Work Hard or Try Hard

My brother often told me that it was better to work hard than to try hard. At first I didn’t understand what he meant. It took a while for me to realize that if we are trying really hard without having done the hard work of preparing for the task we are faced with, no matter how hard we try, our success will depend more on luck than our skill and talent. We need to understand that hard work is about preparation and that preparation is the key to success. There’s an old saying that says “failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” What this all means is that whatever we are tasked with, we must be diligent in our preparation, which means we must engage in deliberate practice of the skills required for success.

When you watch a great athlete, or musician, or actor perform, it seems like their performance is almost effortless. The talent seems to just flow like water down a gentle incline. The performance does not openly reveal the hours of hard work those performers put in long before the event we witness. They have worked hard at honing their talents and now they are trying easy to perform their best.

When an athlete like Derek Jeter, or Mariano Rivera, or Michael Jordan, or Patrick Mahomes seems to just float through a contest with grace and excellence, we often, quite erroneously, conclude that they are just naturally gifted. Reality tells us they have done the very hard work of preparation, and now they have allowed that preparation to guide them through the difficulties of competition. That preparation occurs on several dimensions. There are skills that must be developed and honed. There are strategies and tactics that must be developed and perfected. There are cognitive aspects of the context that the athlete must master and so much more.

All of this is true in every aspect of our lives. From our relationships to our work lives, our success is dependent upon our preparation. If you do not work on a relationship, it will not be all that it can be. If you do not work on your professional talents, skills, and abilities, you will not attain the success you desire. Tap into the power of deliberate, guided practice. Know the best mechanics, attitude, systems, information, and, connections that will lead to success. Be willing to adapt and improvise. Practice it all using hard work and tenacity. And then, when you apply it all, when it really counts, try easy!