What is Hard Work?

[Dwane J.]

The term "Hard Work" has bugged me for years. Parents, teachers, peers all say "do your best and work hard" or "the hard work will pay off". I come across this term often when reading about business and entrepreneurship.

Is hard work related to the amount of work you do, dealing with the unknown or a series of events that pay off in the future?

To me hard work is mental, moving forward while battling the unknown. When I'm working on my side business I feel like I am at the bottom of the ocean swimming to the surface. It's cold, uncomfortable and pitch black. My instincts say to give up and drown but I keep swimming to the surface.

IMO, hard work is a battle in your mind. After 30 years on this planet I feel like I have just learned the meaning of hard work trying to make my side business successful.

What is your definition of hard work?

[admins please move if this would be better suited in a different topic]

[Angela]

That's a great question!

When I think of hard work, I think of the kind of physical exertion that takes mental strength or threats to keep on going. Like building a railroad or a pyramid. Or being a bicycle delivery person.

Everything else is kinda cake compared to that!

[silicon toad2000]

hard work is relative (or relatives are hard work, kidding). I believe if you can honestly tell yourself that that there was nothing more you could have done in any given task, you couldn't have thought harder, worked faster or focussed more intently, then you have worked hard at something.
Another measure could be your level of exhaustion after the task. After an exam I had once (got high marks) I found it very difficult to actually think about anything, i was that mentally drained.

[Ree]

I think of hard work in relation to its opposite: Easy work.

Easy work is mindless, repetitive, dogmatic work that one does without much thought. Some folks do a lot of this, but I think most of us do some of this type of work.

Hard work requires focus and attention to detail. Hard work takes something out of you. Different people may experience different types of work as hard work and easy work. To me cutting the lawn is easy work, even though it requires physical exertion. On the other hand, balancing my accounts every month is hard work. I get a much greater feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction when my accounts are done.

[Shamou]

I believe that "hard work" relates to your work ethic... if you give it all you've got and give as much as you can (within reason) then... you can say that you are a "hard working" person...

However, instead of trying to be a "hard worker" it is so much more productive and pleasant to use your imagination and try to find a way of making your work a game where you have fun doing it...

All the great successes that I have met... never worked... they played... wild horses could not drive them away from whatever it is that they were involved into...

As, an example... I am a chiropractor... I have been doing this for decades and probably could do it with my eyes closed... so,what I do is see myself as a healer who could have a lifelong influence on the person that I am working on... it is just a slight shift in perception... but it makes all the difference in the world... I love what I do... it's fun... and could never be called work... even if I "worked hard" at it...
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[Ibanez]

I hate the term "hard work," it's too ambiguous and not clearly defined. Some say "hard work" is two jobs or working 80hrs a week.

I like the term "smart work." Smart work to me means that the work is not only effective but efficient.

"the hard work will pay off"

Hard work might pay off, not will.

[ZHereford]

Originally Posted by Ibanez

I hate the term "hard work," it's too ambiguous and not clearly defined. Some say "hard work" is two jobs or working 80hrs a week.

I like the term "smart work." Smart work to me means that the work is not only effective but efficient. Hard work might pay off, not will.

Very well said! I couldn't agree more.

[DelThako]

Originally Posted by Ibanez

I hate the term "hard work," it's too ambiguous and not clearly defined. Some say "hard work" is two jobs or working 80hrs a week.

I like the term "smart work." Smart work to me means that the work is not only effective but efficient.


Hard work might pay off, not will.

Working hard means putting in the time every day for smaller, repetive tasks, while hard work represents something that challenges you.

I agree, you should strive to do as little hard work as possible with best results you can make(=most efficiently); while you shouldn't work hard on something that only your wastes time.

[Freelancer]

I feel slightly different about what is hard work, to me hard work is a repetitive and boring job. I feel drained after doing this and definitley not invigorated. On the other hand there's challenging 'work' I enjoy doing and the time seems to fly past, I might be physically and mentally tired but I feel great when I'm done. I don't think thats hard work at all, as shamou said its play and fun.

Every time somebody mentions hard work I cringe a bit inside, it feels bad/difficult and well plain hard. I very much prefer challenging 'work' because it allows me to grow and growing is in the end always pleasurable (although at times its difficult and painfull). Not to mention that I can do challenging work for years on end while hard work I'm tired off after weeks.

[JiriNovotny]

I think that Steve has defined it best:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/200...ine-hard-work/

[yellowtamarin]

I think of hard work as any work that is difficult or taxing - on the body or mind. You might be doing some physical labour and exclaim "this is hard work!" (which could be a good or bad thing). The guy beside you might disagree that it's hard work because he is a fit, strong worker who is very used to the job.

Mundane or repetitive work could also be hard work, if you find it difficult to work this way. Working in a job you hate could be hard work, because it is a challenge to muster up the motivation to get it done.

So I guess I see hard work as work that is hard for you, as an individual.