I am sure everyone has heard this tune, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" by Billy Ocean.
When I first heard it in 1985, I was about 15 years old. The song got stuck in my mind and subconsciously reappears every time I face a hurdle or some difficulty.
Everybody has experienced complications and glitches in life, from stretched finances to keeping your relationships afloat. But one of the biggest dilemmas we all confront in life is about our work and career.
When reflecting on our career, we need to consider "happiness" as a construct.
Happiness is both a state of mind and an emotion. So, when you try to work out if you are satisfied with your career, you'll need to see if it is a source of happiness for you, but also if you are committed to your work. Because to manage any difficulties at work, you will need to be "committed".
John Assaraf, one of the world's leading behavioural and mindset experts, explained the difference between being interested in something and being committed to it. He argues that if you are interested in something, you will do what is convenient.
But if you are actually committed to it, you will do whatever it takes to make it happen.
In difficult times, with your work, you must not do that which is only easy or expedient. You need to be committed to doing anything and everything it takes to make things better for you.
Every successful executive and entrepreneur I have ever known showed extreme levels of commitment to what they believe in or the business they run. And this mindset manifests in everything they do, even outside their sphere of work.
The classic definition of being committed at work is about the enthusiasm an employee has for their tasks assigned at a workplace. It is the feeling of responsibility that the employee has towards the goals, mission and vision of the organisation they are associated with.
How do you show commitment, especially in times of difficulty?
Be adaptable
Can you adapt when work throws you a curve ball, or are you inflexible in the way you work?
The ability to change when needed is important in the workplace. And, for nearly all employers, this is crucial in post-Covid-19 pandemic times.
The way businesses and organisations are being forced to operate means that problems, changes and roadblocks will be the norm.
Being agile enough to adapt and to shift gears to handle those issues reduces their impact. Flexibility makes you valuable.
Be dependable
In your family circle, or at the workplace, you know the people you can rely on, and you also know the ones who usually run late, fail to deliver what they promise, or come up short.
When you make sure that you are that dependable employee, it showcases you in a positive light. It makes you an eminently suitable candidate, not only for promotions, but more importantly to retain when there are cutbacks or downsizing.
Perhaps, I am a little old school about this, but being reliable starts with whether you show up on time or late. And things like taking last-minute time off without advance notice really dent your dependability.
Being dependable also shows in your work. If you are reliable, you will deliver work on time and meet the required standards. When you regularly miss deadlines, or send in shoddy work, you become first on the firing line.
Be honest
Right now, being honest and ethical is critical in our work responsibilities. As an employee, your actions reflect on the company and contribute to its reputation. By working to build a positive reputation, you help the company become stronger, which gives you job security.
Remember it is hard to build trust but very easy to lose it, especially when you are caught lying or fiddling. You need to show that you are someone who can be trusted with important work tasks.
Adaptability, dependability and honesty show your commitment to work. If you want to retain your job, or be assured through challenging times, it all starts with your mindset. Limiting beliefs, self-doubt and the tendency to conjure up excuses will get you out of a job.
If you want to know whether you are just interested in your career or actually committed to it; think about what you have done today, this week, and perhaps over the past year. Your actions actually reveal the answer.
I repeatedly remind the people I work with, coach and train that our sense of purpose is shaped by the things we believe in, and value. When we have a strong sense of purpose, we develop a personal code of behaviour. And our connection to purpose will help us live by these beliefs and values.
So, when the going gets tough, do you get going?
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
