Labor Day - Work Hard

In the spirit of Labor Day in the US, I wanted to share a simple message. Work hard. Things don’t get done on their own, so it is up to each and every one of us to apply ourselves to make things happen. One of my favorite quotes of all time ties into this concept, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”.  There really is no replacement for hard work.

It works in two ways.  First, extrinsically, hard work can be measured by production, which is a very observable metric. You simply get more done when you work harder.  But, what isn’t mentioned quite as much are the intrinsic aspects of hard work.  By knowing that you gave it your all and applied yourself, you are more satisfied with the end result and feel more fulfilled by how you spent your time. There is something to be said about good things not coming easy, and I think that really plays into the intrinsic reward of hard work.  

So, how can you start working harder? It’s about working longer and working smarter. By allocating more hours to working, you can get more done. However, those extra hours are futile if they are not also done smarter. This means eliminating distractions, prioritizing your tasks, effectively communicating expectations and roles with your team, and taking care of yourself so that you are capable of putting in the hours.