How To Fight Smarter And Not Harder
What It Really Means To Work Smart
When I say ‘fight’, I do not mean struggling through life and battling obstacles, but holding on to your peace of mind, anticipating hits that may come, and thinking ahead.
I remember watching multiple interviews by Mark Cuban and seeing the recurring theme of business being like a battlefield, being mentioned by the billionaire.
He said that when you engage in business you have to be on your feet at all times, because there is always somebody on your tail looking to take your place.
That kept the billionaire Cuban working and continuously striving for excellence.
What Mark says reminds me of a few interviews with Mayweather, who is arguably the best defensive fighter the world has ever seen. He repeats the principle of working smart and not hard in multiple interviews.
He says that he always tries to teach other, up and coming, boxers that they should not try to be like somebody else. He says it is not all about the money, the reason he got so far is because he worked smart and not just hard.
He went for more than just money, he went for the greater victory. To him, that victory meant choosing his fights carefully and knowing how to win consistently, to leave the sport healthy, and feed his family.
Sun Tzu says a similar principle in the book, ‘The Art of War’, and that is the best way to win any battle is to know your enemy and know yourself.
If you know your enemy and have carefully evaluated whether you have the resources and power to defeat them beforehand, you will always win.
Even, if winning means not engaging in combat in the first place. You live to fight another day. Indirectly, Mayweather has built his life on this principle.
Money can come easily, and can go just as quick as it comes. In a similar way, opportunities come and go. We have to know which battles to fight in life and business, and which opportunities are really worth pursuing.
Even, if we do not spend money on a particular opportunity, we have to be smart enough to value our time, and weigh up the opportunity costs. Could we be doing something better with our time?
In our personal management of money we can choose to go for a brand new car, or a second hand one that looks the same, with decent mileage, for a few grand less. This is the same car that if you where to buy and drive it away, the price would depreciate by up to 30%.
In order to work smart you have to fully understand your options, and what will benefit you in the long run, not just immediately.
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You can also give me a shout on twitter, I promise not to bite: @LesliePoku
