Labor - Work Will Set You Free
It is a sin to apologize for hard work
The first time I heard someone say I work too hard I examined my procedures believing I must be doing something wrong.
The second time someone told me I work too hard; they added an accusation that my work makes them look bad. I apologized.
The next time someone delivered that accusation, my response turned confrontational as I attempted to justify my behavior.
Now, when someone makes this proclamation about my energy, drive, and dedication I respond with pride, “Thank you.” I interpret a complaint about my hard work as a compliment
Hard work should produce pride not shame. Do not apologize.
However, we must couple hard work with effective business practices.
Learn to Labor Intelligently
Working smart can supplement working hard and produce time-saving strategies that prove beneficial.
I am old enough to remember the days when the task of alphabetizing would make me begin singing the ABC’s in my head. Then technology provided an icon on the computer in Word that allowed me to alphabetize with a simple click. I would be crazy not to use it.
A worker who remains vigilant and willing to explore strategies to increase productivity may work harder but has the potential to improve the process short-term as well as far into the future.
Learn the Art of Simple Labor
Steve Jobs stated, “That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
Notices the conflicting terms in his statement, “Simple can be harder than complex.” By combining determination, persistence, intelligence, and hard work a difficult task can be made simple. Through observation of successful practices, procedures can be replicated to make work simpler.
Learn to Prioritize Labor
No matter how hard I worked some tasks often spilled into the next day or I found myself sitting at my desk in an empty office after the sunset. Learning to prioritize became necessary. Remember time is on your side and focus on the important issues first, big rocks. This video from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits Workshop provides a visual explanation of how to accomplish this.
Learn to Enjoy Labor
Simone Biles lives by the beliefs.
“Always work hard and have fun in what you do because I think that’s when you’re more successful. You have to choose to do it.”
People have a way of starting and continuing paths in life that leave them unhappy or at least unsatisfied. Never be afraid to step off the road you are following and explore other options. Make each day’s decisions meet one criterion, does it make you happy? Change may be hard, but it is possible. Few people die unhappy thinking they wouldn’t have changed a thing.
The greatest contributors to the evolution of ideas and events achieved success through the application of dedication, intelligence, creativity, and perseverance. All of which cannot be attained without hard work. So, push yourself, but do not denigrate your spirit with questions of what might have been, what-ifs, and perhaps.
Work hard and if anyone turns your actions into an accusation saying, “Thank you” and accept the compliment.