Give It Your All

As the escalator crested to the second floor of the convention center, Ken stepped off and headed straight for the cluster of armchairs off to the right. Relieved, he sat and looked at his watch: 30 minutes to midnight. 'No wonder I'm beat,' he thought. And then, 'What am I doing here? Working crazy hours to make Warner look good? It isn't worth it anymore.'

Because people are
perceptive, the truth
does get out, and
giving it your all
is almost always
a great choiceJust then he saw Peter hop off the escalator and start to make the turn to go up to Three. Spotting Ken by the window, Peter brightened, changed course and headed over to say hello, motioning to the woman behind him to follow.

"Gina, meet Ken Mersereau, Diamond Square. Ken, Gina Chang."

Ken stood and smiled. "Ah, yes, I attended your talk," Ken said as they shook hands. "Enjoyed it."

"Ken Mersereau…" Gina began, "…so you're the one who makes Warner look so good."

Ken was stunned. He didn't think anyone knew. "Well, I try, but that really isn't my main goal," he said. Suddenly he was glad that he'd decided to give it his all.

Holding back because you work for a credit thief is probably not your best strategy. Because people are perceptive, the truth does get out, and giving it your all is almost always a great choice. Here are three things to keep in mind as you decide how much of yourself to throw into a job.

Don't hold back to get even

Restraining yourself because of past or current injustice only confirms the (incorrect) low opinion others have of you. If you aren't appreciated, address the problem directly with the offenders. If that's impossible or if it fails, either do your job the best you can, or find another. Doing your job half-heartedly hurts you more than anyone else.

Work for yourself first

Praise or even adulation from others makes most of us feel good, but feeling wonderful yourself about the job you're doing is even better. Practice self-appreciation until you get really good at it. You'll probably find that appreciating yourself for something feels hollow unless you've given it your all.

Give only what you've got

Giving more than you've got isn't giving your all — it's giving what's not yours. You could be stealing from yourself, when you give up your time off; from your loved ones, when you deprive them of your full Self; or from colleagues, when you take unethical shortcuts.

When you give it your all (and only your all), a wonderful thing happens. You feel the peace that comes from knowing that this planet is a better place for your having lived on it.  Top    Next Issue

Love the work but not the job? Bad boss, long commute, troubling ethical questions, hateful colleague? This ebook looks at what we can do to get more out of life at work. It helps you get moving again! Read Go For It! Sometimes It's Easier If You Run, filled with tips and techniques for putting zing into your work life. Order Now!

For more on achieving and inspiring goals, see "Corrales Mentales," Point Lookout for July 4, 2001; "Commitment Makes It Easier," Point Lookout for October 16, 2002; "Beyond WIIFM," Point Lookout for August 13, 2003; "Your Wishing Wand," Point Lookout for October 8, 2003; "Knowing Where You're Going," Point Lookout for April 20, 2005; "Workplace Myths: Motivating People," Point Lookout for July 19, 2006; "Astonishing Successes," Point Lookout for January 31, 2007; and "Achieving Goals: Inspiring Passion and Action," Point Lookout for February 14, 2007.

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Coming April 17: How to Answer When You Don't Know How to Answer

People engaged in knowledge work must often respond to questions that test the limits of their knowledge, or the limits of everyone's knowledge. Responding effectively to such questions advances us all. Available here and by RSS on April 17.

And on April 24: Antipatterns for Time-Constrained Communication: 1

Knowing how to recognize just a few patterns that can lead to miscommunication can be helpful in reducing the incidence of problems. Here is Part 1 of a collection of communication antipatterns that arise in technical communication under time pressure. Available here and by RSS on April 24.

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