Has anyone ever told you that to get ahead in life you have to work
hard? I’m sure you have, but I’m going to tell you something radical. Don’t
listen to them. To be totally honest, working harder is for chumps. Yes, you
read that right, working harder is for chumps. Now I know that might be
offensive. Don’t worry, that just means you’re still alive. Relish that fact.
I’ll
give you an example of what I mean. Have you ever read Animal Farm, by George Orwell? If you haven’t you should, but I’ll give you basic run down on one of
the main characters. His name is Boxer. He’s basically the muscle and work
horse of the farm. He believes in making things better for everyone and is
willing to do what it takes to contribute. Unfortunately for Boxer, he’s not
very bright. He religiously followed a mantra of “Must work harder” throughout
the book. In fact, everyday he does work harder, while those in power
continually take negative advantage of him, until one day, Boxer works so hard,
he works himself to death. The truly sad
thing is he didn’t really get anywhere with all that back breaking hard work.
So, I ask you, what’s the point of working harder?
I’ve seen people ‘work harder’ all their lives. I’ve even followed that
mantra for a while. You know where it got us? Nowhere but tired. No, don’t get
me wrong, working hard is different than having integrity, being efficient,
diligent, and reliable. Holding to a virtuous work ethic is a good foundation,
but grinding yourself into the ground, day after day, working extra hours, not taking time for yourself, well that’s basically self abuse, and only benefits
your boss, not you. Sure you might get a bit of overtime, but in the long run,
you’re only wearing yourself down. I would propose an alternative.
“You must work Smarter!” Try that one on for size. If you think about
it, that makes a hell of a lot more sense. But that’s so cliché, you might say.
Perhaps, but think about how much more ingrained the work harder mantra is to most
people. Innovators and entrepreneurs worked hard on their craft, to a point.
They also examined the situation and devised a way of doing things that was
more efficient, revolutionary, easier, less taxing, etc., and they changed the
world. The basic example here is to look at what you’re doing and really contemplate
the value of your effort with the value of your return. Then think about years
from now. If you see yourself in the same position, or even just a few steps ahead,
maybe it’s time to change your focus and attention to something new.
You don’t have to change the world if you don’t want to, but if you do
things smartly you might just change your world. And that’s where success in
life begins. Beating yourself to death working hard robs you of other
experiences that can enrich your life and bring deeper meaning to your existence.
Life is a balancing act. Don’t be a slave to your own convictions. Or at the
very least, don’t be a slave to your job. Don’t be a chump, work Smarter, not
harder.
Albert Einstein is a great example of someone who worked Smarter, not harder. He's a tough act to follow, but you might as well set your standards high. Otherwise, what's the point.
Thanks for reading. Questions and comments are always welcome.
