A521.3.4.RB - Personal Reflection
When I was a young child, I was given chores to complete each week to help my mom around the house. The one chore I dreaded more than any other was vacuuming because in my child mind this task took more time than my brother’s chores. One morning around 6:30 a.m. I thought it would be a good idea to vacuum so I would not have to do it when I got home from school. I did not have a good attitude that morning and I wanted to get the job over with, I dragged the vacuum out of the closet and I huffed and puffed my way to the nearest plug. Above the outlet hung a coo-coo clock with a long chain that was hanging down that morning, as I went to plug in the vacuum the chain fell between the plug and outlet, a very loud POP followed. I learned a valuable lesson about attitude and work that morning that influenced how I respond to doing tasks regardless if I want to do them. Kight (n.d) stated that attitude is the way you choose to see and respond events, situations, people, and yourself and the way you look at life. If I had not had a bad attitude, I would have paid attention to the chain hanging down as I did every other time I vacuumed.
During the summers from 1997-2000 I wanted to earn money to buy the school clothes I wanted, however; I was too young to get a real job at a business. I began to babysit every day during my summer vacation for a single mom down the street. I was up at 6:00 a.m. and babysitting until 5:00 p.m. five days a week. My friends were having sleepovers, hanging out at the beach, and talking to boys on the house phone all summer long; I was spending my days with children. The four summers of babysitting, I learned the value of working to make money in order purchase things I wanted and I did not have to rely on my parents for the money; I also learned to think twice before I made a purchase because the money was coming out of my pocket.
The two examples of my experiences as a child and a teenager working influenced how I respond to working as an adult. In the first example, I learned that attitude influences the outcome of a situation. Kight (n.d) stated that attitude affects the way you perform your daily tasks and responsibilities. By maintaining a positive attitude in the workplace, I will stay focused on the tasks and make fewer mistakes. Harrell (2009) stated that one of the most important steps you can take toward achieving your greatest potential in life is to learn to monitor your attitude and its impact on your work performance, relationships and everyone around you. The second lesson was the motivation to work and the outcome of earned wages. Measom (n.d) stated that once a teen begins earning money and paying for their own things, they realize the amount of time and effort they have to devote to their job in order to earn enough for their bills; this situations builds an appreciation for the value of money and encourages responsible money management. As an adult, responsible money management eliminates stress at home and at work because debt collectors are not calling for money and I am able to pay bills on time.
References
Harrell, K. (2009, March 3). Why Your Attitude is Everything. Retrieved November 7, 2015, from Success website: http://www.success.com/article/why-your-attitude-is-everything
Kight, B. (n.d.). The Power of Attitude (Part 1). Retrieved November 8, 2015, from Focus 3 website:http://www.focus3organizationalculture.com/blog/bid/91377/The-Power-of-Attitude-Part-1
Measom, C. (n.d.). Importance of a Teen Getting a Job. Retrieved November 6, 2015, from Chron website: http://work.chron.com/importance-teen-getting-job-4146.html
