What does it take to be successful? As a guy who speaks to over a hundred thousand people per year about success, I get asked this question a lot. Rarely are the people pleased with my answer: Work. Yep, that’s it. Work. It’s not attitude or passion or loving what you do. Those things help, but they aren’t the key. It’s good old-fashioned work. How do you know you are working? When you are breaking a sweat, either mentally or physically.
Now don’t automatically think that working hard will make you successful. It won’t. I know lots of people who work very hard, much harder than I do, and don’t really find any financial success. On the other hand, I don’t know of anyone who has experienced real financial success who hasn’t worked hard to achieve it. And don’t offer me lottery winners or people who have inherited their money – they don’t count. I’m talking about regular people like you and me. For us, it takes work.
“But Larry, I go to work every day and work hard!” I doubt it. Most studies say that workers waste at least two hours a day goofing off. They admit to doing less than their best on the job and less than their best for the customer. Work is just that place where you dress slightly better than you do at home. And those people you work with – they aren’t co-workers, they are only co-goers.
We have become a nation of spectators. It’s easier to watch Friends on TV than it is to be a friend in real life. It’s easier to watch people lose weight on TV than it is to get off our huge butts and lose it ourselves. It’s certainly easier to watch people paint a room or clean out their closets than to do it ourselves. And it’s even easier to watch someone else correct their out-of -control children that to discipline our own. I find this sad.
Most people settle for much less than they have to because they are just too lazy to work for what they really want. They do a half-assed job when they are on the job and then put little effort into living their dream when they go home. Life, happiness, prosperity and success all take effort. If it feels easy, you are going the wrong direction. Remember: It’s called work for a reason.
Amen! You hit the nail on the head!!
Larry, your message is brutally honest and incredibly accurate – I’ll share it with those who need it as well as those who simply enjoy the reinforcement.
I’d write more, but I have work to do!
Bradley Warren
http://www.LeadingForwardBlog.com
You got that right Larry! Too many people expect a free ride. Well, as you said, unless you merely inherit your wealth or win the lottery, success and money takes work and giving something of value to others.
We have a saying in my house… “Work hard and good things happen.”
Ask anyone of my kids what happens when you work hard and they will respond “good things.”
Whether it’s sports, health, business, relationships or any other area of life, if one puts in the work the good things are as sure as gravity.
Great post, Larry.
No sense ever writing about the people who ARE doing amazing things in this world – you need to consistently point out the loser habits of the masses?
You sir, have a CRAP business model. Why not try something extraordinary? How about starting to write about the inspirational beacons – the blinding points of light. We can all see the losers easily enough – you don’t need to trash the obvious.
A quick story –
About a year ago – I bought all my employees (about 18 people at the time) a copy of “It’s called work for a reason” – the next day three of them quit on me. (My guess, they did not want to work that hard or I hurt their feelings – and I thought it was a nice gesture!)
A year later – the three people that replaced them are some of the best employees I could ever hope for and business is back on the right track even in these tough economic times.
Moral of the story – want to weed out your “co-goer’s”? Buy them the book, it will piss them off!
It is called work for a reason – keep up the great work Larry!
Great story Mike – thanks!
Darlene. I DO need to trash the obvious. It’s what they pay me for and besides, I get a kick out of it. As you might say, “I am following my bliss!!!” As for my CRAP business model – I never even considered it to be a model. But thanks! It seems to be working pretty good for me so I think I’m gonna stick with it. And lots of others like it. Too bad you don’t. Go somewhere else where all those shining beacons of inspiration are located. Or just turn on Oprah. If you don’t like me or what I have to say, no need for you to hang around. All the best to you!