What Does It Mean to Be EXTRA-ORDINARY? It is just my opinion but the modern world loves to convince us that “good enough” is just fine. We’re told to be content with comfort, not to push too hard, and not to expect too much. There’s this idea that everyone deserves an equal share, no matter how much or little they put in. But I’ve never been one to settle for that, and I believe that deep down, most people don’t want too either.
For me, settling for ordinary means being stuck—stuck in average results, average thinking, and an average life. Worse, we are stuck in a mindset that convinces us we can’t be more. But being EXTRA-ORDINARY is about breaking through that—about choosing to go beyond what’s easy, comfortable, and expected.
In 2020, I hit a breaking point when the world shut down. I’d already been through a divorce and had a young child with the woman I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, but I was buried in debt, on the verge of filing for bankruptcy. Then the world told me that people like me—fitness professionals—were no longer “essential.” That moment broke something inside me. I’d spent my life helping people become the healthiest version of themselves, and suddenly, none of it seemed to matter.
I was lost. For the first time, I questioned my own value and purpose. How could I make sense of everything falling apart around me? That’s when I turned to books, desperate to find some sort of clarity, to pull myself out of the chaos. It wasn’t easy. I felt like a victim—helpless and afraid—but I still had to fight to keep Vasse Strength and Conditioning afloat. We had no idea how long the storm would last, but I was responsible for ensuring our doors would still be open when it was all over.
I’m sure we all remember it. It was a time that tested everyone’s courage. As Andy Frisella said about people during the pandemic, “Success takes courage. You have to be willing to stand up for what you believe in when everyone else believes the opposite.” For some that was the mask mandates and vaccines, others it was their right to choose, either way that stuck with me because it highlighted a truth that I see every day: the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is courage. Courage to keep going when things get hard. Courage to push through discomfort when everyone else is looking for the easy way out.
Let me help you and share a little truth with you: I don’t enjoy working out. I never have. It’s uncomfortable, and it’s hard. But I do it because I know it’s necessary to be maximally human. Our small, uncomfortable actions consistently lead to extraordinary results, which is part of who we are humanely. Something I learned from Jeff Olson’s The Slight Edge. Success isn’t about taking one massive leap. It’s about the tiny, daily disciplines that build up over time. It’s not the big decisions that change your life but the small choices you make over and over again.
For me, this requires a mental shift. It’s a realisation that it isn’t about feeling good or waiting to be in the mood. It was about understanding that every time I showed up—whether I felt like it or not—It is one step closer to where I wanted to be. Brendan Burchard talks about this in High-Performance Habits when he says high performers create a sense of obligation around their goals. I tell myself, “You need to do this, not just for yourself, but for your family, business, and future.” That obligation drove me forward and continues to do so today.
Here’s what I believe: Everyone wants to feel great, have strong relationships, and be healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally. But too many people focus on the challenges in front of them instead of the journey ahead. They give up when things get hard and take the easy path, the one that makes them feel good in the moment, rather than the path that will make them grow. They do ordinary things.
Most people are looking for results without effort. But being EXTRA-ORDINARY isn’t about waiting for a big moment or some stroke of luck. It’s about showing up every single day, doing the little things that add up over time, and trusting that the grind will pay off. Performance isn’t glamorous; it’s built in the mundane, in the consistency that most people ignore.
In fitness and in life, I’ve seen this over and over again. People start with a dream, but they give up the moment it gets tough. That’s the heartbreaking truth of the fitness industry. They don’t realise that the days when you feel like you’ve got nothing left but you still show up—are the days that create extraordinary results. Once you understand that, your perspective shifts. The grind stops feeling like punishment and starts feeling like progress.
This isn’t something I learned overnight. It’s taken me years to fully grasp that when you commit to being EXTRA-ORDINARY, something unique happens, benchmarks shift, and so much more is possible in this life. What once seemed impossible becomes your new normal. But the kicker is—there’s no finish line. You start to feel like life is, as Simon Sinek, author and inspirational speaker, describes as an Infinite Game. When you master one challenge, you’re ready for the next. It’s a constant evolution. You realise there’s always more in you than you ever thought possible.
So, what does it mean to be EXTRA-ORDINARY? It means choosing effort over ease, growth over comfort, and action over excuses. It’s about embracing the discomfort that leads to greatness and understanding that results are earned, not given.
My journey from that breakdown in 2020 to where I am today proves that being EXTRA-ORDINARY is possible for anyone. It’s not about being special or lucky. It’s about making the decision, every day, to push a little further, wake up a little earlier, work a little harder, and believe that there’s always more you’re capable of. Not in a David Goggin’s ‘you only use 40% of your potential’ kind of way. You just have to give it a nudge past the ordinary.
The question is, Are you ready to make that choice? Are you ready to BECOME EXTRA-ORDINARY? Or are you screaming, ‘Hell yeah, this is me!’ either way? LET’S GO!