Working smart isn't very hard..

5 replies
Since I began, I've had a lot of different results that confused me.. really confused me.

One of the most odd was when I was working with a plan, schedule, and working 14+ hours a day on my business.

Working hard..

It seemed like a very logical thing to do.. I mean it's all I was being told from everyone around me.. "work hard and you'll succeed!".. so I took that advice and did exactly that.

Now of course this is my experience and shouldn't be considered a case study that will have the same results for you..

But after following that plan, my business ultimately suffered. I began to see profits dwindle beyond anything I could imagine. I mean.. I was working all day trying to get leads, add on to what I already had, and market with other people.. spending countless hours providing support, recording videos, and making this a complete badass experience for my clients.. and yet my profits were lower than they had ever been? And not just mine.. my entire business model began to suffer.

Okay... scratch that one off the list, I took a 1 month break, another 2 weeks spent moving, changed my mindset completely, and BOOM.

Working smart..

I stopped focusing on that business and started changing my direction. Instead of working hard for 12 hours a day... I decided to work smart for 3 hours a day and then supplement that with about 2 hours of relaxed work.

And I've already proven to myself that this new direction works sooooo much better for me.. I've already passed my previous months earnings (of when I was working hard) with only a few hours a day of focused time on this.

The rest of the time I've either been spending with family, friends, or just relaxing to settle my mind.

It's been a very eye opening experience and the results I've seen from changing from "work hard all day" to "work smart and only a few hours each day" has made me so much happier.

In fact.. I'm at one of the happiest points in my life, thus far.

And I really want to keep riding this train for as long as I can!

Justin Lewis
#business building #hard #smart #work #working
  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    Working hard and working smart aren't mutually exclusive.
    You're still working hard BUT you're planning your work better so you're achieving more in less hours. That is the working smart aspect.
    Rest is part of life and if you work when you should rest, it ends up being counter-productive. So keep doing what you're now doing and your successes should increase.
    Signature

    Cheers, Laurence.
    Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8459814].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Odahh
    there are times in the cycle you will and should work hard ..but not every day and every week.


    look at how the ancients did things the roman built aqueducts that are still in use today ..many parts of the world people live in rather nice houses that have been lived in for hundreds of years that don't need as much maintenance as the average 2 bedroom house in the US.

    the hard work should be in the building of the system ..not keeping it going .

    then again people use how hard they work as some kind of bragging issue ..because you can talk about how hard you are working with just about anyone .. you can't talk about how much you are making with but a trusted few .
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8460003].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Odahh
    the problem with trying to work a small amount of time .. is people think they have a right to take up any time you are not working..and that you must fill the other waking hours with some activity .
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8460011].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Justin Says
      Originally Posted by Odahh View Post

      the problem with trying to work a small amount of time .. is people think they have a right to take up any time you are not working..and that you must fill the other waking hours with some activity .
      See for me that isn't an issue. I spend a lot of that time with my family and friends. And I have a lot of activities that I really enjoy

      As far as the people coming to me about me not working.. if I don't want to spend time with them I'm honest about it. I don't let people push me around anymore.

      And for those that come to me asking for free services.. I definitely have taken on many people that way, but I have pro-bono work that I really enjoy that now takes up that time and I'm completely content and happy with that.

      It's all about how you look at it.

      Free time can be very difficult to manage.. but once you find out what you really love doing in life.. it's simple.
      Signature

      My name is Justin Lewis. My digital marketing company has been in business for over 10 years with multiple six-figure years. We do provide a premium web design service.

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8462344].message }}
  • There is a very marked difference between working hard, and working smart, and the two does not always overlap, nor are they exact opposites. Sometimes, smart work entails hard work, but then again, hard work isn’t always very smart and on no account does suggest that you all should quit working, and just take a break from it all, living on pure air and sunshine, as it were…
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8460100].message }}

Trending Topics