Mediocrity is a trap for being stuck

Mediocrity is a special form of comfort zone in which every result is predictable but will never stand out.

The danger with a mediocre state is that it relaxes your mind, your thoughts, and your attitude. You are not able to do extraordinary things. You get stuck doing average things.

Mediocrity can happen to everyone because it isn’t loud. It doesn’t look like failure.
It looks like:

• Getting your tasks done.
• Meeting expectations.
• Staying comfortable.

Once, I was in a team. Everyone was busy, everyone was highly educated, and the team had a great performance. But then I realised we were in a bubble.

The bubble: Daily, you go to work, you talk to the same people, you work on the same problems. In comparison to other local teams, we were extraordinary.

But when I started to compare with teams outside this bubble I spotted our mediocrity, I realised my mediocrity.

Mediocrity meant that I was falling behind other people.

I decided to leave the team, to leave mediocrity, to unstuck myself.

Here’s why mediocrity happens — and how to break out.

1. Mediocre Habits: You Repeat What Doesn’t Stretch You

“You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” — James Clear

Yes, mediocrity can become a habit, some things we repeat all over. Let that sink in. We form a habit to BE mediocre:

• You avoid feedback.
• You skip the prep and wing it.
• You don’t write. You don’t reflect.
• You consume more than you create.

This list hurts. (It's not exhaustive, but these are pointers.)

The bottom line of the list is that you don't grow. No action is pointing to growth, and this is one form of being stuck.

The way out:
Audit your week. What % of time is spent on growth, not just execution? And growth means also: How much time did you spend on learning new skills?

2. Mediocre Teams: You Inherit Their Ceiling

Working in a mediocre team is like a disease: The mediocrity gets spread. It's like a basket of apples. When one apple gets mouldy, then others get mouldy as well.

The only cure: Separate the bad one from the good ones.

My point is: You become the person with whom you are surrounded.

“You’re the average of the people you work closest with.”

Typical pointers are:

• People around you normalize delay, excuses, and playing small.
• You adapt to fit in — not to stand out.
• You stop challenging. You start blending.

The way out:
Spend more time with builders, doers, and truth-tellers — even if it’s just through shadowing or lunch. Positive attitudes or habits are infectious!

3. Mediocre Thinking: You Play to Avoid Loss

We saw that our habits or a team can unconsciously form mediocrity. One dangerous dimension is our thinking. Questions like:

• “What if I fail?”
• “What if they think I’m not ready?”
• “It’s not my job.”

The answers or statements are excuses. Excuses are the first step in not changing anything. That's why we keep things because it becomes palatable.

These thoughts feel safe. But they keep you stuck in a loop of hesitation and missed opportunity. Years will pass in your bubble without change.

The way out:

Don't fear the change; instead, reframe the risk:

• “What’s the cost if I stay like this another year?”
• "What is the worse that can happen?"
• “What’s the opportunity if I just try?”

Life is too short not to try.

Be one level above

One way to beat mediocrity is to be one level above. This is a mix of habits and thinking. Make it your habit to act, dress, and communicate one level above.

Always push for 10x, do more than it's required, and set the bar above. Form this as a habit and you become unbeatable.

🔚 Summary:

Mediocrity isn’t a personality flaw. It’s a system that drags us into a bubble where it feels comfortable. But the truth is: you are stuck. The way out is to change the system of habits, the team, and your thinking. Then the results change too.

Choose sharper habits.
Get in better rooms.
Think bigger.

That’s how you leave “stuck” behind — for good.