Personal Business: Work harder on yourself than on your job

A few years ago I heard a quote by the late motivational speaker Jim Rohn: “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.” The idea was that this ultimately benefitted both you and your employer.

At the time, I was on the wrong career path and the quote didn’t work for me. If I were to work on developing myself it would be with a view to being able to leave my job. And this is what eventually happened.

Positive uncertainty

But my thoughts returned to this last year. The company I had recently moved to went from having an almost impossibly bright future to bankruptcy within the space of about six months. As the problems emerged, my position (and everyone else’s at the company) began to look very uncertain.

This was worrying, but I realised that I was no longer concerned about my own performance. I was liberated from the thoughts that I might not be good enough and I began producing some of my best work ever.

Working on myself
I had no fear that I would underperform and get fired (we eventually all got ‘fired’ anyway). My attention turned to making myself more marketable to potential future employers. Everything I wrote became a possible portfolio piece, as well as serving its immediate purpose.

I was working harder on myself than on my job. But the thing is, this time I was in a field and a job that I wanted to be in, so working hard on myself aligned with improving my work performance.

Do it for you

When you improve, your employer automatically benefits. And it’s not just about technical (or even work-related) improvements. When you become a better-functioning person your employer wins, because it’s not just your workforce showing up at work, it’s you.

The days of working at the same place for your whole career are, for most people, well and truly over. And the eventual bankruptcy at my last company made me realise that job security is an illusion. You have a duty to your employer and your colleagues to do your best, but you also owe it to yourself to do it for you.




  • Gangs of Copenhagen

    Gangs of Copenhagen

    While Copenhagen is rated one of the safest cities in the world year after year, it is no stranger to organized crime, which often springs from highly professional syndicates operating from the shadows of the capital. These are the most important criminal groups active in the city

  • “The Danish underworld is now more tied to Scandinavia”

    “The Danish underworld is now more tied to Scandinavia”

    Carsten Norton is the author of several books about crime and gangs in Denmark, a journalist, and a crime specialist for Danish media such as TV 2 and Ekstra Bladet.

  • Right wing parties want nuclear power in Denmark

    Right wing parties want nuclear power in Denmark

    For 40 years, there has been a ban on nuclear power in Denmark. This may change after all right-wing parties in the Danish Parliament have expressed a desire to remove the ban.

  • Tunø: An island running out of time

    Tunø: An island running out of time

    The island of Tunø harbors a community of 74 adults and one child. There are no cars and only one connection to the rest of the world. Now, climate change threatens it

  • Cross-border moves on the rise in the Øresund region

    Cross-border moves on the rise in the Øresund region

    The number of relocations across the Øresund Region is rising. As highlighted by 2023 numbers, Sweden benefits from a growing interest, especially among younger generations.

  • In conversation with Conrad Molden: The man behind the mic

    In conversation with Conrad Molden: The man behind the mic

    He’s tickled our funny bone with countless wisecracks and clever wordplay, and in the process, made Denmark feel a little more personable to many expats. An international import himself, funny man Conrad Molden has successfully carved out a niche for himself on the Danish stand-up scene, but it’s taken a solid 13 years, much trial and error, and heaps of Danglish

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.