Working Hard Does Not Produce Success

One of the pieces of advice about life that many young
people hear is, "If you want to be successful and get ahead
in life you need to work hard." That advice means to get a
good job and put your nose to the grindstone by working
hard at it, and doing your best.

A lot of young people start out doing just that. They
really put forth a great effort and work hard, sometimes
working long hours and weekends too. They believe that
being successful requires hard work, and they are willing
to work as hard as they can so that they will be successful.

When things are not going as well as expected, many think
that it is because they aren't working as hard as they
should, so they begin to work even harder. Many people in
their 40's and 50's have taken on a second job. It
certainly is a lot more work when you have two jobs than
when you have just one job. That is definitely working
harder.

I remember someone once saying, "Learn to work smarter, not
harder." What great advice that is.

I have nothing against hard work. I enjoy working hard,
putting all of my effort and energy into the project at
hand. And, it is true that if you are going to be
successful you do need to work hard. But, if you look
around you, it is evident that many people who have worked
hard all their lives do not have enough means to enjoy
their sunset years.

Plenty of people who have worked hard their whole lives are
now struggling to support themselves. So, they still work
a job. I'm willing to bet you that most of the over 60
crowd you see pouring your coffee at Denny's, or greeting
you at Wal-Mart, are not there by choice. And yet, they
worked hard all their life. What happened?

Is there a deeper issue to consider? It is very obvious
that just working hard will not bring you success. It is
true; working smarter can be very advantageous. But, it
seems that something vitally important is often overlooked
or dismissed.

The picture that you carry of yourself will determine the
course you take in life. If you have no specific, clearly
defined goals or desires, you will not just wake up someday
in nirvana, with a well padded retirement account.

Yes, we work hard to be successful, but we also have to
choose to be successful. It is a decision. It is a
conscious effort. It takes mental discipline. It is a
deliberate mindset.

It takes consistently evaluating our thoughts and then
changing those thoughts when necessary.

It takes specific goals and desires that we must pursue
with diligence. It is up to us to reevaluate and
reformulate those goals and desires as life changes. A lot
more is needed to be successful than just arriving at a job
and working hard all day!

In addition, we must remember that negative, defeating
thoughts will always produce defeat. Fears and worries
will bring failure.

It is through positive, successful mind processes, that we
come up with ideas for success. When we keep our mind
focused on our desires, opportunities become very obvious
to us. That is a big part of the "working smarter."

Our culture has really changed in the last 40 years.
Working for one company and then retiring with a nice
pension has become almost obsolete. Staying at the same
job for a long time is becoming a novelty. And social
security will not pay you enough, even if it's still there
when you retire.

So, work hard at your job, but work even harder with your
brain. Stay clear and focused on where you truly desire to
go in life. Stay clear on the things that you really desire
to see happen, and then, act on those desires.

Look for and expect opportunities to come your way. Expect
to have more ideas for your own personal success. And,
never forget that the Creator has promised to give you the
desires of your heart.

And by the way, the next time you're in Denny's and a
grandmother waits on your table, give her a ten or twenty
dollar tip.

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Michael A. Verdicchio is a husband, father, minister,
author,and broadcaster. He has been the voice on numerous
productions over the years, and offers, "Pep Talks" on
audio CD, at http://www.MikesPepTalks.com . Michael has a
free newsletter called, THE PEP LETTER, at
http://www.christianinspirationalgifts.com/pepletter.html .