We are in the age of “instant gratification” and, thanks to the internet, countless forms of ways to “get rich” or become a “millionaire” by doing these things. Social media, and other platforms that deliver content directly to your computer at your fingertips make it easier than ever to be very lazy throughout the day.
From consuming content, scrolling through social media, and even creating content for different platforms, can simply turn a “work” day into a “busy” day. However, others might describe it as being disengaged, unmotivated or even lazy. It is my belief that the issue of work ethics is suffering right now, and that this is something we must address.
Based on my google search of “the definition of work ethic”, it is defined as the principle that hard work is intrinsically virtuous or worthy of reward. If you take the literal definition of what work ethic means, you work hard at what you’re doing and you get rewarded for that hard work. You can’t do it by any other way than working hard.
Three key elements to great work ethics are important to me. I recommend that you consider these keys and then implement them to make a difference in your business, life and profession.
1. Have Passion For What You’re Doing
This is a common refrain. “Do what you love and you won’t work a day in your life”. Well of course that is true and, for the majority of people out there, they are learning to love what they’re doing because it is what pays the bills and helps them survive. You must have passion about what you’re doing.
You will increase your ability to get up every day because you want to do the best job possible at your chosen career. There are always things you are doing that you don’t like; however, when it comes to your job, profession, business, etc. Having a burning desire to succeed in life and work will make a difference.
It all boils down to having an optimistic attitude and a positive outlook on what you do.
2. Continue to Educate Yourself in Your Craft
Education is essential to your success as a nurse, doctor or plumber or for keeping you current with what your industry requires.
Keep yourself engaged in continuing education. This will help you not only increase your education level but also boost your confidence in your work. It’s your willingness to keep educating yourself and doing it even when you’re not asked to, that is a reflection of the work ethic that you are putting into your profession.
This will mean that you will need to sacrifice some of your own personal and professional time. But it will be one thing that will allow for more opportunities to improve your personal time. You will be able to increase your career opportunities.
“There is no substitute for hard work.” – Thomas Edison
3. Create Profitable Organization
If you ask people what is the one thing that you can’t get back or is the most valuable thing that you have, most will tell you that it is time. It is time to examine your daily time use and improve your work ethic if you wish to increase your productivity. How would it look if you looked online at your calendar or on your phone?
Is there anyone among you who has a daily planner? Are you able to write down the things you need to do each day? No matter what level of importance you think that it has, by writing down what you have to do each day, or what is on your agenda of things you want to accomplish each day, can eliminate so much wasted time you give away to things that aren’t profitable for you.
You must value your time, no matter how it makes you money. You can fine tune your work ethic by creating a profitable company and giving every day of your life a value.
This is so crucial to having a great work ethic because you aren’t allowing things that don’t enhance your life either professionally or personally to get in the way and take from you or those things you have assigned a value to inside each day. What you are also doing is allowing yourself to create an audit of what a day looks like, so you can either add better things to it and you can take away those things that aren’t helping you achieve what you need to during that day.
Just take one day and fill your calendar up each hour with what you have planned to achieve that day and you will be amazed at what you really get to see what a “normal” day for you looks like.
My belief is that most people who are successful have a work ethic which can be misunderstood. It looks or sounds insane when broken down. From the time they wake up to the time they go to bed it is a flurry of activity that many of us just don’t “see how they have time to do all those things.”
They have a work ethic they were taught at an early stage, and it is something they now possess through daily routines and habits. However, you could also say that people with terrible work ethics are just as bad.
These three steps can be used to improve your work ethic and increase the career opportunities that a strong work ethic can bring.
Addicted 2 Success published 3 Keys for Having Great Work Ethics as a first post.
Addicted 2 Success published the post Three Major Keys for Having Great Work Ethics.