People tell me all the time that what I’ve accomplished in the past four years is extraordinary. That made me think. What is the difference between ordinary and extraordinary? It’s the “Extra.”

Think about it. Most people get ordinary physical activity. They walk a bit here and there, and maybe even strive to hit the 10,000 step goal they have on their Garmin or Fitbit. But are they getting anything out of it? Do you see these 10k steppers getting fit? Lean? Losing weight?

Extraordinary effort is typically necessary when it comes to getting fit. The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is “Extra.” To get fit, you need to do the extra work: run, jog, lift weights, ride a bike, hike, do cardio videos, etc. You can’t just do the ordinary and not take the extra effort.

The same holds true to your diet. Eating ordinary food (fast food, pre-prepared foods, foods high in carbs, etc) won’t help you lose weight and be healthy. You need to put in the extra effort and actually make your food from whole ingredients, and maybe even do some food prep.

You have it in you to be extraordinary. Your story can be extraordinary. Your journey to health and fitness can be extraordinary. You just have to do the “Extra.”