How to Do Good Work
Only work on things you love.
Is this project something you find somewhat inspiring? Do you feel good about it? It can be really hard to, but don’t be afraid to say no or turn something down.
What if I told you everyone’s provisions in life are guaranteed from day one? What if all you had to do was try to apply yourself and give everything your best?
What if every time you turned down a project or an opportunity, something else better came instead?
If you take on something you don’t find good, it eventually becomes very exhausting. Every time you need to do some small tweak, you find it annoying and tedious. You get closer and closer to being burned out.
If something is not exciting, at least try to think of an angle that could make it better. Don’t be afraid to tell the owner of the idea that you don’t like the idea as it is, and that you have a way to improve the concept and come up with something more awesome.
Feel like it’s your own child. Put your heart behind it. In the end, try to have something that you can sit there and stare at for hours and feel so proud of. Something you are eager to show off to the world.
You can only give something your best when you put your heart into it.
Find a balance.
The fastest way to get burned out is to focus only on work. You have to find some outlet that balances out the every day stresses or they only continue to fester. This outlet can be God, mediation, yoga, connection to nature (going on hikes or walks), connecting more with family, volunteering, etc.
If you focus on work only, the quality of your work starts to degrade over time. Everything starts to feel more robotic, you feel like a lifeless machine, just pushing buttons to make money.
If you can find a balance between work and everything else in life, you will end up spending less, but much more quality and productive time on good work.
Always learn.
Get over the fear of having to learn new things and fear of change, whether it’s having to adapt your technical tools or relearn something again from a completely different angle. Learning new stuff is tough for everyone. We feel weak and stupid. But if what we are learning is reusable for future projects, the reward in the end is almost always great. Don’t be afraid to continue to venture in the the unknown.
Lastly, doing good work is one of the most honorable ways to give back to humanity. You are actually producing things. Things that may solve some problems. Things that can inspire others to do their best too. You are doing a bit of your part in this world…
