I was brought up with the importance of “hard work” to be successful. There is an abundance of well-known quotes by famous people that underline the need for hard work to be successful. The late Colin Powell, former US Defense Secretary, said: “A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” In similar vein, Thomas Jefferson, another former US President, commented: “I am a great believer in luck, and find the harder I work, the more I have it”.

These are powerful quotes, but they were made by an army general and a president from a different era. Those were the times where technology simply wasn’t advanced enough to make it possible to work more efficiently (especially in Jefferson’s era).

Today, the key is to work smarter, not harder, right? Do you really think this is true? Here is what Elon Musk, one of the most famous and richest entrepreneurs and CEO of TESLA said in 2020: “No matter how hard you work, someone else is working harder!”

Today’s emphasis may be on working smarter, but that alone may be insufficient. Take TESLA again, the leading electric car manufacturer. Its recent market value has now reached a new record of over one trillion dollars. That number is greater than the annual GDP of several major countries, i.e., Switzerland, Holland, Sweden, and Belgium. Or what about AIRBNB, the world’s largest on-line accommodation and travel agency, with over five million property listings in 220 countries and 100,000 cities. AIRBNB is valued over $100M without owning one hotel! So, let me ask you, what team are you on? The “hard work team of blood, sweat and tears, the smart work team of doing more with less, or some combination of the two?

Consider this analogy: You can eventually cut down a tree even if you use only a small knife, but you can also get the job done much faster using a sharp axe. You also can do much better with a friend and using a large saw; an electric tree saw would probably be best? But wait ...what if you could use one of those specialized bulldozers that can cut the tree, chop it, tie the pieces, and even help you transport it where you want? That could be followed by an automated tree re-planting vehicle.  Wow! What a difference there can be between hard work and smart work!

Perhaps the answer is about doing the hard work in finding the right tools, which then allow you to do the smart work. I admire people that combine the two sides of work. They obviously know that although hard work alone may not get the desired result, and smart work without the consistency and discipline may be insufficient to reach your objective.

Here are 7 points to reflect on:

1. Technology is a tool in your hand. Use it wisely. Do not let it use you.
2. Be selective of where and how you spend your time. We all have the same amount of time.
3. Keep it simple. Start with the end in mind. Innovation starts when you “think” outside the box.
4. Listening is not hard when you shut off distractions. Protect your mind and soul to stay fresh and relaxed.
5. Learn from your past but move on. Live in the present, and plan for the future.
6. Focus on what you can do and what you have.
7. And finally, work hard, as long as you also play hard. Remember that we work to live and not live to work.

(W-600)