The perfect combination is to work hard, and smart, hard work alone is not enough, and smart work cannot be achieved without hard work.

Differences between hard work and smart work.

The difference between hard work and smart work is how a goal is achieved. Hard work means spending long hours to complete a job without any shortcut. Smart work achieves the same results but with advance planning, thinking creatively, and doing the same job with less effort.

It cannot be denied that people must work hard to create great achievements. However, if they work intelligently, they can do the same amount of work more quickly and efficiently.

There is a preconceived notion that to succeed one must strive and work hard to achieve it. While this is true, they can do the same amount of work in less time simply by working smarter.

Working hard involves a lot of tedious work that is done traditionally. But, if people work smart, they can achieve more results by working in an unconventional, modern way that could include attending webinars, classes, and training.

How to go from hard work to smart work?

It is important to think before acting, smart work requires prior preparation so that you can reach your goal faster when you take the relevant action.

Smart workers are aware that good preparation and flexibility in the process can save a lot of work time later.

Start thinking is there a better way to do things? How can you automate the processes? What tools do you need to facilitate the work?

Imagine having to lift 100 kg. Hard work is trying to lift it with your hands, and smart work is looking for a lever that allows you to lift it more easily. (A lever consists of a rigid bar that can freely rotate with a fulcrum and allows you to amplify the force applied to an object.)

There is an old story of two lumberjacks in a tree cutting contest. The first picked up a rusty axe and ran into the woods immediately to start cutting trees. The second focused a lot of time while the contest was on to sharpen his axe, after which he walked and quickly knocked down the largest tree and won the competition.

Moral? Work hard on sharpening your tool.

Do not waste time doing things you are not great at. Learn how to delegate to someone who has a sharp tool. Also, for the things you want to master, make it a priority to sharpen your tool beyond what you need to cut.

In this case, your tool is your mind; to go from hard work to intelligent work, you need to acquire skills by studying, reading, and practicing. Your skills and life experiences will save you time in the long run.

Recommended Read: What do you think of setting daily goals?

A story about hard work vs. smart work.

Once upon a time, there was a poor worker, he worked hard every day, breaking stones in the mountains and selling them in the market. A ridiculously hard job that took him from dawn until night, but it was not enough to feed his family.

One day, when he went to a craftsman’s shop to sell the stone, he saw that the craftsman would sell precious stones to a merchant for thousands of bucks. The worker asked the craftsman: Where do you get these beautiful stones from?

The craftsman replied: These are the same stones that you sold me yesterday, I made small pieces and turned them into beautiful sculptures.

The worker was incredibly sad and said: “There is no value for my hard work.” I worked 9-10 hours a day in hot summers, but I only get a few bucks. And you who work a few hours sitting at home make thousands of bucks. You are not working as hard as I am, but your profit is ten times more than mine.

The artisan replied: “The value of any product is not determined by the fact that so much effort has been expended, its value is determined by how useful it is.”

Conclusions.

If you feel like you are working hard and not getting what you want, it means you are not working smart enough. This article is not intended to diminish the importance of hard work, considering that hard work is essential for success.

Work hard at your job, and you can make a living. Work hard on yourself, and you can make a fortune.’ Jim Rohn.

Working on yourself means improving on your skills, the more skills you have, the more you will earn with less effort, work hard to get those skills now.

So, after reading this post, will you consider yourself to be a smart or a hard worker? How much effort do you need to achieve your short and long-term goals? The comment section below is all yours (smiley face).