How to Develop a Good Work Ethic

Co-authored by Jessica Elliott, ACC, CEC

Last Updated: December 23, 2022 References

Whether you are working at a job or studying at school, developing a good work ethic can be critical to success. Different fields prioritize different characteristics and qualities, but any good work ethic involves good time management, focus, and dedication. If you are looking to develop or improve your work ethic, you can make progress by concentrating on these areas.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Focusing on Your Work

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Make work a priority. To develop a good work ethic, you will have to take work seriously, and aim to do it well. This doesn’t mean that many important aspects of your life that are not related to work, nor does it mean that you have to work all the time. During work time, work-related tasks should be your primary concern, and make sure you balance your work life and non-work life so that you have enough time and energy to do your work well.
- If you are partially or completely in charge of setting your own work time, you will have to be sure to minimize distractions when working, and to work for a set period of time. Set a specific number of hours (e.g. 6 hours) and treat it like you're in a professional office. Factor in time for breaks and meals, if necessary.^{[1]
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  Piazza, C. (2008). Work ethic. In R. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of business ethics and society. (pp. 2254-2256). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.} Diligently maintaining a log of the hours you work will help you to do this.
2
Be professional. Being respectful of others, showing consistency and reliability, being honest, and other values are part of developing a good work ethic.^{[2]
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Research source} Many of these values have to do with how you treat others; a work ethic doesn’t just mean working hard, but also working well with others.
- When you make a mistake or don’t complete your work, don’t make excuses. Owning your mistakes or shortcomings and promising to improve in the future shows maturity and a willingness to work well with others.
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3
Maintain a good reputation at work. Aside from working doing your tasks well, you can cultivate a good reputation at work by being honest, following workplace rules (concerning punctuality, breaks, time off, etc.), and being fair to others.^{[5]
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- Avoid gossiping at work. This will show that you are focused on your job, treat others fairly, and are a good team player. Be personable and wish your coworkers well, but don't get caught up in gossip, oversharing, or office drama.
4
Practice self-discipline. Staying focused, and making choices that will benefit you in the long run are also part of developing a good work ethic.^{[6]
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Research source} This means being able to tell yourself, and others, when work needs to come first. Values like dedication, ambition, and persistence are valued by employers, and can lead to success in school and work.^{[7]
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- Remember that if you tell yourself you need to put something on hold in order to take care of work first, it doesn’t mean that you’ll never get around to it. Reward yourself by relaxing or having fun after you’ve finished your work.
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Set aside time specifically for work. When possible, try to work around “focus times.” Give yourself a set period of time (such as an hour or an hour and a half) in which you will work deliberately and without distractions.
- If you are in school or self-employed, then your hours might be flexible, and you will have to be diligent about making time specifically to do work. Even if an employer sets your work hours for you, however, you can benefit from declaring “focus time” if possible—ask others not to disturb you, turn off all electronic distractions, etc.
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Know your distractions, and minimize them when working. Everyone has certain things that can distract them from work: social media, chatting or texting friends, playing games, watching television, etc. When you are working, make sure to minimize potential distractions, and especially those that you know you are especially drawn to.
- Be persistent if people try to pull you away from your work. For instance, if people distract you by chatting, tell them you have work that you’ve got to finish, but you’d love to catch up with them later.
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Understand how your work speed may vary. Often, you won’t reach your full productivity, work speed, or creativity immediately after you start working. Instead, you might need a certain amount of time (10-30 minutes, for example) in order to reach this level. Factor this into the time you set aside for work, especially if you are working on a deadline.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Managing Your Time

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Build up to longer periods of work. Keep track of how long you can ordinarily work before getting tired. Once you have this benchmark, try working more than this on one day, followed by a day in which your work load is lighter. Periodically pushing yourself like this can help your build up to being able to work effectively for longer periods.
- Another technique to building up to longer periods of work is to push yourself a little further at times. When you feel like you don’t want to work any longer, or are looking for ways to procrastinate, don’t stop immediately. Instead, commit to working a little longer (20 minutes, for example), and then stopping.
2
Give yourself time to rest. Getting enough rest is important to maintaining a good work ethic. If you are truly tired (and not looking to procrastinate), it is a sign that you should take a break. Whatever your work schedule is like, make sure you factor in enough time for sleep and relaxation into your day. ^{[8]
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- There is some variation from person to person, but generally adults need 7.5 to 8.5 hours of sleep per day.^{[9]
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3
Maintain a good work-life balance. Work can be very important, but it is also important not to neglect other parts of your life. Everyone needs mental breaks, to have time to do things they enjoy, and to take care of non-work priorities.^{[10]
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Research source} Maintaining a life beyond work is actually part of developing a good work ethic, so make sure you allow yourself this.
- When you are off of work for the day, disconnect completely. Try not to think about pending projects, check your work email, or talk too much about work with family and friends.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Resisting Procrastination

