An artist works for hours perfecting a craft until they are sure a piece of art is ready to be put on display. A carpenter sands wood until it is smooth and free of splinters, before he uses it to build beautiful wooden creations. A sculpture will work with clay, days before it is ready to be listed as a masterpiece.

When I practice worship songs for church, we practice the songs over and over again until they are ready to be sung on Sunday morning. If you go to the beach, you will see little children packing sand into sand buckets, carefully and with purpose, only to dump them in rows again side by side to create the most magnificent castles.

What do all of these things have in common? Pride in a job well done! There is something to be said about taking pride in what you do. It shows you have character and integrity. What would happen if you were to step back and see it from another person’s perspective?

What would people say about the work that you do? Is your work ethic worth emulating? If not, you must ask yourself “Why am I in this job?” Why do I continue to do what I am doing everyday if I do not continue to do my best.

When you work for a company, they should be able to count on your to offer up the best you have to give. Don’t just give your sloppy seconds, or your half-baked attempts to just show up and get a paycheck, you should really give quality time and effort to be excellence.

If you honestly can’t say at the end of the day, “WOW I really gave 100% today!” then maybe it’s time to take a step back and evaluate why you are working there in the first place.