My extended family is quite a mixed bag!

credit: Chris(UK)

While we all have similar traits and personalities, we also have differences in the way we go about day to day jobs, differences in the way we react to different situations & certainly different work standards.

One of my brothers is a ridiculously hard worker who always goes above and beyond - if someone needs a job done, he’ll work overtime often for little or no pay to make sure the job is done well & the person is happy. Contrast this kind of attitude with many others I know of who are slackers - having an attitude of ‘what about me?’ Most days you can hear them complaining about why this or that isn’t fair!.

For me personally, I’ve become a lot more aware of the positives and negatives of hard work in recent times. Making a conscious effort to work harder brings about not only more success and gratitude from others, but also helps you to feel good about yourself. People who are hard workers are also held in much higher regard than slackers!

What do I mean by work harder?

I’ve spent a lot of time in hospitals with people who are stressed, people who have break downs and people who suffer heart attacks. It’s well known in terms of risk factors that you are more at risk of heart complications if you work in a highly stressful environment or put in ridiculous work hours at the office. A couple of great real life examples of experiences with overworking and heart attacks can be found at this CNN site, Big Buzz, and News Blog. The Heart and Stroke Foundation also has some great info on stress and working.

credit: s-t-r-a-n-g-e

When I say work harder, as the above links show, I’m not suggesting that you push yourself beyond the boundaries of healthy working guidelines. I’m not suggesting you stress yourself out, neglect your other commitments such as family or even leisure time, or increase your work hours beyond what is reasonable.

We all need to do a bit of self analysis from time to time, and look at if we are really working to the extent of our abilities. Some of the things you can start to do in terms of hard work are the following:

Tips on what you can do to work harder

1. Reduce the amount of ’slack time’ you have at work. You know, the guy who stands around at the water cooler… the guy who is always surfing the net.. the girl who is off having a smoke break once per hour - is this you? Be productive with your work time. You are getting paid!

2. Motivate yourself to get some jobs done at home that you have been putting off. Does the mowing need doing? Maybe there’s a project you have been procrastinating about.. Decide to get stuck in and get some things done.

3. Go above and beyond - don’t half finish jobs, do them thoroughly and well. In work time and outside of work time - be someone who is known to be a hard worker.

Benefits of working hard:

credit: mistress_f

If you are interested in personal growth and accomplishing some things in your life, get started on the road to being a hard worker! Make a decision to step up your game and not accept mediocre standards. You will have a greater sense of satisfaction, your career and work opportunities can increase, and certainly your relationships with co-workers, clients and family members can improve a whole lot.

People who are hard workers are held in high regard. In my own line of work, it’s well known which staff members can be allocated to particular areas and jobs based on how hard they work & their work ethics. Be one of those people! Be someone who puts a bit more commitment into your work & start to reap some great rewards.

If you don’t already have the song Harder Better Faster Stronger by Daft Punk - check it out! Live it!