This is What Hard Work is and Why it Matters
I read Jason Fried’s recent piece on hard work. It was thought-provoking. It continued a larger conversation. We all search for meaning. We’re all looking for values that can guide us. We want to make sense of why we do, what we do. We’re hoping that our life’s purpose will lead us to happiness and peace of mind.
So, where does hard work fit into that equation? And what does it mean?
Oxford defines hard work as, “a great deal of effort or endurance.”
Merriam-Webster defines hardworking as, “industrious, diligent.”
Effort. Endurance. Diligence. Industriousness
All very desirable qualities.
As an author and coach, one of my biggest role models is the late, great Coach John Wooden. His Pyramid of Success has served as inspiration and a baseline for me over the course of my career. It’s provided me with invaluable guidance and direction. There’s no coincidence that one of the cornerstones of his pyramid is Industriousness.
He defines this term — in light of its effect on success — as follows:
“Success travels in the company of very hard work. There is no trick, no easy way.”
