A Summertime Lesson
I mowed lawns the summer after my sophomore year in high school. I should say that I
tried to mow lawns. Because it was a larger company we weren't working with your
simple push mower. No, it was far different from a happy afternoon walking leisurely
behind a chopping friend; it was war, standing on a tiny platform behind a monstrous
tank as it lugged me from here to there.
I was terrible at first, as you can probably deduce. I gouged hills, gnawed
concrete, and clipped stones, sending them hurling through the air and at my boss's
head. I didn't enjoy my daily near-death experiences, so my motivation to work began
to fizzle.
Things turned around when Travis, the boss's son, took me under his wing. After
getting his fill of laughing at the rookie getting dragged across the lawn, he
unloaded bags and bags of advice on me. He answered my questions and corrected my
mistakes.
By mid-summer, after cutting up lawns as if I had worked with scissors at midnight,
I began to improve. Some would even say that I was good (not sure who they would be).
As my skill increased, my motivation followed right along.
No one enjoys fumbling through work. Even if they don't fumble, everyone enjoys
doing what they do well. So here's my tip: improve your work skills, not because
it's good for your boss but because it's good for you. The better you are at your
job, the happier you'll be doing it.
You don't have to sink a fortune into school or crisscross the state in search of
ballroom conferences. Read a book. Talk with a co-worker. Visit a Web site. Every
ounce of new information will offer new energy.
|
