You may or may not know that there is one extra step required in order to make pancakes fluffy. 

Pancakes are not my specialty, so I’m as surprised as you are that I know this, nevertheless, I do. 

Dee Brown says “The average person will gravitate towards what’s comfortable, familiar, and doesn’t require extra effort.”

The average person will go for making regular ‘ole pancakes.  

Is the extra step ‘worth’ it?  Great question.

What makes the effort of an extra step in anything we’re working on ‘worth’ it?

I’ll offer you 4 of my reasons.

1.  The extra step is worth it because of what we learn.

I once read that whether the extra effort produces results or not, we can learn and adapt based on what we learn from our efforts. It makes sense that If our efforts lead us further away from our desired results, then we now know we need to change our strategy. If our extra effort brings us closer to our desired results, we can now double down with our effort.  

2.  The extra step is worth it because it replaces fear.

When Michael Jordan was asked about his lack of fear, he gave a pretty simple explanation. Jordan noted in an interview that he had no reason to be fearful because as a player, he was prepared for any and all situations – he had put in the extra work.  

3.  The extra step is worth it because it increases our capacity. 

Taking the extra step means we’re working on improving. Erik Hamre says “If you can find the joy in working hard to improve, you have a big advantage when developing your skills. By developing a curiosity and interest in improving, you can increase your tolerance for what can sometimes be thought of as ‘boring and repetitive’ tasks.”

4.  The extra step is worth it because of what we get to think about ourselves. 

We get to see ourselves as someone who makes extra effort. According to Dawn Brown “Freeing yourself starts with freeing your mind up to accept new ways of seeing yourself. Once you’ve established identity internally with yourself, you can take this [identity] public, altering the perception others have of you.” 

Sounds like a pretty good trade for a bit of extra effort on our parts.  

Now, back to those pancakes.

That extra step? Separate your egg yolks from the whites. Mix the yolks with your other wet ingredients. Beat the whites until stiff peaks form and then add them to your finished batter right before cooking.

Magic.

And oh so worth it. 

I can’t wait to hear about what you are giving extra effort to.  And if you need help deciding, I’m available to discuss it.  Possibly over pancakes.

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