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  1. paperbackwriter

    paperbackwriter Banned Contributor

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    How's your work ethic?

    Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by paperbackwriter, Dec 27, 2018.

    Well for writers I imagine it would be strong. Otherwise you could never finish your story/book.
    If I reflect on my work ethic in various contexts, I can see it is in fact unpredictable. A physical job, I might be quite enthusiastic for a few hours but oncer I tire, I would be just going slowly through the motions. Depends on your fitness level too. And how hard the job is. I once did housekeeping and my back was hurting after two hours from bending making beds. For the next few hours I slowed considerably.
    I sometimes watch young people in awe at take away food franchises. They work under huge mental pressure but seem to handle it very well. I was never suited to a customer service role. I would burn out very quickly I imagine.
    if I've got a big project like cleaning out the garage, I will procrastinate. But once I start, I can get quite into it. Put some music and it can be actually fun. And it is rewarding at the end. Too bad I cant score an income for it.
    I remember how tough teaching elementary school kids was. After a tough day interacting with kids all day, you notice a pile of books on the desk that need marking and checking. The sight used to make my already frazzled mind, go into meltdown. And then I needed to think about my plan for the next day as well. No I don't miss that scenario one bit.
    I have a lazy streak if the truth be known. When the pressure is on, physical or mental, i'd rather be somewhere else. Where champions rise to the next level, I sink to a lower one. :)
     
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  2. Some Guy

    Some Guy Manguage Langler Supporter Contributor

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    Fcuked.

    Unpredictable. Inconsistent. Prone to stops and starts. I have a high level of skill, but become frustrated easily, especially if interrupted. I don't return to a task if I expect to be interrupted. I'm very slow. Multitasking and pressure will cause me to immediately collapse. I no longer have the temperament for the workplace. Severe ADHD and OCD make an obsessed perfectionist, and the quality of my work is high, if allowed night and day to finish. It does not happen.
     
  3. jim onion

    jim onion New Member

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    My work ethic toward fixing my work ethic could use some work.

    It's gotten better with practice. I had to learn things about myself, some of which @Some Guy already mentioned: I tend to not like returning to tasks if I anticipate being interrupted, I had to train myself to be less of a perfectionist during first drafts, I figured out that I'm not "too easily distracted" but I do *hate* being interrupted, because once I've been interrupted I find it very difficult to get back into what I was doing.

    I put my phone on silent so that I can check it when *I* want to, and I only respond to important messages. If it can wait, it waits.

    I recommend a book called "Willpower Doesn't Work". The title may be a little hyperbolic in my opinion, but the point is that we don't put enough emphasis on our surrounding environment.
     
    Last edited: Dec 27, 2018
  4. AbyssalJoey

    AbyssalJoey Active Member

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    Work ethic??? Is that some kind of weird food or something???
     
  5. Iain Sparrow

    Iain Sparrow Banned Contributor

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    I am the honeybee who never tires; intrepid, unthinking, blindly obedient to my nature.
    To make honey is a gift from God. To stop its production, a sin.

    Napoleon's symbol wasn't the eagle, nor the lion, or any rampant beast. It was the humble honeybee.


    As such it has a part to play in my WIP....

    “I wasn’t offended. The only thing I had that belonged to my mother was her wedding ring. But I’ve since lost it.” Rosemarie folded her hands in her lap. “I don’t want to lose your gift, so I keep it safe in a drawer.”

    Valerie put a hand on Rosemarie’s shoulder. “Would you do me a small kindness? It’s a silly thing, really — I’d like you to keep my little honeybee with you at all times, pinned on you as it is now . . . for luck.”

    “Yes, of course I will,” said Rosemarie. Her eyes widened. “Is it mystical? Did you steal it from the queen? Does it have a curse on it?”

    Valerie laughed wholeheartedly. “I see you’ve been reading tales of highwaymen and shadowy intrigues. Very good, you have a sense of adventure. But no, the brooch isn’t cursed, nor is it even valuable. Still, if some rainy day you find yourself in dire need, it may open doors for you.”
     
    Last edited: Dec 27, 2018
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  6. Shenanigator

    Shenanigator Has the Vocabulary of a Well-Educated Sailor. Contributor

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    That's an interesting question. I'm extremely driven and usually work best under pressure. If I'm working toward something I want, I'm tenacious as hell and am in it for the long haul. However, I don't do well at all in slow-paced, repetitive, or stagnant environments. That's when I procrastinate...probably to put pressure on myself to liven things up. ETA: So...Yes, but I choose my projects and environments very carefully.
     
  7. paperbackwriter

    paperbackwriter Banned Contributor

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    The child in me can attend to the creative aspects of the job but the adult has to make sure it gets finished . My adult often goes AWOL. :)
     
  8. Tenderiser

    Tenderiser Not a man or BayView

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    For my day job, it depends how you look at it. On the one hand I'm a procrastinator and very motivated by deadlines, so my tendency is to leave the bulk of the work until close to the due date. On the other hand I hate hate hate submitting substandard work, so I will stay in the office until 11pm rather than let standards slide. My time wasting only affects me negatively, not my company.

    I don't treat my fun writing as work so I don't have a work ethic, so to speak. I write when I feel like it and don't force myself when I don't. I'm still very motivated by deadlines, and even more so by knowing people are depending on me, so I will never turn in edits late. But self-imposed deadlines? I miss those all the time.
     
  9. DK3654

    DK3654 Almost a Productive Member of Society Contributor

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    My work ethic is... how you say... shit.
    The main reason I have gotten anywhere with writing my story is I actually want to do that. But then I am still a little slow...

    Perhaps someday I will develop better discipline.
     
  10. hyacinthe

    hyacinthe Banned

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    I am opposed to the very notion of work ethic. it's poison; don't touch it.
     
  11. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    As a writer it is shit, but when it comes to something
    that guarantees pay, I am all on top of that shit.
    Unless my writing starts to actually pay off, then I
    might adjust my model slightly. :)
     
  12. Shenanigator

    Shenanigator Has the Vocabulary of a Well-Educated Sailor. Contributor

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    This. I always build an all-nighter or two into the schedule.
     
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  13. Matt E

    Matt E Ruler of the planet Omicron Persei 8 Contributor

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    I'm really good at laser-focusing in on one thing, and making substantial progress towards it quickly. I do the scattered-brain thing where I check email and such, but I also work really fast and sometimes get lost in the work for a little while. But I have trouble working on one thing when my focus is somewhere else. It's often more efficient to just work on that one other thing until I'm done, then start something else. My standards are high, so I spend time revising then cool down and bask in the satisfaction of what I just made. This applies pretty much the same to all three of my callings, which are programming, design, and writing.
     
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  14. Iain Sparrow

    Iain Sparrow Banned Contributor

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    That's the secret.
    Great art does not come from a place of comfort.
     
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  15. Alan Aspie

    Alan Aspie Banned Contributor

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    1. What does "work" mean?

    2. What does "ethic" mean?
     
  16. LadyErica

    LadyErica Active Member

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    I've always tried to take pride in my work, whatever it is. If there is something I need to do, I'll do it as best I can, and without complaining. But that's if there is something I have to do. Otherwise, I'm glad I'm Norwegian. I hibernate through our 11 month winter. :D
     
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