#847 You've Got to Work Harder

I'm sure you've heard many quotes relating to hard work.

·        "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard." 

·        "Most people fail to see opportunity because it's dressed in overalls

·        and looks like work."

·        "Hard work is its own reward." 

·        "The price of success is hard work."

·        "Work hard for what you want because it won't come to you

·        without a fight."

·        "A dream doesn't become a reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work."

·        "Luck is great, but most of life is hard work." 

·        "You have to fight to reach your dream.  You have to sacrifice and work hard for it."

·        "Talent is cheaper than table salt.  What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work."

But what, exactly, is the work?  If you're one who subscribes to the work harder theories you may believe that you should show up at your job at the crack of dawn, skip lunch, work through injuries, go in when your sick and bull your way, with unwavering effort, through enormous amounts of work until after dark.

I'm with you.  I too believe in hard work.  But not like that.  I have staked my career on the following hard work quote;

"You've got to work harder on yourself than you do on your job."

If I were talking with you and your boss, I'd say it out loud, and your boss would have to agree because a better YOU is a better employee regardless of your field.

All of the work quotes are true to one degree or another, but the most significant truth of all is this: "Self-improvement, exponentially multiplies the degree of effort you apply."

A salesperson can hit the ground running and make two hundred contacts per day and probably get one or two or them to listen.  Or he can carve out fifteen minutes in the morning to plan the day and schedule other planned periods to exercise, meditate and read positive materials.  He can use time during his commute to listen to a podcast or audio program that will teach him or remind him of useful and essential skills to increase the effectiveness of his efforts.

Hard work is open to interpretation.  You can bust rocks from dawn to dark daily, or you can put some hard work into investing in yourself.

I firmly believe that the work you do on you will make the hard work you do in your field much more valuable.

Own your sales gene…