Character—Is Anyone Watching?

I have heard many different definitions of the word, “character,” both in passing and from people who study this subject for a living. Some of the definitions were easy to remember, and some were quite complex.

Throughout the years, I have developed my own, simple way of thinking about character: How you do anything is how you do everything.

• How hard do you work when there is no promotion in sight?
• How much time do you spend on tasks when left to your own devices, versus when working with a group?
• How often do you cut your exercise session short because you are tired, and feeling lazy, and no one is watching anyway?

Working hard without the promise of benefit or external praise—that is the definition of character.

How you do anything is how you do everything.

Starting right now, let us make a promise to ourselves to do everything to the best of our ability, without the expectation of praise, even if no one is watching.