WHAT HARD WORK CAN DO FOR YOU

“You can accomplish virtually anything if you want it badly enough and if you are willing to work long enough and hard enough” – Brian Tracy.

We all love people who succeed in any field. We love it when people lift the trophy at the end of the season, come out the best in their examinations, or walk down the hall to collect an award. Sometimes, we assume they excelled because they are lucky or talented. The truth is that successful people work harder than ordinary people. When others are sleeping, they are busy repeatedly trying until they get what they want. In a world where everything seems to be at our fingertips, it almost seems that hard work is no longer considered a prerequisite for success. We often see the lifting of the trophy or the collection of awards or prizes. The naked truth is that all successful people are hard workers and if you want to excel, you have no short cut.

Yahoo’s former CEO, Marrisa Meyer (2012-2017), was a former employee at Google. She used to put in 130 hours of work while at Google and sleep under her desk! When Marissa became CEO of Yahoo, she worked very hard but could not reverse the company’s falling fortunes. She was still paid a whopping $239 million in stock and stock options when she resigned. She currently runs a company called Sunshine, that focuses on artificial intelligence and consumer media. Hard work got her there. Former Pepsi CEO, Indra Nooyi, used to work as a receptionist between midnight and 5 am while studying for her masters. While raising two young daughters, she would go to work at 7 am, stay till about 8 pm, and still take mail bags to read at night.  

I am not saying that you should not sleep in your quest for success, but only pointing out that if you want better grades or a better life, there is a price to pay. That price is hard work, unfortunately. So, what can hard work do for you?

HARD WORK WILL DEVELOP YOU

Hard work does not kill; instead, it helps you brace yourself to solve the problems that come your way. For example, you may be studying very hard at night to pass your exams. In the process, you gain valuable skills such as perseverance and patience that you will need to solve problems. You cannot become a champion in your field if you do not work hard.

HARD WORK LEADS TO RESPECT

The truth is that people respect hard workers. Why? Because hard work is hard. When you are committed to your work, others appreciate you and will not be afraid to commit things into your hands. Just stop for a moment and think of the impression you will have of a store where you buy something, but you see the attendant sleeping on duty. Irrespective of the condition of the person, your impression will be a negative one. If you want respect, work hard.

YOUR HARD WORK BENEFITS OTHERS

You may be working hard for a personal goal, but indirectly, your work will help others around you. If you study hard and become the best in your class, your parents, school, and friends will be proud of you. If you work hard to deliver goods to people, you will be benefiting your customers by ensuring that they get what they want. Hard work always pays.

I would like you to try working hard at something for a while and see the benefits to you and others around you. There may be something in you that just needs hard work to come out. Why not jump on it and make yourself and your society proud.

I look forward to your questions and comments in the comments section below.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Besidone Ebule is the Project Director at B2SL, where he works to encourage personal development and build success networks. You can contact him at bessy.ebule@b2sl.org.