I didn’t play the game right because I saw a reward at the end of the tunnel. – Ryne Sandburg
Working in a coal mine… and reading on breaks to feed his mind. That’s a great work ethic. Get ahead now, and get ahead later!
What does that mean?
I like this quote, because it’s about the work ethic. If you do something simply because you get paid, you don’t have it. If you do just the minimum to get by, you don’t have it. If you’re spending more time thinking about other things, and not your job, you don’t have it.
The work ethic, which is based on our beliefs and our attitude towards work, is an interesting measure of a person. Do they just do enough to get by? Do they only do it right when you watch them? To me, that’s not the right way to do it.
The quote states that he didn’t do his job (playing baseball) because they were paying him. He did his best for other (unspecified) reasons. One can hope that the reason was his work ethic and his personal integrity. One can hope he did so because that was the kind of person he really is. Someone who does what needs to be done because he’s part of the team.
Why is a good work ethic important?
Most societies have flourished when the work ethic was high. It is often seen as a way of showing yourself off as a good provider, a worthy employee, and someone who is ready, willing, and able to do what is necessary to keep the company profitable.
I cannot think of a single culture which has gotten to the top of the heap by slacking, can you? America owes a great deal of it’s success to the immigrants who came here, knowing that if they wanted something, they could work their way towards it. When you get to keep the wages that you labor produced, you have an incentive to do more, and do it better.
There is something positive and refreshing about the “can do” attitude many people have. It’s a positive attitude, positive in energy, and full of action and activity. It is what gets things done, and rarely is it done strictly for the reward one sees at the end.
Very few people give time or money to a charity because they hope for a payback at the other end of the tunnel. Very few people who end up building their own business are doing it strictly for the cash. They are doing it because they think it’s right or because they have a passion. What they have is a work ethic, and that’s what I think is important about this quote.
Where can I apply this in my life?
What do you do in your life besides work? I ask that because applying this to your job is the obvious thing to do, and I want to encourage you to apply this quote to other parts of your life as well. What about your friends, your community, your family, the organizations to which you belong?
What of them get 100% of your effort when you are there? Or do you tend to slack a bit every now and then? If you were to ask someone who was watching which person was putting in the effort, and which person was just putting in their time, which would they say you were?
At work, this kind of a reputation (either as a tiger or a slacker) can make or break your career. If you’re a slacker, and layoffs are coming, guess who volunteered for the short list? Similarly, when there’s an opening for a promotion, can you guess who is the first to be considered for the position?
Why do you think it would be any different in a social situation? What about a relationship, do you think they notice if you’re slacking or doing your best? Do you notice when others are slacking, whether the situation is social, romantic, familial, or work?
Yeah, you know. You’ve seen all kinds in your life, haven’t you? Which do you prefer to hang out with? Usually, people try to hang out with their peers, or people who are doing better at something which they consider important. With whom do you hang?
The work ethic, the willingness to do what’s right and proper, even if it’s not convenient, that’s what the quote is all about. It’s about the feeling you get when you know the next person to come by will find things just a little better than you did.
It is a very high standard, and not always pleasant. It’s staying behind to clean when the others split to have more fun. It’s making sure everything is ready for the Monday morning meeting, even if it means spending part of Saturday to get it done.
Do the right thing. Do it today. Do it every day. Just do it!
From: Twitter, @ashaproothi
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/rynesandbe268526.html
Photo by rittyrats
Happy Birthday to the Ryno, born on 18 September, 1959
My Grandpa’s business card had his name, phone number and the following statement on it: There is no fun like work. I didn’t know him all that well but I don’t think he was kidding.
The work ethic seems to be fading a little bit of late. However, there are enough adherents that I have no doubt it will make a come-back some day.
When a thinker becomes a doer ,the results are overwhelming .Your effort of spreading the wisdom words by aligning them to our daily life is really praiseworthy .gratitude and blessings to you .
Thanks for the kind words.
To sort through tweets to bring us the gems among all the dross, that is the mark of a generous thinker.
Thank you.