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Commit to doing what needs to be done. If you know or decide that something needs to be done, don’t give up until it is. Rest and finding a work-life balance are always important, but so is taking care of the things you need to get done.

EXPERT TIP

Jessica Elliott, ACC, CEC
Certified Executive Coach
Jessica Elliott is a Certified Executive Coach and multi-passionate entrepreneur. She's the founder of LIFETOX, where she hosts mindful experiences and retreats, and J Elliott Coaching, which she provides executive consulting for professionals, teams, and organizations. Jessica has had over fifteen years experience as an entrepreneur and over five years of executive coaching experience. She received her ACC (Associate Certified Coach) accreditation through the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and her CEC (Certified Executive Coach) accreditation through Royal Roads University.

Jessica Elliott, ACC, CEC
Certified Executive Coach

Consider what's leading you to procrastinate. If you're struggling with motivation at work, try to understand where the root of the problem is coming from. Is it really because you're lazy, or are you just not challenged by or interested enough in what you're doing?
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Make a 30-day effort to resist procrastination. If you know you have a problem with procrastination, then make it a point to resist it for a month. Doing so can give you a foundation for long-term success and a strong work ethic.
- During this period, if you feel the urge to procrastinate, remind yourself “I need to get this done,” and make yourself do work instead of turning to distractions.
3
Focus on doing your work well. No one is perfect, so we all make mistakes in our work from time to time. However, if you make it your goal to do your work well (no matter what it is), it will increase your motivation to succeed, and to fight procrastination. You can even make a goals list and post it nearby to help keep you inspired and on-track.^{[11]
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- If you feel yourself getting tired or worn out because of work, stop and rest. If you try to work when you are exhausted, you risk doing less than your best. Not only can this be discouraging, it can make more work for you to do later when you have to correct something or do it over again. Just make sure you aren’t procrastinating, and that you have a clear plan of when and how to pick up with your task after you rest.
- If you work in or study a creative field, procrastination can be a way of dealing with pressures of criticism and/or creative block. If this is the case, resolve yourself to worry about perfecting a project later in the work process. That way, you can get started, make progress, be encouraged, and improve your work later.
- If you work in or study a creative field, you might also benefit from setting two deadlines—one to get a first “draft” of a project, and a second to revise and improve the project. It can also be beneficial to give yourself time between these two deadlines to take a break and refresh your perspective.

Community Q&A

Question

A lot of the issues in this article describe what a person with a good work ethic is like, but how can I change the deep subconscious roots to alter behavior in someone like me with a bad work ethic?

Community Answer

The best thing I can suggest is to just follow the tips in the article even if they don't come naturally to you. Over time, you may find those subconscious roots are changing to match your behaviors.
Question

Proper attire or wearing the correct uniform is important as well, right?

Community Answer

That would fall under the category of professionalism. Wearing proper attire in the workplace is a mark of a professional person, which is a sign of a good work ethic.
Question

How can I improve my work ethic at school?

Amy Gremillion

Community Answer

Maintain a positive attitude about the changes you are going to be experiencing and try setting a few goals for your first year as a high schooler. Once you establish your goals, determine what you will need to do to meet them and work on developing good practices that will ensure your success. A large part of succeeding in simply believing you can.

Warnings

Be careful to avoid "degree mills" when you enroll in a distance learning opportunity - some schools issue degrees that are worth little more than the paper they are printed on.

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Working full-time and going to college full-time, even through distance learning, can be a huge challenge. If you become overwhelmed, you can take fewer classes to relieve yourself. It is impossible to do your best work when you are overburdened.

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