Does Working Harder Really Make You More Successful

Work Smarter, Not Harder

When you work harder you have higher expectations and when those expectations fail it hurts more.

It may make you tear up or question your ability to complete a task efficiently. It may even make you regret starting a new task or setting a new goal.

As an artist, I struggle with this

I try to perfect a lot of my projects and I think about starting them for weeks and end up in this cycle of procrastination and never start them or they’ll never get finished.

The projects that I try to perfect end up also looking the worse

It’s the ones that I don't think too hard about that end up being my best pieces.

Hard work is a fundamental aspect of success but not the only one. I’m learning now that my mind, body, and spirit should be more important to me, than just working extra hard.

I find that when I’m working too much I’m often left feeling drained out and tired, and my creativity isn’t there.

I run out of ideas and I’m left confused

It’s like my brain just goes blank sometimes

A couple of months ago I spoke with a career advisor and she told me to work on projects that I really like.

Find things that you truly enjoy creating, that bring satisfaction and joy

If I don't get excited about what I’m creating then It’s probably not the best fit.

I’m also learning to never settle for anything I don’t want. While it’s necessary to focus on the things I need to care for myself.

So what’s the balance between working hard and actually enjoying life?

We can still enjoy our lives while working hard if it’s done with a little balance.

Having the right knowledge, being persistent, finding opportunity and inviting new ones, building valuable relationships, being a lifelong learner, and setting obtainable goals, is where success comes in.

Success may look different for all of us and with the right foundation and mindset it can be done

-Ziara