If you work hard and are dedicated and do not abandon your goals, you’ll achieve them eventually.

The urge to write about why hard work is key to success began after Burna Boy had a chat with his followers through Instagram Live. In the course of the conversation, he stated:

“If you no make am no evidence say you try your best.” “You go dey explain tire.” “You go explain explain explain because no evidence say you try your best if you no make am.”

In simple terms:

“You go explain tire” – You’ll continue to explain yourself.
“No evidence” – There’s no evidence of your saying.

This saying applies to many different aspects of life but is especially applicable in the context of perseverance and hard work.

How many times have you heard that hard work is the key to success? It’s likely to be a lot, and it’s true! The importance of hard work is paramount to success, and it’s due to many reasons.

Be determined, work hard, and you’ll be able to accomplish anything. This is a phrase which has been said to us over and over again, and it’s almost lost its significance. The issue is that we’re already feeling as though we’re doing our best, and for a lot of people, it feels like they are not making any progress.

“Hard work” isn’t just physical, it’s emotional too.

The importance of hard work is widely acknowledged in the society. Since childhood, we have been told that if we work hard, we will succeed; there is some debate about this and many advocate methods to work smarter than harder, but many insist on working hard as an essential element to the achievement of great success, but what exactly does “hard work” actually refers to? Some people think it’s working extra hours, and for others, it’s working harder. In reality, it’s appropriate to alter the definition of working hard to suit the individual and their goals.

Hard work Synonyms

backbreaking work
donkeywork
drudgery
hard way
labour
long haul
tough Grind
uphill battle

What Does it Mean to Work Hard?

The ability to work hard is a learned ability, but it takes years of dedication and practice. Most people begin to develop this ability in their early years; although the ability to work hard might appear more natural to certain individuals, it is not an established characteristic or personality trait, so it can’t be assessed with a personality test.

While it’s hard to pinpoint an exact definition of hard work, hardworking people are reliable, consistent, and can be trusted with a wide range of tasks.

The Elements of Hard Work

The hard work you do is only one way you can reach your goals. Although every person’s path to success will be different, the structure of the work put into it often appears alike. For the majority of successful people, the hard work they put into their work included all of the following:

The Drive – Find Your Motivation

It is the reason and the motivation – why you put in the effort; it is the force which pushes you forward. If you are thinking about hard work, one of the most important questions to ask is “Why?” Why bother making the effort to get up early to exercise? Why would you want to do multiple jobs simultaneously while going to night school? Why should you be scrimping and saving and sacrificing the pleasures of the world to put every penny you can into your business? Answer: motivation.

Motivation is what sets hard work in motion; it is the reason we stay productive despite the gruelling Grind and the tough sacrifices.

The Plan – Map It or Scrap It

If The Drive is the heart of your efforts, the plan is your framework. The plan outlines the steps of action for you, assists in plotting your progress and helps you stay on the right track.

When it comes down to real work, this aspect becomes more vital as it is essential to break the labour into manageable steps.

When you think of your ultimate goals, it is natural to view them as a lifelong goal. When you are doing hard work, you move day-to-day. Setting up a strategy lets you set the goal: “What do I want to do with my life?” and break it down into

“What do I need to do over the next five years?”
“What do I need to do this year?”
“What do I need to do this week?”
Then, “What do I need to do today?”
and finally, “What do I need to do right now?”

This smallest resolution is the most important as it’s in which you’ll face the most resistance externally and internally. On the inside, you’ll be confronted with resistance every time you get stuck in The Grind. If you’re working all weekend or at night instead of laying on the couch or having a drink with your friends, you’ll begin to think, “Why am I doing this?” The Plan will help you get over these emotions. It allows you to take your action currently and connect it with the ultimate objective, even if it causes the moment to be incredibly unpleasant.

The Grind – Don’t Ease Up, Don’t Give Up

What is known as the Grind is the time when working hard ceases to be enjoyable and thrilling and begins becoming boring, exhausting and maybe even demotivating. The way you deal with the Grind is usually the difference between winners and those who give up.

As you graduated from high school, a person older was probably sitting with you and gave you a particular point of wisdom. Maybe it was a father, an uncle or a close family member, but whoever they were, they had been working for some time and wanted to pass on a bit of knowledge to the young people. This is what he told you:

“Choose a job that you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

This piece of advice, although well-intentioned, is, unfortunately, just a piece of wishful thinking. No one lives by this alleged truth; even if you’re a work-from-home freelancer, there will be moments when you aren’t ready to get up and go about your work.

