A reader asked me why he’s making so little progress with his business, even though he’s working hard and working smart.
Here’s my answer. It’s not what you’re expecting!
Hard work is not the answer
The problem here is that from childhood we’re told to study hard.
Then we start our career and we’re told to work hard.
Then we’re told to work hard and work smart.
We’re even told to play hard!
Eventually we start to believe in all the hard stuff. We start to believe that working hard or studying hard is the route to success.
It isn’t. In fact, it will massively limit your potential!
Here’s what we know about the most successful, happiest and wealthiest people in business. They do things very differently.
- They work smart, sure, but they work with passion for what they do.
- They study, of course, but they study with joy and excitement for what they’re about to discover.
- They play, but they play with a limitless sense of fun, just like they did when they were kids.
And the difference this makes is huge.
Hard work = Hard life
When you adopt a hard attitude to business, life becomes hard. Both for you and those around you. No one deserves to live like that. Especially you.
I’d like you to consider a very different approach. The approach I suggest is both as easy (and as challenging) as this:
If you love what you do, then work with love. If you don’t love what you do, either learn to love it or find something else to do. Soon you’ll discover that work is easier, more enjoyable and a lot more fruitful.
Who says so?
Think about it, Warren Buffett is a multi-billionaire. He has more money than he will ever need. He could have retired decades ago. However, he chooses to carry on because he loves what he does and he works with passion. If it was a long, hard slog… he’d have quit as soon as he made his fortune. The same is true of Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Elon Musk, Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell – – literally every wealthy person who carries on working, when they have zero financial need to do so.
In short, stop making life so hard for yourself.
Seriously.
Live and work with joy and passion. When you do, it will improve every element of your life, not just your business.
The small business owners I work with enjoy far more sales, attract better clients and grow amazing businesses.
If you want the same, here’s exactly how it happens.