Confessions: How I Got Addicted to Hard Work
In mainstream America, hard work is something we tend to run away from. As citizens of a first world country, we like things to be convenient, fast, and painless. We expect companies to make buying and consuming as effortless as possible. We want our homes and offices to be the perfect temperature, our carpets fluffy, and car transmissions automatic. Many things around us have been designed to make us comfortable. So, when things are difficult, our first response is to run away.
As strange as it sounds, hard work has become an addiction for me personally. Once I start a hard project or task, I don’t want to stop. Like with all addictions, I like the feeling that hard work gives me and I always want more of it. Here, I’ll divulge the details behind what has led to my unexpected addiction.
It helped me reach my goals faster
One thing I learned early on in life is that when I focus and work hard, I can reach my goals faster than I could have imagined. This was true with school work and later on in my professional work!
When you learn to ignore the distractions and the people that try to take your attention away, things get done faster. Hard work that you might have run away from before, actually becomes easier.
“...The little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you’ll never be able to do the big things right.”
It built my confidence
Once you have accomplished something, even a small thing, you will gain the momentum to accomplish more things. One success often leads to another. That is one reason why recruits at boot camp learn to make their bed every morning. It’s a small gesture but that small win gives a sense of accomplishment.
U.S. Navy Admiral William H. McCraven has been quoted as having said, “If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. Making your bed will [reinforce] the fact that the little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you’ll never be able to do the big things right.” In a way, the small win of making your bed leads to bigger wins later on. That feeling derived from accomplishment, big or small, gives a person the confidence to keep going and leads them to more.
It led to more discipline
One surprising thing about hard work is that it gave me a higher level of mental discipline. Mental discipline is developed by overcoming mental and physical resistance. Instead of telling yourself all the reasons why you can’t do something, you tell yourself you can. The main benefit of discipline is that it will reinforce your own ability to see your goals through to the end, without giving up easily. That is a great thing!
It felt good to win
There are some great rewards to working hard. I have seen these rewards in my professional career and personal life, not because I was lucky but because I worked hard. When someone works hard, makes a positive contribution, and does a job well, their efforts are rewarded. The rewards can be things like awards, bonuses, promotions, or higher pay. These rewards will help you thrive in life. Best of all, you will be rewarded in some intrinsic ways when you see your hard work benefiting others.
Communities benefit from hard work because youth see the benefit of hard work modeled for them. They gain someone to learn from and admire. Also, hard working individuals are often the ones doing volunteer work in their community, things that others do not want or cannot do, like pick up trash, feed a homeless person, gather food for a food bank, organize events, and more.
In the workplace, a team benefits from someone’s hard work by being able to accomplish more together. Customers benefit by receiving good service or products. At home, a family benefits from someone’s hard work and the added income, as well as fortitude, they bring.
At the end of the day, the foremost reward you will receive for your hard work is an overall sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. Hard work is a struggle but the feeling you will get from overcoming struggle cannot be replicated. This feeling of accomplishment will make you feel good about yourself and become an addictive habit that benefits everyone!
Sources
5 Reasons You Should Make Your Bed Every Morning
13 Traits of the American Convenience Culture
Benefits Of Hard Work (9 Reasons Why Hard Work Is Worth It)