Dr. Jim Taylor, writing for Psychology Today, calls this the Grind. “The Grind is when you’re performing work that takes you far beyond the point at which it is fun and exciting.” The Grind is exhausting, stressful and boring. It is also the moment when it truly matters.

According to Dr Taylor: “Many businesspeople at this stage either relax or quit because they find it too difficult. However, those who are truly motivated will go for The Grind and keep on continuing.”

To defeat The Grind, he recommends finding a balance between the love-hate spectrum. Being able to truly love The Grind – the paper-pushing, the dull meetings, the tired mornings when you have to punch the clock at 9 to 5 after having a late night working on a side project – rarely occurs. However, openly detesting The Grind is a recipe for burnout; this is the reason why Dr Taylor writes: “I suggest that you neither love nor hate The Grind; you simply accept it as part of the deal in striving toward success.”

The Sacrifice – An Unpopular Leap of Faith

This is the essence of working hard, and it is one aspect that makes hard work really hard. Achieving any ambitious goal requires a lot of sacrifices on your part; the strain you put on your finances, relationships and even your comfort is the true test.

There are 24 hours per day and seven days per week; there’s only one of you and the brain that is a part of you that requires between four and eight hours of rest each night to perform at its best. In addition, it takes around 10,000 hours of training before you become an expert in anything, according to an investigation by Dr. K. Anders Ericsson.

It takes around 120 hours per semester to obtain a bachelor’s level degree, which is around 1,800 hours spent in a classroom. It will take approximately 40 hours to complete the master’s degree, equivalent to around 600 hours in the classroom (and this does not include the time spent studying, reading and writing the thesis). These are only the kinds of things you can easily determine. How many hours did it take to develop Facebook? How long did it take for Tesla to create and develop an AC motor?

If you intend to stick to the course of The Plan and achieve your objectives, then you’re going to be required to make important sacrifices in your life. From avoiding some of your favourite shows, not spending social time with friends, or possibly deciding to turn down a job.

Making sacrifices, I would say, is the most difficult part of working hard; it could be even more difficult than doing the actual work. When we think about our objectives and the amount of effort that will be required to complete these goals, we tend to minimize this aspect (sacrifices) of the equation within our heads. For instance, if you’re thinking of pursuing a career as a blogger or YouTuber in a highly competitive niche, it’s not difficult to imagine writing and researching all through the evening. “All I have to do is write, write and write, right?” you may think. “No problem, I love writing”

It’s not the hardest part. The issue of sacrifice isn’t the actions you take to achieve your goals. It’s about what you choose not to do for the sake of your ambition.

The Payoff

To allow your effort to be worthwhile, you must set several goals and milestones and acknowledge those milestones when you’ve accomplished them. When you’ve done that, you need to increase the stakes and keep working.

While the four previous sections may seem daunting, I’m not trying to talk you into not working towards your goals by saying that you’ve less sleep, lose friends, or be forever lonely. What I’m trying to convince you is that regardless of how you believe you’re doing, you can always work harder. To accomplish this, you’ll need to do the same emotional and spiritual hard work as physical and mental hard work. True hard work has a disruptive effect on your life, and that is precisely what you want to achieve. There are positives as well as negatives associated with this disruption, but if the end goal you’ve set your sights on is really what you desire, the effort will make sense.

In the story of Aimee Elizabeth’s rags to riches story, there was certainly reward and sacrifice. She was homeless and broke to becoming retired before 40, and a multimillionaire before reaching her 50th birthday. The sacrifice she made in doing this was the choice to harden a portion of her heart at an early age; to the present, she is battling to soften it again. The question of whether this was a great bargain or not remains to be decided, but her incredible story shows that upward potential is achievable.

The most important thing to remember about The Payoff is that it’s not a finality. It’s important to acknowledge those moments when you’ve crossed an important milestone or completed the first part of your journey; the effort isn’t done. The hard work you put into it is a habit that will last until you’re gone, so celebrate the results and enjoy the rewards, but then put in the next investment in yourself and into the next challenge ahead.

Top 5 Characteristics of Hardworking People

Although the definition of a hardworking individual differs based on the circumstances, the traits of a true hard worker are not.

Hard Workers are Dependable

One of the main traits of hard work is dependability. A person who is dependable keeps to their word regardless of the perceived importance of a task. The most reliable people are hardworking and effective leaders at all levels of your business.

Reliability and punctuality: A dependable team member will always be punctual, on time and ready. The importance of punctuality can’t be overemphasized.
Quality: A dependable and hardworking person will deliver top-quality work. Not only do they adhere to the highest standards, they value the standards you set and will work to meet or exceed them.
Leadership: We’ve learnt that we can trust an honest and hardworking person; they will eventually be appreciated, trusted, and respected by peers. This is exactly the kind of behavior you’re looking for as a leader to every degree.

