By Design or Default: What Are You Doing?

In order to perform exceptionally, you must work intentionally. – Ken Coleman

My First Job

I had minimal options when I first came to the United States. I was fresh out of high school, and my resume was thin (it only had a computer course I had taken right after high school). McDonald’s was my best option. To be honest, I did not enjoy what I did. I cooked in a hot kitchen for eight hours or wiped tables and scrub floors in the dining area. I went home dead tired and smelling like french fries and hamburgers, but never in regret because I gave my best. 

My motivation to work hard was intrinsic. Realizing that the job was simply a stopover and a stepping stone to fulfilling my purpose, I did not allow the fact that I did not like what I did to reflect on my job performance.  

It’s been years since that first job, but from those humble beginnings, I learned two important lessons that have served me well even today when my range of options has increased. Here they are:

See Purpose Over Preference

By bringing a good attitude and a work ethic, I learned that preferences should never be an excuse for poor performance. In my experience, it is not what you do, but what you bring to what you do that determines what you get out of it. Many of us have preferences, that is, what we would rather do instead of what we are currently doing. Dig deeper than your preferences and ask, “Am I giving my best in what I am doing right now? Martin Luther King made this unforgettable observation:

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper. He should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth pause to say; ‘Here lives a great sweeper who did his job well.’”

As you bring your best to whatever you do, although not preferable, your productivity will automatically rise. 

Dig deeper than your preferences and ask, “Am I giving my best in what I am doing right now?

See Productivity Over Perfection

Beethoven, Michelangelo, or Shakespeare didn’t wake up and create masterpieces of music, art, or poetry. This came years after consistently being productive with consistent action. Stop putting off what you need to do because of the excuses you have been giving. Step up and act on what you can do now because you never get back the time you waste. You can only use the time you have now. Use it well. This is how productivity wins over perfection.

Final Thought: Giving your best at whatever you do is a core trademark of excellence, defined as being consistently diligent over a long period. The quickest path to poor performance is comparing what you do to someone else. Stave off complacency by seeing purpose over preference and productivity over perfection. Stop wishing you could do something different. Apply enthusiasm to what you are doing. Your best effort today is key to unlocking your greatest potential.  

Keep on Keeping on!