering you tip number two and dealing with the just enough culture Navigating in a world where okay is often good enough can be tricky, but here's what I do
[00:05:37] I create my own standards. I've learned to define over the years what excellence means to me and my work and my relationships And my personal projects is not about being perfect but it's about being proud of what I do It's critical to have clear communication
[00:05:54] When collaborating, I really try my best to make sure that I express why details matter And I'm hoping when I share why details matter that really inspires a shared vision of quality And how do you deal with the just enough culture is walking the top
[00:06:13] I believe we believe in the Davis household and I know this also comes from my mother and my father You've got to leave by example by maintaining high standards
[00:06:23] I hope to encourage other to raise their bars too. I keep focus on the little things that make a big difference You definitely want to stay organized but tidy workspace and I'm loving my new workspace And at the end of the day, I tidy it up
[00:06:40] I put my I make sure that everything is in its place even down to putting the highlighters and the pins back into the holder Because a tidy space in a clear mind are my secret weapons
[00:06:52] You will be amazed on how physical clutter can cloud or attention to detail I would also say that pacing is key. I've learned that rushing is the enemy of detail How many times have you just had a situation where you're like let me just get this done
[00:07:09] And then you look back and you're like this is a mess So you want to make sure that you allocate proper time for the task because that is going to make a world of difference And you definitely want to make sure that you constantly reflect and revise
[00:07:25] I'm constantly reviewing my work which has been a game changer By incorporating self feedback and constructive criticism from others They really do serve as guides which have served to be golden Now sometimes choosing excellence also means facing resistance
[00:07:45] And you get to ask yourself how do I handle this pushback? This is how I handle pushback I keep calm and I stay professional When I am receiving the criticism, I respond to what calmly I focus on the issue, not the emotion from the person
[00:08:06] That definitely helps me maintain professionalism And then I love sharing details on why they matter to me It's about spreading the passion, not just the information And lastly, I make sure that I surround myself with people who also value excellence
[00:08:28] And that has been a life saver, the old adages and I know I'm hacking You don't know how to have a good saying or I'll hack a good saying But we'd like to lift each other up with all that said when you find your tribe
[00:08:42] It's iron the sharpens iron and you lift each other up My journey towards a detail oriental life and a world that often embraces the average Has been challenging to say the least but it's been incredibly rewarding
[00:08:56] Remember, it's about setting your own standards and you living up to them And by doing so, you're not just achieving excellence, you literally are creating a life You can look back on with pride and satisfaction
[00:09:12] I challenge you to keep pushing the boundaries, keep showing up in the world In excellence and all this detail glory And it's not only possible but it's deeply fulfilling Celebrate the joy of doing things well, one detail at a time
[00:09:31] Thank you for joining us this time on the Messy Mind Podcast Please visit our website at the MessyMindPod.com Make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you'll never miss an episode While you're at it, if you found value in this episode
[00:09:51] We'd appreciate a rating on Apple Podcast or simply tell a friend about the show Always remember to embrace the Messiness It can lead to your light bulb moments