A strong work ethic is extremely valuable in college. With an insane amount of reading and papers and midterms/finals, a college student definitely needs to work hard in order to succeed in academia. I am a natural workaholic; however, I know what it’s like to have no motivation to complete your homework. In fact, I’m currently going through a motivation drought right now, but after reading an article about how to improve one’s work ethic from the Huffington Post, I was reminded of different habits that have helped me get through uninspired days.
On days where I dread starting schoolwork, I accept that, “[t]his is not going to be fun.” When I am honest about my feelings towards work, I can identify why I feel unmotivated but also realize that I must complete my assignments regardless. This honest confession acts as an emphasizer and motivator for me. After coming to terms with the fact that my work may be difficult and tedious, I often find a way to slowly move through and accomplish my tasks.
I also “limit activities that get [me] nowhere.” Some days, I just don’t feel like writing a paper. So, I give myself permission to trade that assignment for another one, like reading or studying for a test. That is my form of procrastination ‑ I trade a task I don’t want to complete for an assignment that interests me a little more. That doesn’t mean that I never do that one assignment I dread; it simply means that I am allowing myself a day where I don’t have to conquer everything on my to-do list.
While a lazy day every now and then is welcomed, I constantly remind myself that “[my] work ethic is a muscle.” If I am not regularly productive, my work ethic will eventually weaken. So I try to always work on some type of project, even when school is out. Over the summer, I wrote weekly articles for a website, worked a part-time job and helped co-found an organization at my university. This constant flow of productivity motivates me to keep working. Now, whenever I just want to lie around and do nothing, I usually can’t because I feel bored and useless. I have to be doing something because I find work fulfilling and I need to be productive in something…anything.
Finally, I try to “surround [myself] with people who work harder than [me].” Being honest, this is a hard one for me to follow, but a few months ago, I found someone who works just as hard as me, if not more. She is a coworker of mine, and she is extremely dedicated and goal-oriented. At first, I kept comparing myself to her and began to feel jealous, but as time went on, I realized that we were very similar. I came to admire her work ethic, and she inspired me to work harder that I already was. Whenever I don’t feel like working, I try to think of her and others who tread on the ground as harshly as I do.
Being a workaholic is both a blessing and a curse, but in the end, I am very grateful for my strong work ethic. Even though not everyone has the same focused mindset as I do, I know that everyone suffers from the lack of enthusiasm to work at one point or another. But, there are certain habits one can develop in order to find motivation easily and quickly. Sometimes, one cannot simply wait for inspiration; one must go out, find it and never let it go.