Have you noticed that a set of people aren’t growing that fast, either professionally, financially, personally, or socially? They feel stuck. They hardly climb the upper hierarchy of corporate ladders, turn rich, or get social recognition.
Welcome to the world of the majority, the world of Mediocrity. I, too, was part of this majority, but slowly, I am almost out of it.
Mediocrity is not bad in itself if you don’t aspire to grow bigger and better. But if you do, then a mediocre mindset is the first thing you need to kick out.
In this article, we will understand the crux of Mediocrity, its roots, consequences, and, most importantly, how not to continue falling into its clutches. I will also give a glimpse of my personal story of Mediocrity.
Introduction
Imagine a world where people are always sailing on calm waters, near the shores, where the highs are non-impactful and the lows virtually non-existent. This is the realm of the mediocre.
They are quite safe near the shores, but they will never be able to get the gems, which are found in deeper waters. They are losing out on the treasures of opportunities that lie in the heart of the ocean.
Mediocre are so accustomed to the lukewarm waters of existence that the very idea of diving into the deep terrifies them. In their minds, the risk of losing what they have outweighs the potential rewards of venturing into uncharted territories. So, they stay sidelined, gripped by fear, never daring to venture beyond the ordinary.
While many might argue that Mediocrity is a comfortable haven, the truth is far from comforting. It’s a fear that clings to individuals like a relentless shadow, preventing them from reaching their full potential and significant growth.
It’s a curious paradox—being comfortable in your discomfort.
Understanding Mediocrity
Mediocrity is often misunderstood as having less wealth or being middle class. But Mediocrity actually refers to a state of being average or ordinary, not with respect to wealth or talent or capability, but rather a mentality of limitations.
Picture this: a person with a stable job, a decent income, and a comfortable routine. It might seem like a rosy, ideal situation. This is the world of the mediocre, the individuals who tread cautiously along the safe paths, avoiding the roads of risk and uncertainty.
They are the set of people who have force-fit themselves into falsified satisfaction of whatever little they have earned and whatever false illusion of safety they have assumed for themselves.
Individuals in mediocre states fear the unknown and the challenges that come with pushing boundaries. Thus, the biggest fear of the mediocre is not failure itself but the fear of losing what little they have, the fear of losing the illusioned stability they have managed to build.
The Golden Cage: Fear of Loss
Picture a bird in a cage, timidly observing the world outside. No matter how beautiful & precious the cage is, it still limits your freedom to experiment, express and experience. The cage is a symbol of comfort that restricts your ability to spread your wings and fly to heights.
A job that pays the bills, the relationships that provide a likeness of companionship, a route that provides an illusion of safety, and the routines that offer predictability—all are the treasures that the mediocre guards at all costs.
Mediocre often find themselves nestled in a cocoon of comfort, shielded from the sharp edges of life’s challenges.
It’s a fear of the unknown, a fear of stepping out into the unpredictable because what if the next step leads to a fall? It’s a fear rooted in the mundane, in the comfort zones. They traverse through life, neither tasting the sweet nectar of success nor feeling the bitter sting of failure.
The Slow Erosion: From Mediocre to Lower Class
Mediocrity leads to missed opportunities and unfulfilled potential, thus affecting professional growth, financial status, and social well-being.
The mediocre might believe they are immune to the fluctuations of life, cocooned in their safe havens. But the erosion is slow, almost imperceptible at first.
The job that seemed secure becomes obsolete in the face of technological advancements. The relationships built on a foundation of complacency crumble when faced with the storms of real challenges. The routines that once provided comfort transform into monotonous chains that drag them down.
In this avoidance of risk lies the greatest risk of all – the risk of remaining forever mediocre or even downgraded. The inflation of time, like a relentless tide, erodes the foundations of the stagnant, leaving them vulnerable to a downward spiral.
In essence, Mediocrity is not a static state but a downward slope. Without the counterforce of ambition and calculated risk-taking, the mediocre is destined to slip into the lower class—financially, socially, professionally, personally and in every other aspect of life.
The Financial Dilemma of Mediocre
Financial status is one arena where the fear of losing out is particularly acute. The mediocre are forcefully happy with their modest earnings and resist any attempts to venture beyond the well-trodden path. Investments, entrepreneurial endeavours, or even career shifts are seen as unnecessary risks.
However, what they fail to grasp is that financial growth thrives on calculated risks. Without stepping out of comfort, financial stability will easily transform into a downward spiral, eroding their finances.
Social Status Struggles
Social status is another realm impacted by the fear of Mediocrity. The mediocre are afraid of making unconventional moves, devoid of networking, exploring new social circles, or voicing unconventional opinions.
The fear of losing social acceptance keeps them confined within the boundaries of the ordinary.
The Vicious Cycle and Ripple Effect
It’s a paradoxical dance – the fear of losing what little they have keeps them from reaching new highs. As individuals avoid risks, they are, in turn, trapped in a perpetual cycle of unfulfilled potential. This is a vicious cycle.
The cost of complacency is high, and if no apt actions are taken, the mediocre will find themselves continuously sliding down the social and financial ladder.
My personal prompts
Roughly up to my 25-26 age, I was engrained in this mindset. I was always protective & worried about my stuff, including my first job, first investment, etc. I slowly started to open up, after that. It’s not that I am fully out of it, but yes, to a major extent. I have defined my risk profile, and accordingly, I keep taking calculated risks. I walk off some risks that bounce off my calculations.
Here is a glimpse of a couple of instances from my personal diary.
