It is true that work is required for success to be achieved, but one thing to know is that the work must be relevant for it to be profitable. That is, it should be right, timely, and in the right direction. The truth is that for whatever you want to do, there is always a better way to get it done effectively and with less effort, this is what is meant by "working smart". It is not the hardness of the work nor the difficulty at which it is done that makes it to be successful but the result which it command. This is why, for every work we do, we have to have our mind on the result.
Image from Pixabay
The world is not moved by the hardness of the work you have put in, neither do they celebrate you for your attempts, but they are only interested in knowing the results you have to show for it. You will agree with me that if hard work is the absolute condition that is necessary for success to be achieved, then the people that engage in physically demanding and strenuous works (like the iron benders, load pushers, etc) will be of all people must successful. But as the case may be, it is not physical exertion that makes one successful but the results you can generate, and the process through which you generate the result matters a lot.
In the past centuries, almost every work known to humankind were based on physical input by people and the exertion of physical strength. Take agriculture for example. In the last few decades, agriculture (particularly the one that involves cultivation of crops) was a very physically strenuous job because every single stage was characterized by human labour - from tilling, to ridging, to cultivation, to weeding, to harvesting, to processing, etc. As such, speed and productivity was affected. However, during the industrial revolution, farm mechanisation was introduced and it made the work a lot easier, better, faster and more efficient. In this present time, there is a mechanical substitute for every stage in crop production. No wonder the turnout has so much increased. You see, working smart entails looking for the easiest and best way to achieve the same result.
When you create the idea and the dream that you want to fulfil, that is your desired result, but the process to arrive at the result is entirely dependent on you. If a process does not seem to deliver the result that you need effectively, nothing stops you from finding an alternate process. After all, what the world is interested in is your success (that is the result), not how hard you obtained it. If every of your successes is based on physically hard work, then you really have a long way to go. A point should come in your life when you should realise that hard work does not pay as much as smart work.
During the days of the manual typewriter, preparing of documents had many challenges. Obviously, correcting of errors was one of them and many other downsides. However, with the introduction of computer devices, it is a whole lot easier to prepare documents with the aid of templates and softwares, which were not possible with typewriter. You see, if you are still stuck with the hard work of using the manual typewriter in this era, you will not be as productivity as someone that is using computer. This is not because you are not putting in efforts (you may be putting in more efforts than someone on computer) but because you have chosen hard work over smart work.
Image from Pixabay
In whatever you are doing, you should endeavour to have your eyes on the results that you want to obtain. This will not only keep you focused, but it will enable you to understand that result is what matters, so you will figure out a way to get it done easily. I remember what the late Steve Jobs (the CEO of Apple inc) said during one of his interviews. He explained that he loves to give jobs to lazy people because they will always find the easiest way to get it done. This may sound funny, but what he meant by that statement was that he prefers results over hard work. Obviously, what every company wants is the value that you create, not the hours you put into it.
A friend of mine that works as a marketer shared an interesting experience with me. In his company, salaries are not fixed but paid in percentage of the sales made by each marketer. In the same company, while some people are struggling for hours under hot sun and trekking with stress without much sales, he will just be at one corner and be making his sales. He said that he figured out that the targeted customer were mostly university students because the business is situated in a school environment. He thought within himself and figured out what will draw the attention of the students and of course, it was freebies and giveaway.
So he printed wristbands with the university logo crested on it. For every 3 purchases you make, you will be gifted one free wristband. So instead of the students to buy 1 or 2, they will buy 3 just to get the freebie. It wasn't long and the whole campus knew about his business. His sales went up so much that even the parent company had to increase his percentage pay. You see, just the little money he invested in producing the wristbands made way for bigger sales. Now, he has added other freebies (t-shirts, caps, backpacks, etc) for higher purchases. As a result of this, he does not hustles for customers again, but customers look for him. This is a perfect example of what it means to work smart. In conclusion, focus your mind on working smart not hard.
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