Work ethic is almost a lost art now. We live in a microwave generation. Everyone wants everything quickly. We want success but we don’t want to pay the price for success. Work ethic is a necessity. Hard work doesn’t guarantee success, but without it you’re in trouble.
Proverbs 12:14 (AMP ) says:
A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompence of a man’s hands shall be rendered unto him.
In other words, whatever you put your hands to, do it with all your might, because whatever you put in,is what you’re going to get out. As a teacher over the years, I have observed the study habits of students. Some study right before the test and many times their grades reflect it. Other students study for days. They put more time in their preparation and their grades show it. Some people do just enough to get a decent grade and eventually, how they approach school is how they will approach life. Your level of preparation will determine your level of success. Remember, life is simply an open book test. People fail because they aren’t prepared. They haven’t studied and their life is a reflection of it. If you want to be successful, you must have a strong work ethic. We can’t expect things to just get better. We have to get up and do something and make things get better.
In a recent article, Brian Tracy, a success coach and business man said this.
“You work 40 hours per week for survival. Everything else is for success. Every hour over 40 is an investment in your future. The average self –made millionaire in America works 59 hours per week and some work 70-80 hours. The average self –made millionaire works six days rather than five”.
Many people have goals and dreams but they’re simply not putting the time in. The Bible says in Proverbs 22:29:
“Do you see a man diligent in his business? He will stand before kings. He will not stand before mean men”.
What this tells me is that my diligence will determine who I stand in front of. If I am diligent, I will stand before prominent men and women. My level of diligence will determine the level of people I stand before. If I have a mediocre work ethic, I will stand before mediocre people. If I have an average work ethic, I will stand before average people. You determine who you will stand before. One man said “you have to become what you want to be around”. If you want to keep company with great people, you must be willing to do what they have done. You must be willing to adopt their work ethic and their positive habits in order to be where they are. Remember success leaves clues.
Many people have a $1,000,000 dream but a $10 work ethic. A big time dream requires a big time work ethic. Eric Thomas says, “The bigger the dream, the harder the grind”! Unfortunately, people aren’t willing to sacrifice for their dreams. They won’t sacrifice social media for a season. They aren’t willing to sacrifice sleep, hanging out at the mall, or socializing with their friends. They aren’t willing to meet the demands of the dream. Your dream is like a dictator. Your dream should tell you how much sleep you should be getting. It should tell you what kind of friends you should have. How much you hang out. I can’t tell you what to do, but your dreams and goals should strongly influence your lifestyle.
I heard Eric Thomas once say, “You must be willing to look that person in the mirror and say ‘I will do whatever it takes’. I do not believe that when he said that, he meant even if it means doing something illegal. I believe that what he meant was that we must be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to make our dreams become a reality.
Luke 14:28-30 AMPC
For which of you, wishing to build a farm building, does not first sit down and calculate the cost [to see] whether he sufficient means to finish it? Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation and is unable to complete [the building], all who see it will begin to mock and jeer at him, Saying, This man began to build and was not able (worth enough) to finish.
What we see from this passage is that it is foolish to start a project without first sitting down and counting the cost. If you don’t, you could potentially be embarrassed by your failure. Many people are failing because they just went out and tried to do something without first doing some research. They didn’t consider the cost. A big dream is going to always cost you something. But in order for you to become an achiever, you must pay in full and you must pay in advance, before you can enjoy the dream. Life is like a cafeteria, not a restaurant. In a restaurant, you enjoy the meal and then you pay for it. Life is more like a cafeteria. You can have what you want as long as you’re willing to pay for it. You must pay for the meal before you can enjoy it. There is no layaway plan. You must pay in advance and you must pay in full.
Ecclesiastes 5:3 AMPC
For a dream comes with much business and painful effort, and a fool’s voice with many words.
Don’t be fooled, there is no shortcut to success. This scripture is pretty straightforward. Whatever your dream is, it’s going to come with much business and painful effort. It may cost you some sleep. It may cost you some entertainment, but if the dream means a lot, it’s worth it. Remember, it’s your dream. Only you can make it happen. With God all things are possible, but you must believe that it’s possible. Once you become single minded on the goal, pay the price and realize that it is only a matter of time before your dream becomes a reality.
God bless you.