True Value of a Strong Work Ethic

People usually write what they experience; they tend to tell their stories and use writing as an expressive outlet. Contrarily, a few like me, they experience things only to write about them; they find excuses to write.

Allow me to explain it in another way.

Most of you can relate to the boredom, which an individual goes through when he has nothing to do. Especially in such times of crisis, when the whole world is experiencing a phase of ‘lockdown’ and people are confined within their abodes. However, in this post-modern age, where Netflix, YouTube and several other streaming services are easily available to us, there isn’t a shortage of tools that can facilitate us in enjoying our free time.

Just like most of you, I also walked that path. For a couple of weeks, I did nothing but binge-watched TV series and documentaries.

So, what brought me to writing?

TV series, movies, and YouTube videos are a great escape, without a doubt. But only watching them didn’t help me much as I had a lot of untold stories and wanted to share them with you guys or, if I speak over-ambitiously, with the whole world. So, it was just a matter of time before I started writing and it didn’t take me long to start putting my thoughts on a paper and sharing it with others.

For those who don’t know, I love sports. Football, tennis, and basketball in particular. And most of the stuff, which I write, revolves around sports stories and sports personalities. The same is the case with this one.

Last night, I was watching a video on YouTube about the late Kobe Bryant’s work ethic and it struck me that I had not written anything on this particular subject so far. Such a shame.

Thus I decided to address this subject but in a broader perspective.

In case you don’t know the late Kobe Bryant, the guy was one of the greatest to ever play on a basketball court and is believed to be the toughest guy when it comes to mental strength and mental capacities. Now, if you don’t watch basketball, it is completely fine because this piece is not about the late Kobe Bryant rather it is about his work ethic and his winning mentality.

A lot has been said about the late Kobe Bryant’s work ethic and his commitment to the game and it is quite well known that his commitment to the game was like no one else’s.

Back in the day, even during his High School time, Kobe used to be at the practice two hours before the scheduled time and used to stay late, practicing all by himself. And it was his work ethic that won him 5 NBA rings along with several other accolades.

Later, when Kobe was asked about his commitment and his work ethic, he replied,

“Those times when you get up early and you work hard, those times when you stay up late and work hard. Those times when don’t feel like working, You are too tired. You don’t want to push yourself, but you do it anyway. That is actually the dream.”

Recently, Kobe was interviewed by Patrick Bet-David and he asked him for how long he remained committed and disciplined. Kobe answered,

“Well, I mean, every day. I mean since 20 years. It was an everyday process…trying to figure out the strengths and weaknesses.”

Talking about work ethic and commitment without mentioning my guy Rafa Nadal? That would be unfair. The success Rafa Nadal has achieved on the tennis court is not hidden from anyone but only a few know about the effort, commitment and mental fortitude, which let Rafa become one of the greatest of all time. Rafa’s intense practice schedule and his love for the game not only allowed him to defeat more talented and well-built guys but also allowed him to achieve the unthinkable.

I have been following him for the last ten years and I have never seen Rafa taking days off from his work or wasting time in unnecessary things. The guy is married to the game and if it wasn’t for his commitment, Rafa would have given up a long time ago, given the severity of his injuries. No matter what the circumstances are, this dude keeps working and he never quits. And his hard work has paid him off quite well as Rafa is still at the very top of the rankings and still enjoying himself, playing at the highest level.

No days off, no short-cuts, no excuses. Just sheer hard work, resilience, and self-belief.

As I mentioned earlier, you can’t take sports out of me so, I can’t help but narrate another example from the sports world. It has been years since we, football fans, have been witnessing the magic of Lionel Messi and the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo. Now, without going into Messi vs. Ronaldo debate or the GOAT discussion, I would like to cement my point about working hard and utilizing your abilities in the best possible way.

We all have heard stories about the work ethic of Cristiano Ronaldo and in the words of his former teammate, Simao

“Every day, when he wakes up, he is the first on the bench, he starts to work one hour before the training starts. He trains and after training, he keeps working. He always wants more.”

And we all know what Ronaldo has achieved so far and he still has a lot left in him.

Shifting from sports to showbiz, a number of personalities from the showbiz industry have also shown how great work ethic can help you in realizing your true potential and in this regard, one name always comes to the surface, Daniel Day-Lewis. A three-time Oscar winner and the greatest method-actor to embrace the screen. I once read that DDL used to prepare for a role for like 3 to 4 years and he used to take almost years to get out of the previous character so that he could work on the next one. It was his commitment to his work that he did quite a few movies and cemented his legacy forever.

This discussion is not only limited to sports guys or the showbiz personalities rather we can witness the same thing from the modern-day billionaires especially the young ones. The likes of Elon Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX guy and my favorite of them all, Nusret Gökçe aka Salt Bae.

In case you follow Nusret on Instagram, you must have observed that the work ethic of this guy is something out of this world. He woke up early in the morning, usually around 7 or 8, does his workout, a rigorous one and then he is in his restaurant around 10 or 11. Throughout the day, he does meetings, spends his time in the Kitchen and in the evening, he himself serves his customers. Nusret keeps working till midnight and repeats the same routine throughout the week. The guy is a freak and his work ethic is something, which says a lot about why he is one of the most beloved billionaires out there.

Summarizing my thoughts, throughout my 24 years existence, I have met a lot of talented guys and I have friended several hard-working dudes as well. I have seen a number of talented guys falling short of their true potential and giving up too early. Contrarily, I have also witnessed hard-working guys winning over the talented ones. Now, the point which I am trying to make is, irrespective of your talent and abilities, your work ethic and the way you utilize your potential or talent is something, which can surely help you in reaching the pinnacle, not the other way around.

Making a long story short, those who don’t value what they are doing and don’t give their 100 percent, often fall short of becoming who they want to be. Your talent can bring you to the forefront but unless you put in hard work and you apply self-discipline, you just can’t be the best. In the words of the late Kobe Bryant,

“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.”

So, keep trying and soon, you will be winning.