It’s always after you’ve reached the middle point of something that we feel we’re half way there. And, often, instead of pressing our way though to the end, we feel as if we have somehow arrived. We feel as if we have reached our destination or, in the least, come to point wherein we can coast to the finish line.
For example, after hump day (Wednesday), we start looking toward the weekend and watching the clock as if we can make 5:00 PM Friday come any sooner. The trouble with that is this. All of the work we do on Thursday and Friday suffers for it. The quality of work is poor. The amount of work is reduced and it leads us to start the following week cleaning up the mess we made on the previous Thursday and Friday.
What gives?
Don’t allow all the good you do from Monday through Wednesday to be overlooked because you decided on Thursday to relax and coast your way through to 5:00 PM on Friday. Instead, give everyday all you’ve got.
Give everyday all you’ve got.
Simply put: you get what you put in. If you put in the time and the effort, you can expect and receive great results. If you offer a half-hearted approach on any day, you will reap the consequences. You have to give better than 100% all the time, every day and in every task. Give everything you’ve got everyday of the week. Give it all and leave nothing on the table. You’ll be proud that you did and your work will speak for itself.
Is it hard to do? Yes, especially with so many distractions pulling at our attention. The lure of the weekend, the vacation – whatever it is. Put it off until it actually gets here. When Wednesday comes, change your focus. If your routine was to pack everything into and do everything Monday through Wednesday, then allow Thursday and Friday to be your quality control days. These are days where you can go over your previous work while also taking on some tasks that you can focus on. Remember the idea is that you give every day your best. The amount of effort you give will determine the success of your work.
The 212th Degree
And, finally, as I was reminded by a good friend of mine (Ryan Wyllys at Principal Financial Group), your work and what you do should go beyond the boiling point. It should get to the 212th degree. The degree at which boiling water becomes steam. It’s the tipping point at which power is produced and can be used. It’s that extra degree that sets the stage for change. It sets the stage for progress. And, it will ultimately define your life.
So, in the spirit of sounding youthful, but in a good way… #turnup!
This post was adapted from and first appeared at notionmotioncorp.com.
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