Redefining Success: How My Personal Work Ethic Shapes My Career

"The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense." - Thomas A. Edison

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about work ethic - basically, how I approach work and my personal set of rules for it. If you work in a big company or corporate setting, there are usually rules that dictate the culture around work.

Have you ever really thought about them or wondered about their purpose?

For me, I like to put my own spin on things. I try to align the way I work with my personal values and life choices so that it feels like a never-ending game. As someone who's an entrepreneur, startup founder, and worker, here are some things that I'm currently pondering and that make up my personal work ethic.

Clarity and communication

One of my biggest ongoing missions is to improve how I express myself and get my ideas across. I don't just want to be good, I want to be great at it! Communication is a super important skill, not just at work, but in life in general. And let's be real, most of us are not great at it! It's like we're all speaking different languages based on our backgrounds, experiences, and even the words we use. But I'm determined to break down those barriers and make my messages crystal clear.

Self Discipline and energy levels

Being self-disciplined doesn't mean you have to hustle like crazy all the time. It's about getting to know yourself and your energy levels. Personally, I'm someone who's very energy-focused. Sure, I can work for hours on end, but it's not just about putting in the hours - it's about creating something impactful. I've also realized over time that I need to be comfortable with the pace and responsibility of what's within my control.

Knowing what drains me and what gives me energy has helped me to build self-discipline and be more productive. Right now, I'm working on optimizing my energy levels, but that's a story for another newsletter.

Team player

Together, we can accomplish great things and move society forward! I even read this Harvard study that found happy relationships at age 50 predicted good health at age 80. So, it's important to take care of the people around you! This applies to work too - happy team, happy business! We spend 90,000 hours working in our lifetime, so why not make it enjoyable? I realize that we’re not a family, but I do care about the wellbeing of my team. I always check in on my team to see how they're doing because we're all in it together!

How can I help my team succeed?

What can I do to make it a fun and enjoyable experience at work?

You don't have to be a manager to care about your co-workers' well-being!

Autonomy and personal ownership

Startup life has taught me that personal autonomy is super important. It's like having your own superpower because it gives you the freedom to think for yourself and be creative. And let's be honest, critical thinking is the secret sauce to innovation. How can you come up with something new if you're just following orders? By thinking for yourself, you can feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose. Plus, taking the initiative to fill in the gaps for your team and others makes work way more enjoyable.

Value/Contribution

In the last ten years, I learned the importance of bringing value to the table. Whether it's in conversations or my daily work and personal life, I strive to bring something useful every day. If I can't contribute something valuable, maybe I shouldn't be there in the first place. This way, I can spend my time better. Embodying the concept of value and contribution helps me focus on making things better in whatever I am working on. Also, speaking of bringing value, I want to remind you about Easier - it's a collection of all the tips, tricks, and tools that have helped me achieve greater efficiency and balance. Check it out for free here!

Progress beats perfection

Take small steps forward towards a goal instead of waiting for everything to be perfect before taking action. Progress is what pushes us forward, even if it's not perfect. While I strive for excellence, I know that perfectionism can hold me back. So, I believe in progress over perfection, taking small steps forward to build momentum.

Curiosity & feedback

One of my top values in both personal and work life is curiosity and continuous learning. It keeps me interested and engaged in what I do. But it's not enough to just absorb information - I need to apply it to create new things and gain perspective. And to make sure I'm on the right track, I need feedback. I'll admit, taking feedback isn't easy, but it's crucial for growth. In fact, when I used to volunteer, I worked hard to learn how to give and receive feedback effectively. Remember, feedback is never personal - it's just a part of the process. Just keep swimming!

Of course there are other things I take into account, but these things are the most important ones to me right now.

But I'm curious, what about you? Have you taken the time to think about your own work ethic and what you're striving for?

My Favourite Things:

What I’m reading/listening to enrich my life:

Someday Is Today: Achieve Your Goals And Live Without Regret - Matthew Dicks - a podcast episode from Ali Abdaal with Matthew Dicks - the author behind Storyworthy (a book I also highly recommend). I love listening to a good story but at the same, I feel like this episode made me look at my time and the way I pursue my goals in a different way. Totally recommend you listening

My latest favourite thing to enhance my life:

Readwise is an app that “helps you get the most out of what you read by making it fun & easy to revisit your highlights from all your favourite reading platforms in one place. Quickly synchronize your highlights from Kindle, Apple Books, Instapaper, Pocket, Medium, Goodreads, and even paper books”. I’ve started using it so I can find a way to capture the things I am reading to put it all in one place.

If you use this link right here you will get a month free for using Readwise.

Movie/TV show I am watching:

Sam and Colby ghost-hunting episodes - besides The Good Doctor tv show I’ve been watching ghost-hunting episodes by Sam and Colby. Not sure if you believe in the paranormal but it has been very entertaining to watch their seasons around haunted locations and dwelling with the Estes method.

Question or quote of the week:

“If I were you, I would just pick something and start moving in that direction because it’s a lot easier to change direction once you’re moving than when you’re static.” - heard in a podcast paraphrased

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In the past decade, I managed multiple businesses, and my personal life, and created content, while striving to improve myself. My priority is to make life easier for myself and others. I want to help others avoid the struggles I faced.

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Easier is part of my life's mission to contribute to society, helping others improve their lives and enjoy them to the fullest.