Earlier this week I was having lunch with a friend and we started talking about summer plans, kid’s activities, and our jobs. She mentioned that she was struggling with her boss, and how unhappy she’d been with her job recently. As we talked, she turned to me and said, “I don’t know Katy, I just don’t think I could do what you do. I just don’t have your work ethic.” I was taken aback by her comment because this friend, in my opinion, has an incredibly strong work ethic. She works full time, coaches her daughter’s softball team, and volunteers her time with PTA. I just didn’t really buy that statement. She managers her calendar with meticulous planning, and her home looks at though it was just shared in the Home and Garden cover. Her work ethic wasn’t lacking.
Why Do Some Succeed and Some Do Not
When I got home that afternoon, I sat down thinking about this idea of work ethic. I thought about the sacrifices I’ve made over the past 6 years as I’ve built an online business. It led me to thinking about my own clients and why some of them succeed with the programs and others don’t. I started thinking about the people I mentor, why some give up while others thrive, and the reasons they bow out gracefully.
As I started thinking more and more about it, I started to see that success has very little to do with a person’s ability to work. Yes, complacency doesn’t work well when you have goals, and work ethic is critical for any substantial change or success. But I became more curious about what makes a person actually want to work. Maybe success has less to do with the actual work than it does the actual why.
Why-Ethic
Experiencing lots of failures and successes myself, I can’t help but think about the importance of the why-ethic. Something like “wouldn’t it be nice to lose a few pounds,” turns into “I WILL lose 5 pounds.” It turns obstacles into opportunities. It turns frustrations and disappointments into curiosity. It shifts a person’s vision from “Wouldn’t that be cool” to “This is going to happen. There’s no other option.”
If you question your own work ethic or your ability to succeed in anything: a business, a weight loss program or even writing the ever-loving book,
switch the question from, “Do I have what it takes to succeed?” to “Is my success optional or necessary?”
If something matters greatly to you, you find a way. If it doesn’t, it’s easier to latch onto an excuse.
I think it’s Disney wisdom at it’s finest, don’t you?
Work Ethic and Why-Ethic are a Package Deal
Work ethic matters, but it won’t get you very far if the why ethic isn’t attached. It’s a package deal. Meaningful, sustainable success comes with a reason solid enough to push you past the hard part.
