Work Ethic: The Skill That Builds Everything (And Why It Matters)

The Foundation

Reinvention seems to come when you’ve built, lost, pivoted, and repeated the process so many times that you wonder if you’re stuck in a game of career Whac-A-Mole.

At this stage in the game, I’m not sure if hitting my “reinvention age” for the fifth time is something to be proud of or slightly concerning. Maybe a little bit of both. Does sadly excited seem to fit well?

Three months ago, I closed our live music lounge, one of the biggest, boldest, and most fulfilling projects of my career and while I knew it was the right decision, nobody warns you about the weird in-between phase that comes next.

Pair the feeling of being lost with a sprinkle of existential dread, add a dash of “Oh, cool, I haven’t built a resume in two decades,” top it with your only child moving three hours away to college, a home reno, and there was for sure a problem.

Some would say this is where I saw the universe telling me to slow down, do some soul-searching, maybe even embark on a journey of self-discovery.

What’s This, A Reflex to Keep Moving?

After closing the last business, I said I was going to take six months to rest, reset, and refocus.

Maybe journal? I haven’t done that for oh, 27 years.

So I did. My return to journaling turned into a blog of essays, which then is now morphing into a book series.

One of my earliest lessons in work ethic not always getting you the job, came when I was 16.

There was a serving position open that I applied for at a local restaurant. I had been working since I was 13 and lived directly across the street, so I figured I had a decent shot.

You can imagine my surprise when the manager shook my hand and said, “I’m sorry. You just don’t have enough serving experience.”

Okay.

I didn’t understand.

I was a fast learner. Responsible, for one, and even took the time to not wear sweatpants. And unlike our server there, who walked off the job after taking our drink order never return, would’ve at least stayed through my entire shift.

Was I expected to believe that three years of work experience counted for nothing because none of it involved dropping off ranch dressing?

That was the moment I realized that work ethic is about showing up, putting in the effort, and actually doing the job.

Which requires not quitting mid-shift.

Work ethic gives you a sense of pride, propels you forward, and inspires others to rise to the occasion and match your energy. I feel it is one of the things that make a great foundation and creates a fulfilling life. Personal or professional.

That was the realization that shaped everything I built from that moment forward.

Knowing When to Pause

These past three months, the universe gave me every opportunity to slow down. To reflect. To breathe.

My work ethic took one look at that plan and basically threw my to-do list back in my face.

And I’m having the time of my life. I feel like I have found a new untapped inner resource and let’s be honest, I don’t know how to sit still. If I’ve learned anything in this new reinvention era, it’s this:

Work ethic is a powerful thing.
But knowing when to rest is just as important.