Book Club: Raising The Bar (chapter 6)

What grade do you have to get to pass a class at your school? At my school, a passing grade is a C. This is so sad, because it shows how low the expectations have gotten in our culture for teens. But you don't have to let the low requirements stop you!

In this chapter of Do Hard Things, the Harris brothers examine the second kind of hard thing: things that go beyond what's expected or required.

"Just Do Your Best" and the Complacency Trap
Have you ever thought about what the phrase "just do your best" actually implies?

"Think about it. This common phrase, 'Just do your best,' actually encourages the opposite. When someone says [it], are you inspired to reach for more? Or does it feel like permission to just get by? We say, 'Hey, I did my best.' But did we really? More likely what we mean is, 'Hey, I gave it a shot, and that'll have to be good enough.'" (page 89)

It is so easy in our culture to be blinded by complacency. If we rise above the low expectations, we are considered to be "above average" and labeled an exception even if we are barely trying. We feel smug and satisfied with what we've accomplished, and don't even realize that our standards aren't as high as they could be.

Three Strategies to Help You
Here are the three tips that this chapter recommends for going above and beyond the expected:

1. Do What's Hard for You
Don't focus on things that are impressive to other people or things that you are good at. Focus on things that challenge you and promote growth in your life, even if no one else sees them.

Take the example of Heather, a teen quoted in the book: "One of the first things that caught my attention was your emphasis on not becoming complacent in our 'excellence'--that it's not enough to impress a society with remarkably low expectations; it's not enough to be a standout in a sea of mediocrity." (page 94)

2. Be Known for What You Do (More than for What You Don't)
Just being a 'good teen' who doesn't do bad stuff like drinking and partying isn't enough. The Christian life isn't just about avoiding the "bad stuff", but about doing things for God. 1 Timothy 4:12 is a good example of this; we are called to not only avoid sin, but "to pursue righteousness in a way that others will want to imitate" (page 98).

We don't want to get complacent in our lives; as they put it, we not only want to survive, we also want to thrive. Just because you aren't headed in the wrong direction doesn't mean you're headed in the right direction. You could just be standing still.

3. Pursue Excellence, Not Excuses
"...we can get so caught up in being the godliest person in our youth group or in earning the Celebration of Excellence for Leadership award that we lose sight of God's standards. We fall short of our true potential because we aimed only to be bigger than the next fish in our small pond." (page 101)

God's standards are unreachable; we will never have the opportunity to stop pursuing growth in our faith and lives. We never arrive, but always try to achieve "greater levels of excellence" (page 103)

They offer some questions to ask yourself that identify complacency in your life:

• What areas of my life do I not care about that I know I should care about?
• In what areas have I fallen short of God's standards and my own potential?
• In what areas have I settled for just getting by when I know I could do better if I really tried?
• In what areas have I decided that things "will always be this way" without ever putting in the kind of effort that really changes things?

Reaching Above and Beyond
The chapter concludes by taking the example of Teddy Roosevelt, a sickly boy who became a great American president.

"Theodore Roosevelt learned the most important lesson of his life as a teenager...'do hard things'. Listen to what he said about what he called 'the strenuous life':

'I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of  these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.'

"...what would happen if we embraced the values he did--of reaching above and beyond what comes easy? And what would happen if a generation of teens lived that way?" (page 105-106)

So get rid of complacency in your own life and start striving to rise above what's required.

What do you think? Are you reading along? Did you like this chapter? Where has complacency found a foothold in your life? Leave a comment and start a discussion!

If you still don't have the book, get a copy and start reading along!