The Biggest Debacle To Ever Plague Humanity

This week we’ll be having the greatest debate in the world.

IS IT BETTER TO WORK HARD OR WORK SMART?

Coaches and mentors are quick to tell you that the concept of working hard towards success is outdated.  They recommend that you work smart, instead.

I am skeptical about this recommendation.

My question is: how is it possible to work smart if you don’t know what you’re doing?  What would you consider smart work if you are new to the industry and are still in the dark about the methods that work and those that don’t? I have posed this question to a couple of people.  The answer I get, most of the time, is that you perform only the activities that produce magnificent results – delegate all others, or completely eliminate them. But then how do you know which activities are fruitful and which are wasteful?

It is easy for them to say such things because they can afford to hire employees and research teams that do all the hard work for them. What about the average guy who has just been retrenched and is looking for an urgent source of income?  What if you have a family to take care of and you can’t afford to hire trained freelancers and virtual assistants?  What if you have to work all day to ensure your family’s continued survival?  Do you think it’s a wise move to starve your family, and hire the services of a freelancer for the sake of appearing to be smart?

I do believe, however, that you do not just become smart in an instant.  There’s a probation period, if you will.  There are challenges that you must overcome.  There are lessons that you must learn.  Life will never let you off the hook without testing your readiness for success.  These life lessons will give you the wisdom you need to be a smart worker.

Don’t get me wrong.  Smart work is a great concept. 

However, I believe smart work is a product of hard work.

There will be a lot of trials and errors in the initial stages of your business.  You must test and experiment with many combinations, before you strike the right balance.  Thereafter, you are at liberty to develop and implement concrete systems that will propel your business forward.  You can then implement smart

procedures, procedures that developed as a result of hard work during the initial stages.

You can’t afford to rest on your laurels, though. You must still work hard to keep your business afloat.  Especially in this economy of rapid change, you don’t want to be caught using outdated strategies.  Your competition will eat you alive.

Below is a recipe that I believe will propel you to dizzying heights,  If only you are willing to put in the hard work and incorporate smart procedures into your action plan.

PREPARE

One of my High School teachers always said,

“Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.”

The key to success is knowing where you are and where you are going - develop an action plan - make a list of all the resources you will need – and then get to work.

SIMPLIFY THE CHALLENGE

In your action plan, break down the challenge into smaller action steps.  Individually, these will be less overwhelming to think about and much easier to tackle.  Remember to write down each action step.  Next to it, you must have the due date.  Then, the specific actions you will take to complete that step.

ASK FOR HELP

It’s not necessary to carry the burden all by yourself.   It is also not necessary to know everything about everything.  Don’t be afraid to ask for advice when you’re unsure.  Read books, join forums, join groups, learn from experts, and engage with your peers.  There is always something new that you can learn and implement.

TAKE ACTION

There’s nothing more to say!

You have a dream.  Go out and make it happen.  That is the only way to achieve anything worthwhile.  Nothing positive will come to you if you just sit around and hope for good things to happen.  Do something, everyday, that will draw you closer to your dreams.

DON’T GIVE UP

You don’t lose until you stop fighting.  If you want it bad enough and you work at it hard enough, you WILL succeed.  Life will knock you down from time to time.  It is up to you to get up and keep fighting.  Your time for victory will come.  Perseverance is the key to success.  Challenges are part of the mixture.  They add the thrill and excitement to the game.  Don’t take away the excitement from life by giving up too soon.

Whatever you do, keep moving.