March 15, 2011 at 7:28 am, by Carl
Seth Godin nails the concept of hard work, diligent effort. Just like I told you at the start of the year, life is never easy and you should not expect it to be so.
Read this first line of Seth’s post from back in December: “Art is hard. Selling is hard. Writing is hard. Making a difference is hard.”
YES!!
So, as we head towards the completion of the Spring semester, towards the start of the summer selling quarter, how are you doing? Are you putting in the effort?
This is the time of our church’s Ember Days for the end of the first quarter. Reflect back and then project forward. Are you happy with your success? Are you putting in enough effort? Last semester, I had a wonderful student who was learning about how hard work leads to success. As he was on his way to a very good grade in my class, he told me “I’ve never had to study this long for anything before.” Of course, that comment was a sad testimony about other professors and classes that he has had, and one would question whether, at that very moment, if he could bring forth any of that knowledge that he had supposedly learned about. Still, I took the comment as a badge of honor.
As I have told you, the world is a hard place. Doing anything well, anything of significance, demands effort. Sure, you can be someone who flips burgers and that job will demand little effort from you. If that’s the life you wish, then go ahead and do little work. BUT, I would contend, even for that person flipping burgers, the rest of their life demands diligent effort. If they want a happy marriage, it will take hard work. If they want their house to look nice, it will take focused effort. If they want the yard to be green, that will take hard work. If they want their bills paid on time and not have the mortgage foreclosed on, that will take hard work. If they want successful friendships, that will take effort. Heck, if they want to have one of the high scores in World of Warcraft, the online game, THAT will take diligent effort and hard work.
Now, don’t be sad. Don’t cry. Instead, gear up and get to work. As you do, find joy in the effort knowing that you are truly alive!
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1 Comment to Seth’s rule about work that matters
RobertHMarch 15, 2011 at 1:48 pm
“…and one would question whether, at that very moment, if he could bring forth any of that knowledge that he had supposedly learned about.” I learned this lesson about myself as I transitioned from high school to college. Not immediately, of course, but over time as I began to think critically for the first time. It is as if a high school diploma is meaningless, except as some checkoff on a list, and an A.A. level degree is the new H.S. diploma.
This is probably my biggest gripe about public education. Well, maybe my second biggest. From my own life and with almost every other person I interact with they cannot, as you question in the quote above, bring forth any of that knowledge.
I feel like public education was a mental prison for 12 years and now I am free–and recognize I’m free(!)–I have to break down all the coasting, procrastinating, and short-cut tactics I developed and really start examining everything.