# Do you have a good work ethic?



## bowlingpins (Oct 18, 2008)

If so, were you always this way or did you learn it? Do you have any ideas on how to improve? 

I am naturally a big procrastinator, my work ethic is shoddy. My goal is to improve it ... somehow.

edit: ok, first step then. Stay away from the computer. Read for the test next week for atleast 6 hours today.


----------



## bowlingpins (Oct 18, 2008)

terrific, I completed 20 minutes of reading according to my stopwatch. Good job bowlingpins. :S


----------



## Darkhadia (Feb 8, 2009)

bowlingpins said:


> terrific, I completed 20 minutes of reading according to my stopwatch. Good job bowlingpins. :S


At least it's something. You could've done nothing and have 20 minutes less reading in your head :yes


----------



## Catching Fire (Apr 23, 2009)

bowlingpins said:


> terrific, I completed 20 minutes of reading according to my stopwatch. Good job bowlingpins. :S


I think your being too hard on yourself. Six hours is too much for anyone I think. You need to build up to goals too. It would probably work better if you read say 30 minutes a day this week and then an hour each day next week.

For the work ethic I know Judo really helped mine and doing any hard martial art like BJJ, MMA, boxing, muay thai would probably have the same effect. Other then that I would recomend planning what you want to do out and setting realistic goals. I keep a journal to do this and its worked out well for me.


----------



## zookeeper (Jun 3, 2009)

I'm writing this at work, so... no?


----------



## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

Not really.


----------



## nemesis1 (Dec 21, 2009)

I have a terrible work ethic.

I've been fired from from so many jobs for not putting any effort in to what im doing, because i simply dont give a damn about the work im doing, i just want to get paid for doing as little possible really.

I totally resent work.


----------



## person987 (Jan 22, 2010)

I have a pretty good work ethic (um, I think so, anyway), partially because I fear negative feedback (from bosses, or professors etc.), and partially because it's ingrained.

The best thing to do if you have a task ahead of you is to simply start. The rest follows on from that. Also, try to make things fun, and achieveable. No one likes doing anything that seems insurmountable. Just give yourself a goal of, say, 5 minutes. And try to get as much reading done as possible in that time. You'll be surprised how much you can achieve. You could watch a bit of tv, then do another 5 minutes, or ten minutes...small intervals can add up over the course of a day.


----------



## anonymid (Oct 16, 2005)

I have a terrible work ethic. I'm lazy and I procrastinate; I work slowly, timidly, and inefficiently; I'm terrible at maintaining focus and attention on what I'm doing; I get bored and impatient very quickly, and I tend to give up the moment something becomes difficult. I lack will and determination, I am not creative or resourceful, and I don't rise up to challenges.

This is what scares me so much about applying for jobs. I don't know how I'm supposed to convince a potential employer that I can do a job well when I'm fully convinced that I _can't_ do the job well.


----------



## drealm (Jul 7, 2009)

I'm pretty good at going to work. But I've been always lazy around the house and at school. If you're trying to study better for school, it would help to take a "study skills" class. I took one and it was one of the best classes I took in college. The class teaches you how to study, read, take notes, memorize, ect. Six hours is way too much in one sitting. Humans study better in one hour stretches. Don't study harder, study smarter.


----------



## 1applehearts1 (Jan 7, 2010)

yeah i have a good work ethic. i just feel so much better when i do well at work and school. when i get good grades. i got all a's and b's last semester and it feels great. and at work if i even go a minute over lunch or break i feel guilty. i feel productive doing my best and trying hard


----------



## Dempsey (Jun 27, 2009)

Terrific work ethic. I was yelled at a lot, though.


----------



## NemoNevermore (Aug 7, 2009)

bowlingpins said:


> If so, were you always this way or did you learn it? Do you have any ideas on how to improve?
> 
> I am naturally a big procrastinator, my work ethic is shoddy. My goal is to improve it ... somehow.
> 
> edit: ok, first step then. Stay away from the computer. Read for the test next week for atleast 6 hours today.


Six hours? Hope that's not all at once. I can read for fun more or less endlessly, but doing too much schoolwork fries my brain.

Hm, I have a decent work ethic. However, I not only work better under pressure, I pretty much don't work unless there's pressure. I can write an A paper a night or two before it's due in one shot, but a week before that I won't be able to push myself to do anything.

