“Hardwork beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” Tim Notke
This is a phrase that a teammate of mine continually told me when we were using our off days to train for crew. It was the phrase that kept me working hard at rowing even when my body didn’t want to. In sports it’s easier to put in hardwork towards your goal. Working out, eating healthy, getting enough rest, studying the game, and practicing fundamentals all lead to your eventual success. In life, and especially corporate environments, it’s hard to work hard on the pieces that’ll make you successful.
A Job is a Job
Some people have found their passion, they know what they want to do, they’ve created a roadmap to get their, and they are working hard everyday to achieve their vision of success.
However, for a majority of people the path is less clear. Maybe we landed an awesome corporate job for a large company. Although we can work hard at this job, and take pride in our work, it may not be the hardwork that leads to our success. This work is doing something for someone else with our end goal a paycheck. Yes, we can learn a lot of lessons from our higher-ups, but not every job is in-line with our visions of success. How do we work hard on our vision of success while we are working hard on someone else’s vision?
I am Unsure
The question of working hard on our own vision of success while working for someone else has always been a difficult question. I have a hardwork mentality. Put anything in front of me and I’ll work really hard. I collect my paycheck, pay my bills, travel a little bit, enjoy time with friends, and am happy with life. But that’s not my vision of success.
My current passion is in creating something for people that helps them achieve their goals. How do I put 40-50 hours a week for an employer and then go put hardwork into my own goals? It’d be ideal to find an employer, willing to hire me, with the same end goal and passions, but that’s not the easiest to find.
I have no idea how to answer my question. But with a clear-head, an able-body, and a willingness to find out, I am working towards my own answer. Each day is a test of mental fortitude to not only work hard for my employer but also work hard for me. Hardwork beats talent when I work hard.