A strong work ethic definitely matters to getting what you want, no matter what it may be, but you need to reorient the ethic to benefit yourself first. When I

A strong work ethic definitely matters to getting what you want, no matter what it may be, but you need to reorient the ethic to benefit yourself first. When I work for somebody else I work hard and do the best job I can, as long as I am there, for my own benefit. Among other things if you get in the habit of being sloppy or tardy, it tends to spread to other things you do, and they are hard habits to break once you let them get established.