I learned my work ethic as a kid with grades and all that. Nothing like a fear of being homeless to motivate you, eh? What I would do is find an environment where there are very few distractions. If you're writing a paper or schoolwork I would take breaks every once in a while. Usually for every forty-five minutes I write I take fifteen more to play hearts or some other mindless game. You could also set a limit that for every page you finish you get a fifteen minute break. If you're at work, though, that's a different story, as they don't take kindly to any more than the allotted number of breaks. What I do is take some time to just space out and clear my head before going back at it. I also find I can think more clearly after doing that. And finally, you can always use the knowledge of what will happen to you if you don't work as a reminder to keep moving.


----------



## bobthebuilder (Jun 17, 2009)

I do, under one condition: the work has to be difficult. At my current job, for the first year i worked extremely hard, like skipping breaks and taking a short lunch, because i was trying to learn everything about it and do as much work as possible. But now that i have more or less mastered it, i do very little work and take long breaks.


----------



## Dempsey (Jun 27, 2009)

bobthebuilder said:


> I do, under one condition: the work has to be difficult. At my current job, for the first year i worked extremely hard, like skipping breaks and taking a short lunch, because i was trying to learn everything about it and do as much work as possible. But now that i have more or less mastered it, i do very little work and take long breaks.


Mmm you become too comfortable. It's in the same in the kitchen, they say you shouldn't spend longer than 2 years in any one restaurant.


----------



## VIncymon (Apr 16, 2009)

I have great work ethic. I come to work early. Don't take any snack breaks in the morning, often work into the lunch hour, and on some days leave after working time.

Now if only my productivity were *equal* to my work ethic !


----------



## GermanHermit (Sep 6, 2008)

My mother set me a good example of work ethic.


----------



## bowlingpins (Oct 18, 2008)

Darkhadia said:


> At least it's something. You could've done nothing and have 20 minutes less reading in your head :yes


I suppose that's the optimist's way of looking at things but I am no optimist. 20 minutes in 3 hours isn't good at all. I was right to be mad at myself then.



Catching Fire said:


> I think your being too hard on yourself. Six hours is too much for anyone I think. You need to build up to goals too. It would probably work better if you read say 30 minutes a day this week and then an hour each day next week.
> 
> For the work ethic I know Judo really helped mine and doing any hard martial art like BJJ, MMA, boxing, muay thai would probably have the same effect. Other then that I would recomend planning what you want to do out and setting realistic goals. I keep a journal to do this and its worked out well for me.


I know I need to pace myself better. From a young age, I have had a habit of impulsively setting too high goals for myself without clear, defined plans on how to get there. I don't know if I can change this now. 
I will look into martial arts, always thought it was fascinating.

Thanks all for responding.


----------



## wendykiss897 (Jan 28, 2010)

I think my work ethic is very good. I rarely call in sick and although I'm allowed
2 15min. breaks and a lunch, I'm usually too busy to stop even to take a bathroom break. When I have a second to breath i will drink the coffee I brought up to the floor at 6:30am and gulp it down at 10:30..then it's back to work..
I am not the only one who doesn't take breaks where I work..it really is hectic


----------



## bowlingpins (Oct 18, 2008)

^ That reminds me of my mother. My parents are incredibly hard working. I am quite the opposite though, don't know what the hell happened to me.:lol



EremitaGermanus said:


> My mother set me an example of work ethic and I'm easily motivated by enthusiastic and hardworking co-workers.


Yeah, I find conscientious people very inspiring.


----------



## mrbojangles (Oct 8, 2009)

im a really hard worker, i use it as an excuse to avoid people at work though.


----------



## Twice on Time (Dec 31, 2009)

anonymid said:


> I have a terrible work ethic. I'm lazy and I procrastinate; I work slowly, timidly, and inefficiently; I'm terrible at maintaining focus and attention on what I'm doing; I get bored and impatient very quickly, and I tend to give up the moment something becomes difficult. I lack will and determination, I am not creative or resourceful, and I don't rise up to challenges.


^ this is me


----------



## Atari82 (Jan 19, 2010)

I procrastinate every single day, its one of the main issues that keeps me from going out and overcoming my SA.


----------



## Groundskeeper (Feb 6, 2010)

I have a good, strong work ethic...at work. At home, I'm a big time procrastinator.


----------



## mcmuffinme (Mar 12, 2010)

i have great work ethic if deadlines are planned for me, but taking my own initiative is a whole 'nother story. i am great with school deadlines (for the most part, though i do procrastinate often until the very VERY last second), and when i played sports i had great endurance, and worked hard when someone was on my back telling me to move it.

But of my own will I am incredibly lazy. Without a teacher or a coach or a set deadline in my face I just have no sense of urgency. Goals all seem hazy and I don't see the point in setting any, even though I know it's important.

if i really want something though i can achieve it...but i have to REALLY want it, lol.


----------



## Steve123 (Sep 13, 2009)

I would if I had better focus


----------

