Everywhere you look, there’s talk about ‘hard work.’
We worship at the alter of hard work. Virtually every job posting states: “looking for hard working…” or the cliché (and cringe-worthy) - “work hard – play hard.”
So, am I anti-hard work? Am I just a hippy-dippy leftist looking to live off the government? Do I think money will magically fall onto my lap while I’m playing video games all day?
Sigh. No.
What I actually am is anti-suffering. You see, this “work-hard” mantra is great…in sprints. There should be periods of activity. But there should also be periods of rest and growth where the work actually gets...*gasp*....easier!
If you spend the next 30 days doing push-ups every day…and on Day 31, doing 10 pushups is as hard as that activity was on Day 1? Something’s broken. All that hard work was wasted.
You see, the purpose of hard work isn’t more hard work. What we should be doing in our roles is working hard to find ways to turn hard work into easy…or at least easier…work.
What? Sacrilege! Blasphemy! If I don’t work 80 hours a week and tell everyone how busy I am…how will everyone know how important and valuable I am? If I’m not empty, drained and wiped out at the end of the day…am I truly crushing it?
How idiotic!
I’ve gone on record with my boss that everyday I try to take one step towards working myself out of a job.
On record.
Why? Because that’s where real value is created. If there is one (or several) organizational task that only I can complete…why do we see that as valuable? It’s literally a trap.
Now, I can no longer grow in my organization…because my organization needs me to do that one task. Now I can no longer take PTO and disconnect…because I’m the only one in the organization that can do that task. Promotion? "Sorry, Bob, you’re the only one that can do the thing. Susan is your new boss."
I want you to think about your favorite teacher. One of mine was a chemistry teacher. Chemistry is hard. This teacher? Made me believe it could be easy. He explained it in a way that was relatable. He took ‘hard’ and made it ‘easier.’
So many products and services we buy today are to make hard things easier! A car wash? Easier than doing it in the front yard. Oil change? Same. Automatic coffee brewer? Yep! Easier!
Yet in our day-to-day work…we think value is created because something is hard…and stays hard?! That our level of suffering somehow shows how important we are?
Do you see the absolute disconnect? In our daily lives we value when a product or service makes something easier for us…yet, for our boss…for our organization…we want to go in to the office every day and complain about how hard our work is. Day in. Day out. Still hard. Always hard.
And then we are absolutely shocked when said company doesn't see that as ‘valuable?’ Shocked when we don't get the raise. Stunned when we don't get the promotion.
"But I worked hard!" - No. You just suffered. You made no attempt at making things better. Easier.
Now, I know the hustle-bro crowd and probably some recruiters will reach out to tell me that I’m, yet again…jumping off my career cliff. So what. Keep doing the same old thing over and over again…and pretend you’re creating value because you’re the first in and last out. Keep suffering.
That game is overplayed. Want to truly set yourself apart and create real value? Find ways to make the hard stuff…easier. Free your time up so you can volunteer for the more visible projects. Free your time up so you can go to that conference, read that book or listen to that podcast. Learn new things and apply them to what's hard today...so it'll be easier tomorrow!
Your value doesn’t come from how miserable you can be at your job. It comes from your ingenuity, smarts, creativity and willingness to see the world differently…and then apply those talents towards turning hard work, into easier work.
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