Have you ever heard the saying “how you do anything is how you do everything”? It’s a phrase that my father often preached to me when I was a young adult, and I used to roll my eyes at it. But it wasn’t until my rock bottom moment that this simple phrase started to resonate with me.
The way we approach tasks and challenges in our daily lives can have a significant impact on our overall success and well-being. The saying suggests that our approach to one task or situation is likely to be indicative of how we approach other tasks and situations. If we tend to procrastinate, cut corners, or lack attention to detail in one area of our lives, it’s likely that we’ll approach other areas in a similar manner. Therefore, it’s essential to be aware of how we approach each task and challenge, as it can have a ripple effect on our lives.
If you didn’t read last weeks blog you’ll have to go back and do so. Now let’s get back to the story. I recently returned home from my solo Miami trip, and it was time for me to evaluate my financial situation. While it may seem for some that money and work ethic are unrelated topics, they are closely connected. In 2005, my work ethic was poor, I worked 28-30 hours a week and when I was present at work I most defiantly wasn’t giving it my all. Frankly my life outside of work was far more important than putting in hours and effort to further my career. I realized that I would never become wealthier than I was at that moment if I didn’t change the way I approached work in my life. Although I didn’t know that entrepreneurship was in store for me at that time, I can now see that my personal growth during that period was necessary for me to endure starting a small business later.
The phrase “how you do ANYTHING is how you do EVERYTHING” became the catalyst for my next level of personal growth. I decided that, from that day forward, no matter the task’s size, I would give it my full immediate attention. Not only would I complete the task promptly, but I would also do it to the best of my abilities. This simple mindset shift changed everything for me. My employer (a dentist) was probably the most taken aback by this change, and I laugh now thinking about what he must have been thinking when I blasted in the door Monday morning with a whole new attitude. While I wasn’t a “bad employee,” I could definitely have been better. I recognized that I would come into work at times wearing my emotional status on my sleeve, which, in hindsight, was not a mature or appropriate thing to do. From that point on, I vowed to myself to leave my “wreck of a life” at the door and approach my workday with a fresh and positive attitude. I did every task to the best of my ability, and the most surprising thing was that work became an “escape from life” for me, and how refreshing that was! When I was at work, it was my sole focus, and all of my life problems would disappear for those 8-9 hours.
You may be reading this and thinking that it’s a strange habit to form. It has become “cool” to do the bare minimum at work. I come across tik tok, reels and GIFs on the daily of people bragging about low performance at work and the comments section is always lit. Full support for the behavior, minimal comments not supporting the behaviors. In a day and age where work ethic is low for most Americans, and we no longer take pride in our work, I came to realize very quickly that how you perform in the workplace, no matter what your job or how much money you make, is a direct reflection of who you are as a person. The truth is, nobody does the bare minimum at work and then excels at other aspects of their life. They are all interconnected, and it comes down to having respect for yourself. It has nothing to do with respecting your employer (although that would be nice). No matter what the circumstances, you should always strive to be the best for YOU, for your own pride.
Truthfully, I could not and would not have had the drive to start my own business without this part of my story. My short-term mindset knew that this change would probably result in a raise at work (which it did) and an increased quality of life for me, but I never knew till a year later that this mindset change was soon to change my entire life forever and for the better.
Absolutely love this! I definitely practice this at work! It started at Tony Walker. They taught something similar. I can definitely work on it at home. Thank you for this motivation!