There are so many studies on how to improve productivity. Methodology, environment, and time of day all contribute to enhancing a productive day. People often see diligence as the act of being productive, but it is so much more than just crossing off everything on your daily list.
To be diligent means that you have conviction to not only DO your work/goals/chores, but to do them with care and conscientiousness.
It takes not only looking at the benefits of doing a good job for yourself, but also for others. It integrates timekeeping and quality work and finds a good balance between the two. Diligence causes a person to have forward thinking--“How can I do my work in a way today that will make improvements for tomorrow?”
Diligent people can be trusted to do their work to a high standard with integrity, but it does come with a cost to that person. Being diligent is EXHAUSTING.
Imagine being a reliably diligent student:
You wake up for your alarm, then get out of bed promptly (even though you are PARTICULARLY cosy in bed and it would be nice to have 5 more minutes). You make your bed, so it will be ready for bedtime later (and so mum won’t have to do it). You get changed and thoroughly brush your teeth (all 32 of them) because you want healthy teeth for the rest of your life. You have a nutritious breakfast (and wash up your dishes), then sit down for a time of prayer and devotion before you start your schooling, which you complete without being distracted, in your best handwriting, reading all the questions thoroughly in order to answer them properly.
Well, it’s only the morning, and it already feels like A LOT of work has been done to the best of your ability – It almost feels like you, the diligent student, could reward yourself with an afternoon nap. Right?
WRONG. There will be afternoon lessons, and helping mum and dad, and lots of opportunities to be conscientious about everything before heading back to bed for 8 hours of sleep in order to be ready for another day of diligent work.
Sounds exhausting, right? And frankly, unrealistic.
Why? Because students have to LEARN to be diligent. They have to understand the benefits of it at a personal level. They have to see examples of diligence around them. They have to DESIRE to be that way themselves.
It’s even harder in recent years for young people to practice diligence. We live in a ‘copy and paste’ world. There are shortcuts for everything. Sometimes these shortcuts are BRILLIANT. They make work more efficient and productive. But on the flip side, shortcuts mean that people aren’t using their skills and intuition in ways that they might have before. Shortcuts create an illusion that things can be gained quickly, but with the same quality. Young people are so used to shortcuts that when they try something and it doesn’t work out instantly, they feel like they have failed.
In a world of shortcuts, DILIGENCE will be the key for this generation of students. It will give them the edge. A student who has learned diligence will not give up when they fail the first time. They will try until they understand how to get it right.
This is why it is SO important to acknowledge diligence when we see it in our children and students. They may not make their bed or wash the dishes all the time, but when they do it – thank them; tell them you appreciate it when they do something that helps you out. Recognise them when you can see that they have tried hard to learn their schoolwork or have made an effort to write neatly.
Being diligent is not easy. NOT AT ALL. To be TRULY diligent takes strength of character and some sacrifice. Unrecognised diligence is probably one of the most discouraging and, ultimately, tragic things, because if left unchecked, it can cause a person not to want to bother any more.
If you are someone with children or students, it is your responsibility to reward diligence when you see it. Whether that reward comes verbally, in the form of a gift, or more recreation is up to you – be diligent in acknowledging that same trait in your students.
The Bible is very clear on the benefits of diligence. Read the verses below:
The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. - Proverbs 13:4
A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. - Proverbs 10:4
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9
Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men. - Proverbs 22:29
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. - 2 Peter 1:10
How great it would be if all our students, children, and loved ones could practice diligence and reap the benefits in their schoolwork, personal lives, and future careers. We can help that be a reality by recognising and rewarding it when we see it.
Have there been any occasions recently when you’ve noticed a student practising diligence? How did you reward it?