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Working hard to make money is a lesson I learned early on in life. I watched my Mom and Dad go to work everyday, and although I would have loved to spend more time with them, I knew that they had to work. I got my work ethic from them, and it is one of the many things I am glad I was able to carry into my adult life.

I am a very hard worker. I know that if I want to make the money that my family needs for a secure future, I have to work very hard to earn it. I cannot sit back and hope that the Money Fairy will drop a bag of money on by doorstep that just won't happen. I am often told that I am a workaholic because I do not mind putting in many hours of hard work each day to earn money that we need.

My work ethic has helped me greatly in life. I have gone from working for other people for 20 years of my life, to working for myself. I made the decision that if I am going to work as hard as I do; I am going to work for myself.

My very first job was a paper route at the age of 12. I began babysitting at 13, and also did odd jobs for people in my neighborhood. I maintained my paper route and babysitting, along with odd jobs and school for a few years. When I was 16, I worked my first "real" job in a toy store for the Christmas shopping season. That job was only temporary, but it gave me a good glimpse into the working life.

I was 17 the first time I worked in a fast food restaurant. I worked there for 6 months, frying chicken on a daily basis. From there, I worked at a factory, and really got a taste of the working life. This was my first full-time job.

Over the years, I help several jobs. Before I had my first child, I had no real responsibility, so, if I didn't like a job, I would just find a new one. I tried to always remain employed, but I would switch jobs without a second thought. When my son was born, reality hit. I knew from that point on that I had to work even harder than ever before to make the much needed money to take good care of him.

I was never picky about what kind of job I had, especially after I began having kids. The way I felt, a little paycheck was better than no paycheck. I was not beyond working two jobs and doing things on the side, such as babysitting. I spent many years working as a waitress and in factories before I made a decision to work for myself. This decision came after I was laid off from the factory job that I was certain would be permanent for me. The reality that that job was gone hit me, and I made a choice that I would no longer allow myself to be in that kind of situation. I was going to ensure my own employment future no matter how hard I had to work.

Let me tell you, working for yourself takes a lot of hard work and dedication. You no longer have a boss telling you what time to be at work, so you have to set your own schedule and really stick to it. If you don't have the willingness to work extremely hard to make money and the ambition to stick with it, working for yourself is not right for you. You have to be motivated, dedicated, and a very hard worker to earn money on your own.

Through the years, I learned that hard work always pays off in the end. If you want or need to make money, you have no option but to work hard each and every day. I have gone from the very bottom, having little to no food in my house and borrowing to get by, to now, working for myself and putting food on the table. It still takes hard work everyday to make the money that we need, but I wouldn't change a thing.

Learn more about this author, Lynne Griffith.
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