Do Your Best Work and Do It On Time

(2 Minute Read)

I often tell my students that two of the most important habits they can develop is to strive to do their best work and to do their best work on time. Personally, I have experienced the benefits of this approach through new professional opportunities and improved relationships with others.  I have also experienced the negative effects of submitting substandard work or missing a deadline, including the loss of trust from others and low self-confidence. I share this lesson with my students for the following three reasons.

1. In striving to do your best work you learn what you are capable of. You will think of new ideas and develop the ability to overcome hurdles, either self-imposed or from others.
2. When you complete your work on time, others will trust your ability to get a job done and new opportunities will come your way. When you fail to meet a deadline, trust erodes.  Others may forgive you and say they understand, but they may question whether you will follow through the next time.
3. The act of striving to do your best work and to do your best work on time will give you a competitive edge. In my 25 years as an educator the students that get the highest grades, the athletes that achieve success on the playing field, and the professionals that are the most respected in their career field, more often than not, work hard to learn the skills they need to do their best work, arrive to meetings on time and meet deadlines when completing projects.

The act of striving to do your best work and complete your work on time is within your control.  Therefore you can take deliberate action to make this a habit using the following three steps:

1. Learn what “doing good work” is relative to your professional field. In striving to do your best work, learn what the standard of excellence is for the professional field you work in or aspire to work in.  If you do not currently possess the skills to meet this standard, then take responsibility to learn the skills you need.
2. Make a habit of completing small tasks on time. For example, you promise by the end of the day to send a friend a web link about a job posting you came across.  The simple act of following through with your promise to send the web link will build trust with your friend and also develop your confidence in completing tasks.
3. Set a standard for those you lead. Help others learn what “doing good work” is relative to the setting you work in and demand they complete their work on time.  By setting a standard for others to follow, you will be motivated to model the same behavior.

In sum, there will be times when you falter and miss a deadline, make a mistake, or hurry through a project.  Nonetheless, continue to focus on striving to do your best work and do it on time.  Over time, you will become a person others can trust and more opportunities will come your way.