Working harder is never as productive as working smarter

TheVigilante · 2025-05-05T13:41:40+00:00

So this is a guy who I follow (JD Daley his name) when it comes to remote sales related stuff and hes a top top G, he has this knack of posting eye openers and this was surely one of them ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Work Hard.... Then Work Harder I´ve noticed these messages popping up more in social media posts. Typically with some preface... You don´t need ______, you just need to work harder OR Stop focusing on ______, just WORK HARD. This idea is presented as a strategy, not sure if anyone else feels this way, but it seems to me to certainly leave a lot to be desired. Work ethic is not so much of a strategy as it is a characteristic. If work ethic is the lacking or limiting factor, then ``work harder`` is great advice. What about when you are maxed out on effort and still not producing results? What then? Truth is..There are a lot more scenarios where Work HARDER is not the answer. Imagine you are in a hole, and your objective is to get out of that hole. Your strategy is to dig your way out of that hole.... You aren´t getting the result you want, soooo dig harder.... From this example, hopefully you can see the limitations of this advice. One more just to hammer the idea home It´s pretty universal... let´s say you find out someone is in an abusive, toxic relationship... Do you believe the advice you should give them is to work harder to make the relationship work? This universal idea that hard work is always the answer falls short more often than it hits. Luckily for me, when I was growing up, I observed that the hardest working people I knew were also the poorest. I realized early, work ethic is only one ingredient in the recipe. Sometimes when people reach a level of success, they forget what got them there, or they lack awareness that maybe they came into this pursuit at a different level, with different tools in their tool belt. Having worked closely with over 1000 people in the last few years... I find it impossible to cram the universal recipe for success into 1 engagement post. I´ve worked with people who need to improve their communication, others their belief, identity, esteem, and confidence. Some who needed more awareness, some more patience... some influence, certainty, self-image and yes some who needed to work harder.... but some who were trying to dig themselves out of a hole by digging 2x the speed. For these people, the idea that the answer to everything they desire is simply as easy as hard work is somewhat irresponsible and short-sighted, in my opinion. That´s like telling someone the key to gaining a Michelin star is an oven and a couple of pots and pans. We are all coming into this from different places, some people are starting with more ingredients than others... some people are starting with more ``debt`` in specific areas. It would be nice if we, as leaders, resisted the urge to make the formula for success fit into 2 sentences on social media. Work ethic is one of the many characteristics necessary. Drive, Empathy, Resilience, Persistence, Awareness, Discipline, and Determination should be added to that list Pairing those characteristics with a growth mindset certainly should be added to the recipe. Developing an Abundance and Service mindset doesn´t hurt either. I don´t hear a lot about Communication - both sending and receiving information... I would say that should be on everyone´s list too. Then we get into some of the universal principles....not just for remote sales success, but success in general. No success is possible without the big 3 Decision making, Problem Solving, Resourcefulness. If your work ethic is strong and your decision making is weak, you are in for a long road ahead. I also notice these posts never seem to talk about strategy.... as if hard work is the substitute for a thoughtful, proven game plan. As if the dreamhouse is built not by a blueprint but by hammering as many boards together as possible?! Here in lies the problem.... when trying to squeeze the recipe for success into a social post, you´ll notice that the post starts to get long...like this one. For engagement, you don´t want a long form post like this... most people will scroll right past it It´s much better for your vanity metrics if you post Success is just a matter of _________ The secret to success is ________ Stop _____ Start __________ These perform much better than laying out the full recipe. Not to mention, if someone had the full recipe, they wouldn´t settle for the lower quality opportunities that the leaders need to guilt them into taking and staying in long term. It´s also much more profitable for the powers that be, if you believe the only way to get ahead in this industry is more effort. If you believe being strategic = you being entitled you are more likely to play ball and allow them to rent you out in lower-earning positions. If your only leverage is effort, you make a good employee.... that´s good for business, that's good for turnover. If you understand that it´s a combination of Mindset, Character, Skill, Strategy, Time, Energy, Focus.... That gives you the insight necessary to be independent....to climb higher, faster on your own terms, less dependent on others, less of a consumer, less of a pawn. That´s not good for business..... It´s better if you believe that everything you want is accessible if you just work harder. When you reach a point where you´ve maxed out your effort but you still haven´t achieved what you're after, or when you are ready to learn and develop the rest of the recipe, reach out.

Thread starter TheVigilante
Start date May 5, 2025

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