All The Places You’ll Go—And How A Strong Work Ethic Will Get You There

Having a strong work ethic is important. Employers look for it, performance depends on it, and it helps career progression. When people take pride in their work it helps foster a sense of personal satisfaction and professional fulfillment. In addition, employers are much more likely to hire and promote employees who demonstrate a strong commitment to their work. When an important project needs to get done, these individuals can be counted on, even if it means working longer hours to do so.

A strong work ethic will not only expose you to greater opportunities, but it will also earn you a reputation of excellence in your profession. Not everyone is born with a strong work ethic, but it can certainly be developed. I developed mine as a result of positive family influence, being exposed to effective mentors, reading some great books, and realizing that I needed to outhustle others to achieve my goals.

While we’ve all slacked off from time to time, a consistently poor work ethic can cripple productivity, raises stress levels, and create unhappiness. It usually arrives subconsciously and doesn’t warn you that it’s coming. Thankfully, there are several methods you can employ to improve your work ethic dramatically, and they’re not quite as tricky as you might think.?

1.????Treat Your Body Right. A healthy body will help you build a healthy approach to work because the two are intrinsically linked. If you’re feeling lethargic in the morning, the last thing you’re going to want to do is to get right out of bed and head to work. Lethargy can be a result of a lack of sleep or exercise, so perhaps it’s an opportunity to shift to healthier habits, like eating more fruits and vegetables or trying a new exercise regimen.

2.????Get to Work on Time. Many people mistake late arrivals for laziness or a lack of desire, but that isn’t always the case. Chances are, you may try to get work on time, but something may be preventing you from doing so. It could be a traffic, a delay from dropping your children off at school, or something beyond your control. ?Whatever the root cause it’s important to work towards a solution that will start your day on the right foot. Once you find what works best for you, hopefully late arrivals will soon become a thing of the past.

3.????Be Dependable. Being dependable at work can help to earn you respect and increase your feelings of satisfaction considerably. If people know they can rely on you to get the job done, you’ll be rewarded with their gratitude. If you promise to complete a task or project, make sure to get done well and on time. If you feel things are slipping, be honest your co-workers and learn to ask for help. It’s a matter of following certain habits and making them a part of your daily practice.

4.????Move Past Mistakes. We’re all humans and mistakes happen. The biggest difference is that people with stronger work ethic can pick themselves up quickly, learn from their mistakes and move on. If you fixate on your mistakes, you may have trouble making progress and lose your desire to do your job well. On the other hand, embracing failure can lead to great things. You just have to be willing to own your mistakes and focus on what’s next.

These tips sound simple, right? However, not everybody can make these changes, right? And that’s okay because it truly does take all sorts of people and skillsets to make a team. Not everybody's going to be a finisher. Some workers get easily tasked by long hours; others thrive when asked to start things off.

As you build and cultivate your team, make sure you don’t get too focused on any one attribute. By empowering your people to pick the work approach that’s best suited to their working style, you’ll be able to create the ideal environment for ideas to thrive and success to follow.