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Written by Jason Montoya. Posted in Personal Development.

Embracing The Satisfaction Of A Job Well Done and The Duty Of Excellent Work

Since the beginning of time, creation played a major factor in this universe. God created the heavens and the earth with a Big Bang. And, it was good.

He took satisfaction in His creation, and we humans are no exception when it comes to creating and valuing what we've finished (regardless of how you believe the universe came about). 

Humans share a sense of accomplishment and favor for what we’ve done and the hard work we did to bring what we value to life. But, to sustain ongoing work requires not only creating excellent products and art, it means appreciating, enjoying and deciding the work we've created is good. It requires we embrace the satisfaction of our finished creation. 

My Inspirational Achievement Examples

For me, the numerous finished essays and articles here on this blog are a great example. Looking at a finished blog post with its usual beautiful Unsplash image is a personally satisfying experience. Next week I'll finish my goal of having a total of 400 published articles on this website, something I'll find great satisfaction upon completion.

Accomplishment. 

This satisfaction that comes from achievement is a fuel that motivates me to pursue and complete the next achievement. Looking at a stream of accomplishments over time is an entirely different level of satisfaction and motivation.

But these wins are not simply limited to publishing articles here on the blog. They also include side and work-related projects.

It feels good to complete meaningful and productive work. But, the benefit is not limited to me. My wife, kids, and community also benefit from this success. It allows my work to help others, the margin to give more generously, and the connections to help others move forward. Thriving together, my vision.

A Cultural Disdain for Hard Work?

We ought to value work, no matter what kind. But, many entrepreneurs actually go into the business realm to escape certain tasks. In some cases, they look down upon traditional employment and corporate laddering. And there is a motivation that comes with succeeding so we owners don't have to become an employee.

When I shut down my business, I resisted seeking and embracing traditional employment. I saw it as a loss of financial upside and freedom of time. But as I worked through this tension, I came to recognize these areas of resistance were actually holding me back.

Regardless of the vocational path, I took, learning how to navigate and accomplish my goals through different means was a powerful lesson I carried into my freelancing work. Learning to become a great employee is a large ingredient for how I became a great freelancer.

Recently, as a result of the terrible things Bill Cosby did to numerous women, The Cosby Show lost its syndication and multiple streams of revenue that went to the many actors not named Bill Cosby. One of which was Geoffrey Owens who was found bagging groceries. Unfortunately, the media ran with the story painting his work as a fall from grace and a terrible thing.

The response from him and his fans was terrific and uplifting. In the following interview, Owens shares his experience and what it means to work.

In the following video clip, he expands on the dignity of work, regardless of what kind.

The Unexpected Success of Menial Work

Work matters, no matter the type. Plus, like Owens, we never know how the small little things we do well will affect our future. In his case, working in the grocery store may very well turn out to be a catalyst for rebooting his acting career.

When I first began freelancing, there were numerous times where I didn't have enough paid work to fill my day. On one occasion, there was a request for help move boxes and products at a storefront in downtown Norcross. The work was basic, and the pay was ten dollars per hour, way below what I charged. But, I took it because some money was better than no money.

While helping this owner, the store next door business also needed help that week, which I agreed to. Following this help, the owner needed a garage sale run and hired me on the basis of taking a percentage of revenue generated. I ended up earning around thirty dollars an hour, an upgrade from the ten!

After witnessing my hard work ethic, the owner ended up discovering I built websites, which she needed and hired me for at my full rate. All this fruit for simply being willing, and following through with low paying hard work.

Wrapping It Up

"Drudgery is one of the finest tests to determine the genuineness of our character. Drudgery is work that is far removed from anything we think of as ideal work. It is the utterly hard, menial, tiresome, and dirty work. And when we experience it, our spirituality is instantly tested and we will know whether or not we are spiritually genuine." - Oswald Chambers

Work, of all kinds, matters greatly. And like Chambers says in the quote above, it acts a powerful test for our character.

Are we willing to do the type of work we think is beneath us? Once we get over this hump, we can find value in the work we do and how we do it. This stewardship provides the foundation for us to embrace the satisfaction that comes with finishing our work and goals. 

Hero Photo by Yukie Emiko on Unsplash

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