Do The Work and Other Precepts

The Importance of the “Do The Work” Precept

In my previous life as a classroom teacher and real estate broker and residential appraiser, many times I worked sixty to seventy hours a week. This was necessary in order to complete everything that was required of me, whether it was as an employee of the school district or as the owner of my own small business. Once I came online full time in 2006 as an online entrepreneur I thought it would be fine for me to work just a few hours each day and still build a successful and lucrative business. I was mistaken and soon learned why I had to do the work for myself to make a permanent change in my circumstances.

In order for me to achieve my goals and change my life from one in which I was at the mercy or others instead of choosing for myself and exercising free agency, it was necessary for me to come up with some precepts (general rules intended to regulate our behavior or thought that we believe are true and of great importance) to forever live by in my new role as an entrepreneur. These have been refined over the past decade, but I’ve now simplified them into these four precepts:

• Take full and complete responsibility for everything that comes into my life experience
• Know that there is nothing I cannot do, and that I will always become equal to the task at hand
• Accept that “not feeling like it” will never be an excuse to quit or not begin a project or task
• Be willing to always “do the work” that is required to get from where I am to closer to where I want to be

Taking full and complete responsibility for everything I experience places me in the enviable position of having control over the decisions I make and the way in which I choose to allow these decisions to affect my outcomes. This type of independence is rare these days, and the freedom to have agency allows you to act on one’s own will.

Once you make a decision, believe that you will be able to accomplish your goal in due time. If it is difficult, or requires more from you than you are used to giving of yourself, know that you will become equal to the task at hand simply by committing to the project.

For more than two decades I was surrounded by people who would state on a regular basis that they “didn’t feel like” doing something that needed to be done. For much of this time I would also use this as an excuse for not finishing something I had started, or not starting something that had initially been of interest to me. Now I am a woman of my word, and I will move mountains, if necessary to do what I said I would do. This feels so good and has set me apart from most of my friends, peers, and colleagues.

Life requires stamina, interest, and hard work. Be willing to do the work necessary and your life will be more joyous and productive. There is also an excellent book by Steven Pressfield entitled Do The Work that elaborates on what I’m sharing here. I highly recommend that you read it cover to cover and implement what the author shares.

The good news is that you don’t need to do any of these things I have shared with you here completely on your own. I have found people to mentor me through many areas of my life. These individuals are there to guide me and to listen and watch as I work through everything that I consider to be of great importance.

What are your thoughts on this topic?

I’m bestselling author, marketing strategist, and entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and I would love to connect further with you to help you to achieve your goals. If you are interested in learning how to optimize the syndication of your content, please take a look at my popular Syndication Optimization training course and consider coming aboard to increase your visibility, credibility, and profitability.