The Ability to Work and the Ability to Earn Require the Same Skill… Or Do They?
Last evening, I was going over the monthly budget, and it got me thinking about the money in general. Why do some people work hard and earn a little and others earn a fortune?
It seems there are two categories of people: those who work hard and those who work smart.
The first category tends to think that life is difficult, success comes only after hard work and all you have to do is work, work, work. The other category has a slightly different approach. It doesn’t perceive work as a heavy burden that one needs to carry on one’s back. They see work as an everyday adventure. They work playing and play working. For them, work is a game where the winner takes it all and the loser takes what he’s been given.
But how to achieve the perception of the “smart worker”? I came up with five ides.
Learn respect
You must not just respect others; you must respect yourself too. Value your time, your work, your intellectual resources, and you need to value this in other people too. Remember that nobody owes you anything. It’s good to remind yourself from time to time this simple truth, especially when you begin complaining about the boss or the circumstances.
If something didn’t happen, you simply didn’t make it happen.
Do the work in time
As obvious as it may seem, finishing the job before the deadline gives you the feeling of your own credibility and professionalism. In this case, respecting yourself is much easier. Completing the job in time allows you to see how long you spent on this particular type of work. When you feel confident about your work, you can charge more. If you believe it’s worth it, everyone else will, because why not?
Find a challenge that excites you
Higher stakes bring more excitement, but don’t overestimate your capabilities. At this point, some challenges may seem too scary, and that’s fine. Pick one that is not too easy to achieve but make it something you have never done before. When you succeed, remember this feeling because that’s how you will know you’re going forward with your life instead of being stuck in a swamp of routine.
Know your capabilities
Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Know what you’re capable of and what you’re not just yet, and do it one step at a time. It’s like building a pyramid: you can’t make it with one huge brick if you want it to look authentically Egyptian. So, no rush. Remember, we’re playing a game here and what is life if it is not a game with high stakes?
Learn the rules, break the rules, set the rules
We all know that before breaking the rules, you need to learn them first, so you know how to break them wisely. But a few of us know that once they’re broken, you need to develop something instead so it is not left blank.
Basically, in any business, you’ve got a set of rules, which might not be the best ones for your product. Best-case scenario is before breaking something, you need to have a clear understanding of what you’re going to use instead. You need to have a vision of the endgame and that’s how you succeed.
These are my subjective bullet points on the successful smart work. If you’d like to share yours, share away! I’m eager to know your personal recipes for success. ;)
