Hard Work is Overrated

My three most dominant influences growing up were my mom and grandparents. My grandparents grew up in the Great Depression, whereas my mom is a baby boomer. Both placed enormous value on hard work, not unlike many people from these two eras.

I thought growing up that if I worked hard enough and played by the rules, I could have whatever I wanted.

Of course, I learned that hard work is just a part of the equation, and in this time in our history, it’s becoming less and less important.

I overvalued hard work, which also holds in the marketplace and life.

No one cares how hard you worked; you may even get penalized for working hard if it delivers subpar results. I once got an F in math in middle school but an A for effort which didn’t get me far with my mom.

Even the person who values hard work still wanted my results to be up to par.

Live a little bit and you learn that your desired results have little to do with how hard you worked; it has more to do with efficiency. The most efficient people deliver more and higher results simultaneously as the person who’s working hard but not getting far.

What is the difference between those who create success and those who don’t?

Systems.

The systems you create will, in large part, determine your results. If you will work hard, direct that effort to develop frameworks that will work hard rather than you.

We live in an era where there is a greater demand for our time and energy. If you are trying to build a side business to leave your 9–5, you could burn the midnight oil and sleep 4 hours while not seeing your family. I can tell you now, that’s not sustainable.

But if you build a system and bargain with your family for 30–60 days, you need time to make this system, and the system does the work for you. You are automating as much of your business until you can hire people and essentially removing yourself while still making an income.

You can do it with the right system. The concept is more important than the actual system. Do you think you can create a system that produces positive results within 2–3 months? Yes, I believe that. Do you have the patience to build that out?

If you want anything, the key is not to work hard. it’s building systems that virtually guarantee your success in getting those things

Most people want to be secure financially, do work they love, be healthy, be in love, and be at peace with themselves, others, and their creator.

You can create a system that will get you all of those things if you:

Create the system
Work the system
Be patient until the results arrive