Hard Workers Are Skilled at Prioritizing

Prioritization is the capability to manage multiple projects or tasks and to determine which are most crucial and time-sensitive. This typically means deciding which projects are given priority and the ones that are pushed back or changed. The hard workers add more value due to the ability they have to prioritize.

Large Workload: When they understand the importance of prioritization as well as their responsibilities, hard workers can carry on with a bigger workload.
Strategic Mindset: They think critically and continuously about their priorities, and take calculated steps.

How to Identify a Person Skilled at Prioritizing

Ability to adapt: Someone who can adjust their work schedule to meet the demands of a new project or change their priorities based on changing information is extremely flexible. This could be a sign of their ability to adapt to prioritizing.
Qualitative Questions: The better a person’s questions, the better information they have to make prioritization decisions. Pay close attention to people who ask good questions.

Hard Workers Persevere

When composing the words that describe a hardworking person, the word “persistence” comes up often. Persistence is a continuous, long-term effort towards a desired result or goal regardless of difficulties or hurdles. Hardworking people persevere in big and small ways to the benefit of their families and professional networks.

Hardworking People Practice Self-Care

When asked, “What does it mean to work hard?” only a few people would mention self-care as an essential quality. Instead, they discuss long-term, sustainable excellence and high-quality contributions, but this kind of dedication to excellence is impossible without self-care.

Self-care refers to anything one takes to recharge, rest and refresh. It lets them remain in good shape to work at their peak for the rest of their lives.

Self-care may look like:

Turning off email notifications during weekends and taking time to think in the evenings or during weekends allows a person to return to work every morning with an open head.
A long break every year: allowing 1-2 weeks to disconnect will allow a person to return to their office feeling refreshed and ready to keep up their outstanding work.
A walk at lunch: Simply taking a break during work hours has many physical and mental health advantages.

Reasons Hard Work is The Key to Success

Hard work will not only bring you recognition from other people and provide you with more opportunities, it also brings an increase in your personal development that comes from it. Here are the top reasons you should be working hard:

Hard work motivates and rewards you.

Being a dedicated hard worker can be rewarding; the whole process of hard work and dedication could be an incentive in itself that will allow you to grow as a person and continue to push you towards the correct direction.

It’s not everything, but being able to see how far you’ve travelled can be motivating, particularly when it comes to big tasks like putting in the effort to get a job promotion.

Hard work shows you are dependable.

Another reason that being hardworking is essential to succeed is because it shows that you are reliable. If you’re someone that people can count on, they will remember you; why wouldn’t they?

People begin to talk about you when they know you’re well-known for your dedication to your industry. In the workplace, you might be asked to join their team or asked for your assistance with any projects they might require assistance with.

If you run your own company, your products and/or services would be the top choice for customers due to your reliability.

They want someone to accomplish things for them, and based on your efforts, they’ll know who to contact. People who want to collaborate with you are a great illustration of how hard work results in the success you desire.

Hard work shows commitment.

When you make a decision on the path you want to take and strive to reach your goal, you’re committed to your final goal. This means that you may need to say No! to any suggestion that isn’t in line with your goal or plan.

By refusing to do things that aren’t serving you, and remaining focused when working hard is a sign of commitment. Your commitment is what will help you achieve success in your job and/or business.

The decision to commit yourself to your work will bring both career and financial benefits, which is why it’s worth the effort.

It helps you develop self-discipline.

Work hard, and you can build your self-control as time passes. Not working hard can lead to failure when you try to accomplish the most basic tasks.

The temptation to be distracted can result in a lack of motivation, but it is the reverse as well. If you’re focused on becoming a productive hard worker, discipline will be the result. Another reason to put in the work is the key to the success you desire.

In addition to discipline, you can also acquire other qualities that are beneficial, such as perseverance and patience. Self-discipline is a character trait that can be beneficial for adhering to your personal and financial objectives.

The harder you work, the faster you get ahead.

We already know by now that hard work pays off. The harder you work, the faster you get the results you want, but it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll achieve all you want on the first, or even the second, try.

You must be patient and believe that hard work will lead to success. What you do now will pay off in the future.

Hard work builds character.

