Your goals are important to you, but let’s be real—motivation to work toward them doesn’t always come easy. Some days, you’re on top of the world, checking boxes off the ol’ to-do list, left and right. Other days, you have no intention of getting off the couch. But if you only work hard on the days you feel like it, it’ll be harder (and take a whole lot longer) to get anything accomplished. The days you don’t want to try, but you do anyway? That’s where the magic happens! And, that’s where having a good work ethic comes in!
If your motivation is nowhere to be found, we’re here to help. Let’s take a look at five quick tips to develop a good work ethic and get you on the fast track to achieving your goals!
Stay balanced.
Summer is in full swing, and that means distractions are looming around every corner. Is it a bad thing to kick back, relax, and enjoy all that this season has to offer? Not at all! Just make sure to balance all the barbecues and pool days with intentional time to work toward your goals! (Read this post for tips on achieving work-life balance as an entrepreneur, not just this summer, but year-round!)
Do it right (the first time).
We tend to associate hard work with flying through tasks as quickly as possible. But what’s even more important than your pace is the quality of the work you produce. Slow your roll, take a breath, and as the old proverb says, “measure twice, cut once.” Get it done right the first time so that you don’t end up having to revisit the same tasks repeatedly!
Hold yourself accountable.
It’s easy to find motivation to work hard when you first get started on a task and everything feels new and exciting. The hard part comes when you’re about halfway through and the task starts to feel daunting and more like actual work than fun. Sometimes, we luck out and have people around us to help stay focused when our motivation starts to dwindle. But when you don’t have others around to motivate you (which is most of the time), you must be the one to motivate yourself. Read this post for five accountability tips to help you out.
Use your time wisely.
Don’t let procrastination steal your motivation! If you have the time (and maybe even if you don’t) to finish a project today, do it today. If you don’t have time to finish something fully, but you have time to get started … just start. Hard work is all about putting your head down and digging in, whether you feel like it or not!
Go above and beyond.
Do what’s expected—and then, do a little bit more. Can you take an extra 5 minutes to make this project even better? Can you go out of your way to make someone else’s life just a little easier? Make the choice to be that person who always goes above and beyond, not because you have to, but because it’s just who you are. That little bit of extra effort to go beyond “average” makes all the difference.
Above all, work ethic is a mindset and an attitude. It’s the handy-dandy tool that combats the “I don’t want to” mentality oh so well. Implement our tips to start working your hardest toward your goals, and you’ll find yourself reaching them and making more as you go!
