Working Hard by Working Smart

16 Jan 2010 @ 5:45 AM

“You have to put in many, many, many tiny efforts that nobody sees or appreciates before you achieve anything worthwhile.”
~Brian Tracy~

In my youth I often lived by the maxim: When the cat’s away, the mice shall play. I embodied that spirit in my school days when a substitute teacher took over a class and I horsed around and later on when I worked in an office (or wherever) and the boss went out for an hour or two while I lazed back.

It felt so right to do as little as possible and collect my wages or a passing grade. What I couldn’t realize is that such an attitude was putting a noose around my neck. As soon as my youthful exuberance came to pass, no boss would any longer wink at my laziness and indifference. They would instead hand me a pink slip and show me the door.

Goofing off in Japan — while possible and inevitable — is not a good idea and people who look for such childish escape from responsibility are quickly relegated to the office pastureland for career has-beens.

There is is nothing wrong with passion for work. It is what separates the big-time winners from the also-rans of life. But the trouble is that most people plan and moderate their careers (or lack thereof) with scant thought about the weighty issues that should weigh. Many people spend more energy planning an expensive holiday than they do mapping out a life.

Are you following your dreams or are you following the crowd?

Most people live lives of quiet desperation. They put their collective noses to the grindstone and work for a pittance because they choose to follow orders rather than think and do what will ultimately make them happy and financially free. Failing to plan is truly planning to fail!

Many people in this country work what is called service overtime. They pile up unpaid wages for their work time, sometimes as much as 20 hours a week. I know this is true because some of my students and associates have matter-of-factly told me of such behavior.

This flagrant disregard of the law puts a damper on ever being able to attain a balanced life. Most Japanese would shrug off this notion of balance because to do so – they deeply believe and fear – would relegate them to the office pastureland.

This workaholic mentality may have faded somewhat in the recent generation, but is still pervasive in this island-nation. To violate this ethic often means you can kiss a promising career goodbye.

And that is my point. Work as hard on yourself as you do on your job. Read the books, listen to the tapes, and attend the seminars when not working. Turn off the tube and turn on your imagination.

Use your mind to best advantage. You are a work in progress until the day you die. In a rigorous or even boring job…take notes, build your skill base, and then seek out opportunities.

Whatever level of salary and benefits your company provides to you, they can never compensate enough for living your life in neutral on a job and with a company that provide you nothing but a lifetime cushioned chair and a Timex watch for retirement.

Prepare to move onward and upward in your precious march through time.

Posted By: admin
Last Edit: 28 Dec 2009 @ 05:55 AM

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Tags: skill base, turn on your imagination, work hard, work smart
Categories: Going Against the Grain

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