5 rules to live and work by

I’ll be honest, I enjoy binge watching TV series. My favourite genres are fantasy and crime. As with any good series, you realise that the characters speak to you. Depending on what you wish to hear, you can either draw inspiration from it or just let it pass. Of course, the actor’s performance plays a big role but we will let that pass for now.

One such character that really motivated me of late is Gibbs from the American TC series NCIS. Gibbs follows a set of rules which have so far allowed him to work effortlessly. Just like him all human being should have a set of rules, rules which allow them to function to the best of their abilities. These rules should be set in stone and should not be broken at any point of time.

Here, I present 5 rules that I try to follow, especially at work.

1. Never Blame. Never Make Excuses

It is easy to take credit. Every workplace has its share of people who pass off others’ work as their own. It is equally easy to blame, for no one wants to be in the wrong books of the powers that are. However, the work should be its own reward. A work well done is a reflection of the ethic of the employee. Ethics guide good employees towards eventual success. Therefore, each employee should have a rule that allows then to deliver their best.

2. Never Get Angry

Employees have their own reasons to erupt. A bad morning, a not-to-supportive team, an overly demanding client, these are just some of the factors or situations that may cause heated brains, leading to heated arguments. However, being angry seldom does any good to anyone. Thus, make sure you have an anger management system for yourself in place.

3. Decide What’s a Priority at Any Point Of Time

In current situation when working from home has become the new normal, the avenues of distraction have also increased. We are bombarded from all sides by several attention dividers. At any point we have mails, messages, chats, calls and other things that ask for our attention. Some claim that they can multitask but over the long run, this proves itself to be a myth. Hence, prioritization is the key that empowers us to work effectively

4. Ignore What Other’s Think of You

In a competitive scenario, it is natural for people to pull others down. This may or may not be intentional. Hence, instead of taking things personally, it is better to ignore such remarks. As mentioned earlier, the work speaks for itself and results matter. All we need to do is to focus on self-improvement and focus on doing quality work.

5. Be Grateful

One of the greatest gift that our elders gave us was the adage, “Count your blessings”. With distractions, deadlines, exhaustive work schedules, it is easy for us to immerse ourselves into a pool of negativity. By simply counting our blessings, we switch to a plane of positivity instantly. Try it.

These were some of the rules that have kept me going. I look at them each day before starting my work, just to keep myself grounded and as a reminder that at the end of the day we all need to work with each other to achieve our collective goals. Having rules makes us just a tad bit easier to work with.