Work Ethic

"Laziness may appear attractive but work gives satisfaction." -Anne Frank-

It seems that as of late I've been noticing a gradual decline in actual WORK. According to Webster's Dictionary the definition of work is: 1.) Exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil. 2.) Something on which exertion or labor is expended; a task or undertaking. 3.) Productive or operative activity. 4.) The result of exertion, labor, or activity; a deed or performance.

So according to those examples of the definition of work one would conclude that in order to actually achieve something or attain something there has to be some sort of WORK involved. I am so sick and tired of the attitudes of others that it's just easier to lolly gag around all day long and not actually put in any effort.I was raised to have a strong work ethic.My parents never had to instill those values in me when I was younger, but I grew to understand what it was that I had to do to succeed and be successful in life. And with that came a whole lot of hard work.

I was accepted to culinary school when I was 15 years old, a Sophomore in high school.While most of the other kids were off goofing around, I just couldn't wait to get out of high school and start my career.I started taking workshops and classes at the Art Institute of Phoenix when I was 15 and established an amazing relationship with all the chefs before I even started school.So by the time I actually graduated high school they were all thinking: "Well it's about damn time you got here already!" LOL! Because of the relationships that I had with all of those chefs they knew about me already and knew that I was ready to give 110% so they knew that they could push me to the brink.I think that's where my work ethic within the culinary industry was established.I was pushed so hard and had to overcome obstacles and succeed under intense pressure and essentially compete with the other students.

We were all classmates, yes, but we were all essentially competing to have that extra special dish that gained the chef's approval, or that extra tip in the dining hall for giving great customer service to the customers, or having an AWESOME portfolio at graduation that earned you the best portfolio nomination.(Which I got by the way!) So in essence I was constantly striving, constantly working to attain and achieve excellence.That was just the foundation of my future.I started out at the bottom and through my perseverance was recognized for my hard work.I surpassed all of my other co-workers at a wine bar to become the Executive Chef at 21 years old.I started out as a Sous Chef at a corporate catering company and within a year was the Executive Chef for 3 years. Now I have the creative ability to make my own salad creations.To be honest all of these experiences have made me a better person and I have put in the time and effort.The next chapter will be my own place and running my own business.I feel like the hard work that I've established and created for myself has now prepared me to open my own establishment.It is time and it will happen!!!

Even in the martial arts I've had to work so damn hard to get where I'm at now.Being in two very male-dominated industries is difficult.The kitchen is a male stomping ground and if you can't hold your own in there you're dead meat.The martial arts community is the same way.It's helped me establish a thicker skin so I just let stuff roll off and not put up with any one's shit!I was not the greatest martial artist when I started out. Imagine me being at the back of the line with all these guys in front of me.How deflating!My brother was a natural, my Dad was my instructor and I just felt so inadequate.

Finally, instead of getting alligator tears in my eyes every time I did something wrong, I started to accept it, and deal with it and realize that my Dad's criticism was what was going to make me not only a better martial artist, but a stronger female.I was pushed to the brink as well and shed a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get where I'm at now.A 26 year old, 5th degree black belt is kinda unheard of in a Jujutsu system, but believe me it sure wasn't easy.It took an awful lot of hard work and dedication to get me to the place I'm at now and the journey still continues.

My reason for saying all this is one of my biggest pet peeves is terrible work ethic.Let's take my job for instance: I bust my ass every single day from 5:30 in the morning until 2:30 in the afternoon, constantly moving, always trying to stay one step ahead and trying to help others out when I can, as much as I can. When my station opens I serve an insane amount of people everyday, without trying to lose my cool (which doesn't always happen) without ever a peep or ever asking for help.There are some others who I see just prance around the kitchen, with no sense of urgency, no time frame, and no concept of real true work ethic. There are people there who bust their butts every single day and no one ever offers to help them.I'm tired of seeing people depending on other people, or when you have 5 people in line you call for help, asking others to do your job for you, standing around texting all day, walking around like you have absolutely no clue.

This is a job and it's a professional environment and when you come to work you come prepared to work.I give 110% every single day and if you can't do that then you shouldn't be there.There needs to be consequences for your actions.Coming in late: you should be written up, texting while working: you should have your phone taken away from you, coming in not feeling well: you should go home.There are zero repercussions for people's actions and I'm just sick of it.I'm tired of continuing to give my all every single day and it go unnoticed by management, while others just skim by and do the bare minimum.I get treated the exact same as they do.And you know what?It's wrong!Completely wrong!I am a chef and I have worked hard to get where I am.I am not a lowly line cook who doesn't know what she's doing.I bust my ass at my job, have the degree to back it up, so I deserve to get treated better than everyone else because I do a better job than everyone else.

The same also goes in the martial arts world.I'm tired of seeing pity pat strikes and just going through the motions.You're there to do martial arts, not there to socialize.If you can't give 100% on the mat then get the hell off.We don't want you to be there if you don't want to be.You signed up knowing what you were getting yourself into and if you don't like being hit, don't like sweating and don't like getting beat up then ballet is for you, not martial arts.We don't stand around and "converse" about our techniques, we do them.And if we do them 100 times so what.Keep doing it and quit standing around talking about it.Put in some damn effort!

So as you can see I get super passionate about what I believe in!I've had several conversations about this with co-workers who get it and who are actually in the same boat as me.I would love to say that it would be nice not to come in and work as hard but it's not just me.I'm not asking for praise on an everyday basis but what I am asking for is a little appreciation for the hard work and effort that I put in on a daily basis.Sadly, it's going to come to the point where I just don't put up with it anymore and say something, but then that makes Stacey the bitch for actually speaking the truth.Satisfaction will never be complete for me until I open my own place and I'm the only one that can see how my hard work has made my business successful.Until then I will just keep trucking on, doing what I do every day and still being under-appreciated for it while everyone else does the bare minimum.

Hopefully one day these people will recognize that their laziness and poor work ethic isn't getting them anywhere but that might be later rather than sooner, and at that point I will have no sympathy for them.Just put in some effort and at least try to do a good job.You know that's why they call it WORK!!!

End of rant! Thanks for letting me get it off my chest.It'll be brought up at the next meeting! LOL! Some one's gotta start feeling the wrath! =D

Until next time boys and girls... ~Stacey~

"Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Full effort is full victory." -Mahatma Gandhi-