Hard Work Is Not Optional

Let’s make sure this is clear: you are going to work hard.

You either work hard earlier or you work hard later. You either work hard now or you work hard eventually. You don’t escape hard work. You just delay it.

You probably know from your own experience that delaying hard work makes the work even harder later. Avoiding the hard work of a difficult conversation creates extra hard work to carry that mental tension within you and makes the conversation even harder when you inevitably have it.

Avoiding the hard work of dietary discipline and physical exercise creates extra hard work to shoulder insecurity and mental guilt for allowing yourself to get to this point, not to mention the physical hard work of getting back in shape. It would have been easier to stay in shape from the beginning.

When you meet a moment that requires hard work — physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally — before you make your decision, ask yourself: “If I don’t work hard on this right now, when will I be forced into hard work and how much harder will it be then?” Remind yourself that hard work isn’t optional, it’s just pushed to another time or another part of your life.

We will all work hard. The questions are:

1. When?
2. At what cost?
3. To create what value?

Answer the call. Do the work.