If You Don’t Like The Work, You Won’t Like The Product

Source: flickr.com via Niki on Pinterest

It’s true. You have to love the process to fall in love with the end product. There has been times in life where the work process was “blah”, so the end product was “meh”. On the other hand, when the process is “Wow!”, the end product is “Amazing!”. I don’t know about you, but I would be thrilled if the process was “Wow!” every time.

If I don’t like the process, I am rushing to push out the end product. When this the case, I am just worried about quantity, not quality, and that never works out well. Maybe you have been there, too. When quantity is key, you have a lot of blah. When quality is key, then a few gems are made. We all want to be part of something special, unique and life-changing. But, these things aren’t created in a day. To create something life-changing, there needs to be time put in.

So, how do we fall in love with a quality process in almost every situation?

Here are 4 ways to fall in love with the things you are working on and how to actually produce greatness in what you have started on:

1. Before you jump into something new, really think about what you want the outcome to be.

Imagine the finish line before you think about the start. Does the product that you are able to produce out of the process excite you? Would you say that it is worth it? If not, is there anything that you can change to make the process more exciting? Bring others in on your exciting journey and show them what the end could look like if hard work is put in. Then, have a plan and use the team to add on to it to make it their own. You will need buy-in from others.

Passion is what influences others.

2. Surround yourself with the positive people who are on the same team.

People who are all in want to be successful as much as you do. Identify those people who have a positive attitude and as a group influence others to get out of the downward spiral that is negativity, which will eventually result in destruction. Plain and simple, negative people suck the life out of everything they are around. Don’t accept negativity, you don’t have to put up with it and you don’t have to allow it. Bring life to your current situation and others will have to follow.

Celebrating success with others who are on your team is a reward in itself.

3. Don’t be afraid to change.

As a leader, if you see the process going in the wrong direction, don’t be afraid to change it. This may be one of the most important things you will face when changing an outlook of a team or the momentum of a project. Recognizing where and when change needs to happen is a true mark of a successful leader. Have courage and stand strong.

Chances are that you won’t walk into a perfect situation every time. Change is part of the process.

4. Again, you cannot rush greatness.

While sometimes being done with a task is better than being perfect, if you are going to shoot for mediocrity, then you might as well not even start. Just getting by isn’t productive for anyone involved. Set high standards and watch everyone else rise to the occasion. Set low standards and what you will get is a terrible product.

It starts with you. Be the one to achieve greatness. Don’t expect it just to happen on it’s own. When you understand that achieving the ideal finish takes being in it for the long haul, you can mentally prepare yourself. It may take years to get there, but do not get discouraged. It will be worth it. The key is to make the journey fun, so it doesn’t feel like work.

Be known for greatness, not mediocrity.

Where are you at? Do you enjoy the work you are putting in or do you need to fall back in love with it?You can leave your comment below.