I Didn't Mean "Keep Your Nose Clean" Literally
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By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work Published: Tuesday, 08 September 09 - 01:07 PM (GMT -06:00) Last Updated: Tuesday, 08 September 09 - 01:15 PM (GMT -06:00) |
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I Didn't Mean "Keep Your Nose Clean" Literally
In the August 24 issue, I talked about Uncle Al's three rules for a lifetime of success: Show up, do your job, and keep your nose clean.
Many readers appreciated his wisdom:
"I'm very interested in the info in this article. The results shown are achievable by the hard work required. Get Going! Action!"
-- T.R.
"Thanks for this article. I felt that I was not utilizing my time right when I took time during my workday to read business magazines. Now I know I am on the right track, because doing that motivates me to move forward."
-- G.B.
But some were a bit confused by what was meant by "keep your nose clean."
One reader, in fact, seemed to take it literally. (Or maybe he was just pulling my leg.) He sent me an e-mail saying, "I really benefited from that essay -- especially the third rule. It made a deep impression on me. Just this morning, I cleaned my nose. I always forget doing that. Now, I have to always clean my nose as I always brush my teeth."
Uncle Al understood that you can accomplish just about anything you want in life by taking advantage of opportunity, approaching it (showing up) with a great attitude, and becoming a superstar in performance.
Personal satisfaction, however, does not come to all who achieve great things. A moment's reflection on the unhappiness of so many great artists and celebrities and moneymakers will tell you that.
Personal satisfaction, Al realized, comes from doing your job with integrity and attention to detail. In making your fortune or attaining your fame, you must always be respectful of the art of your craft -- the small things that show you care about the quality of what you're doing.
In the business of information publishing that means caring about the quality of the ideas you disseminate. Do you know, from experience, that they are true? Or are you presenting them merely because you think they will sell?
At a less important level, it means caring about the fine points of publishing: grammar and style and syntax. When I saw the following sentence of mine in the August 28 issue, I sent a note to ETR's managing editor and copyeditor, asking them how this mistake slipped through:
"Every business should attempt to have every one of its product meet this level of perfection."
I'd guess that 90 percent of the people who read that didn't notice that "product" should have been "products." But those who did must have wondered if we were getting a wee bit sloppy with our proofreading. If you make a habit of making small mistakes, they mount up. Eventually, you are producing shoddy merchandise -- and you may not even be aware of it.
Business experts call this phenomenon "incremental degradation." I've written about it several times in past issues. If you'd like to read more on the subject, go here.
This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.
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