Are you doing hard work or working hard?

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You say potato…

Maybe it’s truly only a matter of semantics, but there is a difference between hard work and working hard.

My post on Tuesday suggested that hard work is a key to success in life. I referred to an interview with Freeman Hrabowski from The University of Maryland – Baltimore. This is what Hrabrowski says in that interview with 60 Minutes:

We have to teach Americans of all races, from all backgrounds, what it takes to be the best. And at the heart of it is the same thing we saw when we were kids. Hard work. Nothing– I don’t care how smart you are. Nothing takes the place of hard work.

A friend responded via email suggesting I watch the show again. While the quote is correct, the full interview showing the students at work paints a slightly different picture.

While the students claim to work hard, and by all accounts are working hard, it’s not just hard work to work hard. It’s hard work because they are passionate about math and/or science.

What are you passionate about?

Working hard simply because you have something to do won’t make you successful. Working hard will help deter poverty and boredom, but it, alone, won’t lead to success.

Passion and opportunity will. Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers: The Story of Success talks more about the link between opportunity and success. I suggest taking the time to read it.

What do you love? What is a reoccurring ‘theme’ in your story?

These things are worth hard work. They will help you become successful.

I’m passionate about full, abundant life – for me and for you. I’m passionate about finding a life and business full of freedom.

Hard work.

I’ve doing the hard work of getting those 2 things moving forward in my life. The most apparent result is The Collective.

However, I can get sidetracked easily. When that happens, I begin working hard just because I tend to enjoy work. I lose my focus on life and freedom.

If you own your own business it’s easy to do. It’s easy to get caught in the trap of simply working hard – working because work “needs done.”

Instead, step back and ask if you are doing hard work on the things you are passionate about. This will lead to success.

Header image courtesy of stock.xchng
image of Freeman Hrabrowski courtesy of Wikipedia.

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