Let your work be your artwork

Most people dislike their job. This is not an opinion, it’s a fact.

A research conducted by Gallup in 2017 showed that an appalling 85% of employees hated their job, and ever since an array of surveys have confirmed the same.

Although the numbers vary, always from 50% upwards, every day you can find an article or a published research to show that a majority of people dislike what they do.

The causes of this (apparently unarrestable) social disease are many, and poor leadership always sits on top of the list.

With this weekly reflection, however, I do not intend to tackle the problem from a general organizational perspective. There is enough literature, and also several companies have (finally) started addressing the topic with the required level of urgency. The outcome is yet to be seen.

I aim, instead, to focus on the individual responsibility.

I want to raise awareness of the fact that every employee, and from a wider perspective, every human being, can always choose to improve their condition.

But how? You may ask.

THE FIRST STEP

I reckon many jobs are tedious, several bosses act like psychopaths and society at large has failed to offer everyone equal opportunities. However, I also know that there is a transformational and disrupting power in choosing to execute a task, whatever it is, with the utmost commitment. A commitment to excellence.

Too many people complain about their present condition and use it as an alibi for performing their job poorly. I’ve done it too.

It is much easier for the brain to find outer causes for one's own failure, rather than take a deep and honest look inside.

I’ve seen janitors, factory workers, white-collar employees, public officers, musicians, and also entrepreneurs, CEOs and political leaders live a miserable working life. I have heard them complain about every external challenge, and perform their tasks poorly, without a soul.

I’ve also seen people, both at the bottom and at the top of the food chain, take great pride in their work, in every small and big task, and they are the ones we should learn from.

FOCUS

It all starts with the ability to focus, which has become a superpower.

Over the past few years, technology has brought endless distractions to our already busy lives. Social media, instant messengers, emails, to name a few.

The human brain is not designed to manage such a large and diverse amount of information at such a fast pace.

For example, every time we receive a positive feedback on social media, the brain releases dopamine. Not only does it make us feel good, it is also addictive.

Emails and instant messages are not less dangerous, since they induce the fear of missing out (FOMO). They have also created unsustainable communication standards: everyone expects everyone else to be connected and responsive 24/7.

As a result, most people have lost the ability to focus on one task at a time.

As I am writing this article, I’ve taken a few countermeasures to avoid distractions:

1. My desk is clean. There is only the laptop I am writing with, a glass of water, pen and paper. The environment is also clean of any distractions, and I am enjoying some natural light.
2. Internet is on, however I am committed to using it only as a research tool for today’s writing
3. I set my phone on silent mode
4. No music
5. I set an alarm. Every 20 minutes I take a 5-minute break.

Every task, and every work, no matter how difficult, prestigious or humble, benefits from total commitment and focus.

Productivity increases dramatically; up to 40%, as highlighted in a research carried on by Eick Horovitz, Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft, and his team.

This is especially true for intellectual tasks, since manual jobs are (inevitably) more immersive.

Yet, once a physical job becomes routine, it gets easy to lose intentionality and be distracted while performing the task.

I notice it every time I try to learn a new scale or an arpeggio on the guitar. At first, I need to give it full attention to ensure I hit the right notes. Subsequently, I have to practice the same thing for hours on end, to build muscle memory. This is where I experience the immense difference between focused practice versus distracted practice.

Another benefit of total concentration is that it relieves stress.

We all know how stressful it is to walk through life managing several tasks at the same time. Regardless of how much you get done, you always feel you’ve not accomplished enough.

Vice versa, when you focus entirely on one activity, you enter a Flow state of mind in which perception changes. Your brain is fully absorbed by the activity and, by default, it keeps all the distracting and disempowering thoughts away.

Prolonged states of flow can, and will, help you produce a remarkable body of work. Sometimes, almost miraculous.

EXCELLENCE

Even the smallest task, if executed perfectly, will give you joy.

Most of the times, the difference between great and average work is in a few, small details.

People who take pride in their work always seek excellence. They enjoy doing things properly and see value in the details. They respect themselves and their work. They are triggered by an idea of excellence that transcends the salary, the hierarchy, and the recipient of their work.

I've just finished reading the biography of Leonardo Del Vecchio, the legendary founder of Luxottica (now EssilorLuxottica), the largest optical company in the world, with a market cap of over 60 billion Euros, and house brands like Ray-Ban, Oakley and many more.

Mr. Del Vecchio, whom I had the privilege to meet briefly a few years ago, had the toughest start. He was born right before WW2, grew up in an orphanage in Milano and only attended elementary school.

He started working at age fourteen and in 70 years of extremely hard work; many of which spent as a worker in his own factory, he built an empire. His employees worshipped him and are still mourning his death.

When speaking publicly, something he did seldom, he came across as a humble man, who wouldn’t overcomplicate things.

In fact, those who worked with him directly, say his genius was in simplifying complex problems.

‘All I ever wanted,” he once said, “is to be the best at everything I do”.

Not only this philosophy made him successful, it’s also the one he embraced ever since his first day of (very humble) work.

I firmly believe that anyone, regardless of their job and their conditions, can choose to execute their tasks at the best of their capacity, in pursuit of excellence.

I also know that good work leaves clues, and eventually it will be noticed.

So…..

If you’re working for a psychopath boss, and you hate every minute at work, before leaving (the only thing to do with such people), try to focus on the task at hand, and execute it perfectly.

If you flip burgers at McDonald’s, or if you feel you’re not being paid enough; if you are overqualified for your present job, or if everyone around you makes your time at work dislikable, allow yourself to focus solely on the work to do, and be totally immersed in the present.

As explained by Eckhart Tolle in his best-selling book “The power of now”, the only time worth living is the present time. The past is gone and the future may never come, but in the present, we can choose to be what we are meant to be.

Give yourself a chance. For today, let your work be your artwork.

Thank you, Carlo Pignataro

Ps: If you enjoyed this article, please like it and share it so more people can read it. You can also subscribe to my newsletter, The Weekly (Luxury) Reflection. 

Pps: Speaking of excellence, I invite you to watch the latest episode of Lux and Friends, where I had the pleasure of interviewing Vincent Corver. Vincent is an acclaimed concert pianist, music composer and an entrepreneur in the Luxury Industry.