Aspiration to work at Onsite
I took over the project manager role for the first time sometime around 2011-2012. Though it was my chosen career option, I also aspired to work onsite. However, there were no onsite opportunities in my current account. Leaving this position seemed risky, as one had to find a project within two months of going to the bench or lose the job. Also, there was high competition for available open positions.
So, I was afraid to quit that role and search for other PM openings in the company. I became more protective of my current job and gave up my onsite aspiration. I started weaving a falsified picture of PM roles, being more comfortable offshore.
But somewhere deep inside my heart, I wanted to experience being onsite for at least six months. I took a bolder step and asked for a release from that stable role. I plunged into the calculated risk of being unbillable for two months. But ultimately, at almost the end of 2nd month, I found an onsite opportunity.
I travelled onsite and continued there for almost seven years. Not just that, I grew through various client-facing roles, from project manager to program manager to client manager. I played a key function in client engagement and drove two large strategic programs worth $20-25 million. That risk paid off well.
I would have never grown to this extent had I succumbed to my fear of playing safe.
Investment into Stocks
As I started my job and rose through levels, I accrued decent savings. I was looking for investment avenues. I did hear about the stock market giving good returns. However, there was also enough evidence and stories of people losing money in it.
So, as a typical mediocre, I was afraid to lose even a thousand rupees. The dreadful thought of losing money had always kept me on the sidelines of a better investment. I stuck to FDs (Fixed deposit). Year on year, the FDs increased, but the growth rate on average was not more than 5-6%. And post-taxation, returns were hardly 4%.
Sometime around the end of 2016, I was fed up with seeing FDs and other useless investments. I decided to break the fear of losing money and explore stock investment.
I did not mindlessly jump into stock investing, but rather, it was a calculated approach. I studied & observed the stock market game very closely for nearly six months. I took time to understand the terminologies, stock selection process, return ratios, investing techniques, and the business itself.
In mid-2017, I took a plunge into stocks with a little investment. And as expected, I lost some part of it. The mediocrity mindset laughed out loud on the loss and cautioned me to stick to the old game of FDs. But I again took a calculated risk, did more study, and started playing better.
Today, I sit on a HUGE corpus of stock investments I could have ever imagined. I have clearly defined my risk profile and stock selection criteria. I confidently invest and even guide others.
Does that mean I will never lose money in the stock market? Definitely NOT. But I am strongly convinced that, even with those losses, I will make far better returns than conventional FDs and other investments.
*NOTE – This is NOT advice to jump into the stock market. Do your own proper study, research, and analysis. Understand your risk profile, holding period, etc, before investing in the stock market.
There are many other instances where I have literally seen exponential growth after breaking the mediocrity mindset cocoon. Each of my articles (at LinkedIn OR wowmanagers.com) is an expression of my learnings, experiments, experiences, and accomplishments. You may want to read them for further instances.
The very fact that I am writing this bold article about Mediocrity, in itself, is the primary testimony that I have started taking my actions, and they are yielding positive results.
So, I strongly vouch for all of you to think & rise above a mediocre mindset.
A Call to Action: Break the Fear and Take Calculated Risks
Breaking free from that GOLDEN CAGE requires courage and a willingness to confront the fear. To soar to new heights, the bird must take the risk of leaving the familiar cage.
Now, visualize the exhilaration of breaking free from the chains that bind you. It’s not easy. It requires strong determination, requires a shift in mindset, and a conscious decision to confront the discomfort of the unknown.
The mediocre need to realize that their biggest fear is not the uncertainty beyond their comfort zones; it’s the regret of never having ventured beyond them. This fear, if left unaddressed, transforms Mediocrity into a lower-class existence. The antidote lies in embracing calculated risks, for without risks, there are no rewards.
Here are the steps to break the comfortable prison, to break the bindings of mediocre:
- Firstly, acknowledge the fact of being trapped in a mediocre mindset. Trust me, it is difficult to say to yourself that you are knowingly or unknowingly trapped.
- Break the fear to embrace the unknown.
- Take calculated risks. Without risks, there are no rewards; without rewards, life remains confined to the ordinary. Taking risks is no guarantee that you will succeed in the first attempt. But it definitely breaks the fear of failure and adds a lot of confidence to take more bolder steps.
- Whenever you lose, appreciate yourself for taking that first step and retrospect on the learnings.
- Loop from Step 2.
Please NOTE that taking risks is not about blindly plunging into uncertainty; it’s about facing the unknown with open arms, armed with knowledge, preparation, and a burning desire to achieve something more. It’s about calculated, strategic moves that propel you forward.
Read more about systematic Risk management @ From Chaos to Control: Your first steps into Risk management
Conclusion
It’s crucial to recognize that the biggest fear of the mediocre is not the fear of failure itself but the fear of losing what little they have. However, this fear is a self-imposed limitation that can be overcome, and its acknowledgement is the first step.
The journey from Mediocrity to Extraordinary is not without challenges. It comes with a series of risks. Risk, in its essence, is the currency of progress and is a bridge that differentiates the ordinary and the extraordinary. Each of these risks, when navigated wisely, becomes a stepping stone towards a brighter future.
Whether in the pursuit of career goals, financial prosperity, personal development, or relationships, calculated risks are the pathway to growth and achievements.
It’s time now to redefine Mediocrity, not as a static state but as a starting point—a launching pad for greater heights. It’s time to set sail into the vast sea of possibilities and move away from the shores that are filled with fear of Mediocrity.
Break the fear, take that leap, and watch as life unfolds its myriad possibilities.
Read other views & perspectives about Mediocrity @ hbr.org ; forbes.com ; hansschumann.com
