7 Life Lessons We Can Learn From Ants

7 Things We Can Learn From Ants

My mother used to taunt me for not doing homework by showing ants, how these little creatures work all day and night and how I either sleep or play, all day long. Though I used to laugh about it at that point of time, but one day when I myself discovered the same through our school quarterly magazine, it literally changed my perspective about the ants. From then, these tiny friends are a source of amazement and inspiration for me.

1. Start Small and Go Big
Ants’ prime object is to stock down food for winter. For that, they don’t wait for big opportunities to strike. They start small. Because they know success is the sum of all small feats and if they wait for big opportunities, which are not readily available, they might lose the game. On other hand, going for small tasks first, allow them to better prepare for bigger opportunities. Hence they start small and go big.

2. Keep Calm and Get the Job Done
Sheer size of the workload does not intimidate ants. For them, a big or small job is just a job. Anything that really matters to them, to get the job done.

On other hand, we humans treat a job based on it rough size and resource requirements. We easily get intimidate by hugeness of the job and give up. A trait, which is big no in ants.

3. It’s A Team Game
Ants believe in teamwork. They know their limitations that they can’t do it all alone. They know they can achieve much higher if they work together. And that’s why they don’t shy away from asking for help. They also help each other in carrying bigger objects because their final object is ultimately the same.

4. Follow A Routine
Ants follow a daily routine structure to collect their food. They don’t lose hope after one bad day or get excited after one good day. It is all same from them. They knew when sun rise again, they need to start all over.

5. Get Your Message Loud And Clear
Ants use pheromones to get their message clearly across other ants. They communicate to resolve their problems as quick as possible. They don’t sit in silence, and hope, someone will understand their problems. They know, only way to get a problem resolved is two way communication, i.e. using pheromones.

They also use pheromones to help other ants to taste the success (food). This not only allows them to win respect among peers but also help them to get the objective fast.

6. Organize Yourself
Ants are self organized creatures. They don’t get instructions from top elites or queen. They react to local environment, helping each other on their objectives, and making individual law as the universal colony law to meet the objects.

7. Set Your Deadlines
Ants have a clear deadline to stock their food, and their daily routine revolves around that deadline. The deadlines allow them to properly access their resources and priorities i.e. whether they need to safeguard their colony and food stock or need to pile more food.

In the end, by the time of winter, ants are well stocked and prepare themselves for upcoming summer.