It’s a well-known motivator utilized by teachers, parents, and employers to overcome the reluctance that can arise when faced with difficult or time-consuming assignments, but can hard work actually build character? Think about a time in your life when you were required to work for a long time, whether at work or school or at your home. Do you prefer to be free of the experience? Many of us could recall instances where we benefited from the experiences of hard work; there are other instances which were less productive or even detrimental. If done correctly, working hard can help develop the ability to endure and a sense of accountability. These are the qualities that will give you an edge in your work and your private life and make you feel good about yourself.

With the intrinsic benefits, as well as external accomplishments achieved through the effort of working hard, establishing the habit of working hard is likely to be among the most rewarding actions you can take for yourself or your loved ones.

Bible Verses About Hard Work and Determination

Let’s not get tired of doing good because, in time, we’ll have a harvest if we don’t give up.
Galatians 6:9

The Good News: Although we may not immediately see the reward for our good doings, they will come. Do not give up! Perseverance is key. Galatians 6:9

You will definitely enjoy what you’ve worked hard for – you’ll be happy, and things will go well for you.
Psalm 128:2

The desires of the lazy will kill them because their hands refuse to do anything.
Proverbs 21:25

The Good News: A lazy, uninspired person will not get anything done and refuses to do work. Aspire to avoid all temptations of doubt and slothfulness, and you’ll thrive in life. Proverbs 21:25

But if someone doesn’t provide for their own family, and especially for a member of their household, they have denied the faith. They are worse than those who have no faith.
1 Timothy 5:8

The Good News: You have been given so many gifts and tools to support your loved ones. So step up and provide, and you will follow God and his son Jesus’ lead. It may be difficult at first, but you’ll bring joy not only to others but to yourself as well. 1 Timothy 5:8

There is profit in hard work, but mere talk leads to poverty.
Proverbs 14:23

The Good News: You have to talk the talk and walk the walk if you expect to succeed. Put in the hard work and long hours, and you will see wealth come your way. If you simply dream of it and don’t take action, you won’t see a dime. Proverbs 14:23

A hardworking farmer should get the first share of the crop.
2 Timothy 2:6

The Good News: Those who work hard and put in the effort deserve to be rewarded. It’s as simple as that. 2 Timothy 2:6

Even when we were with you we were giving you this command: If anyone doesn’t want to work, they shouldn’t eat.’ We hear that some of you are living an undisciplined life. They aren’t working, but they are meddling in other people’s business. By the Lord Jesus Christ, we command and encourage such people to work quietly and put their own food on the table.
2 Thessalonians 3:10-12

The Good News: Those not willing to put in the work do not deserve the reward at the end of the journey. If you decide to put in the effort and dedication that it takes to succeed, do so quietly and without pride. Then the Lord will know who you are truly working for. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12

I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13

The Good News: At the end of the day, God is on our side. We can do anything thanks to Him. We just need to ask for his support. Philippians 4:13

Hard Work Quotes

The path to success isn’t easy: the most committed businessperson sometimes struggles to keep on track.

Let the words of the people who came before you inspire you and keep you on track. Learn from other people who have travelled the same way and shared the lessons they learned from their struggles.

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” –Tim Notke, basketball coach.
“Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard, then succeed on purpose.” – G.K. Nielson.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou.
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” – Pele, Brazilian soccer player.
“Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.” – Sam Ewing.
“The only thing standing between you and outrageous success is continuous progress.” – Dan Waldschmidt.
“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” – Thomas Jefferson.
“If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.” – Steve Jobs.
“Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning. Once it does, it becomes the kind of thing that makes you grab your wife around the waist and dance a jig.” – Malcolm Gladwell Malcolm Gladwell.

“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammad Ali.
“There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.” – Zig Ziglar.
“The greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it.” – Epicurus, Greek philosopher.
“You are your greatest asset. Put your time, effort and money into training.” – Tom Hopkins.
“There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.” – Michael Phelps
“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” – Babe Ruth.
“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” – Oprah Winfrey.
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” –Michael Jordan.
“If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it.” – Elon Musk.
“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” – Muhammad Ali.
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison.
“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” – Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” – Thomas Paine.
“When you do more than you’re paid for, eventually you’ll be paid for more than you do.” – Zig Ziglar.
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell.
“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” – Walter Elliot.
“A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn.” – Helen Keller.
“Without labour, nothing prospers.” – Sophocles.
“Great companies are built in the office, with hard work put in by a team.” – Emily Chang.

Conclusion

No matter how you think of your definition of hard work, the value of hard work has been repeatedly proven. It’s true that hard work doesn’t always earn the rewards it deserves, but it doesn’t mean that being a hard worker and exerting effort is an unnecessary waste of energy and time. It is important to choose carefully what you want to put your effort into and how you choose to do it.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF – Best Study Motivation