In a world obsessed with shortcuts and quick fixes, the pursuit of success often seems divided between hard work and smart work. However, a deeper examination reveals that neither hard work nor smart work alone guarantees lasting success. The true path to long-term achievement lies in “consistent right work”—a sustained and dedicated effort towards meaningful and well-aligned goals. This approach emphasizes the importance of identifying one’s true desires, maintaining consistent effort, and continually learning and growing. Here, we explore why consistent right work matters more than traditional notions of hard and smart work, supported by examples of famous individuals who have embodied this principle.
1. Identify What You Truly Want in Life
Success and happiness begin with a clear understanding of what you truly want from your life, something you would appreciate and be proud of. This involves introspection to identify your passions, dreams, goals, love, strengths, and values. Aligning your work with these elements ensures that your efforts are not only productive but also fulfilling. This will define what you truly want for your life, or for the world you see. For instance, Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, emphasized the importance of following one’s passion. He believed that the only way to do great work was to love what you do. Jobs’ relentless pursuit of his vision for innovative technology shaped his career and contributed to his lasting legacy.
2. Hard Work: A Misguided Concept
The traditional notion of hard work is often associated with intense effort over a short period, such as six months or a year. Many Youtubers, online gurus will say that work hard for 6 months, disappear for 6 months, and be a different person. However, considering a life span of 50-60 years, dedicating only a brief time of 6 months, 1,2 years to your goals is insufficient. True fulfillment and success require a lifelong commitment to your aspirations. Warren Buffett, for example, started investing as a teenager and has consistently worked towards his goals for decades. His success is not the result of a few intense years of effort but a lifetime of persistent and dedicated work.
3. True Smart Work: A Result of Consistency
Smart work is often seen as finding shortcuts to achieve goals more efficiently. However, genuine smart work comes from a deep understanding of a problem, acquired through consistent effort on the right tasks. But true smart work comes after finding the right thing, working hard on that right thing, then moving on to smart thing. It’s like solving an equation and skipping a few steps because you’ve already calculated things in your mind, and coming to the answer in few steps.
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, exemplifies this approach. His success is rooted in his deep understanding of technology and engineering, combined with relentless hard work. Once he masters the basics, he uses innovative thinking to streamline processes and achieve extraordinary results.
4. Mastery Through Consistent Right Work
Consistent right work allows you to grow through various stages of development, making you an expert in your field. This sustained effort builds deep knowledge and skill over time. Consistent right work makes you approach things through various mind stages of your development. Making you an expert, and mastering it as you keep growing. As your understanding of things progresses with time, so does your approach towards your ambitions and goal change. This change is utterly important, because it’s a learning from the very core to the surface.
J.K. Rowling, for instance, spent years writing and refining the Harry Potter series. She iterated the stories multiple times because she approached the stories in many different way as she matured more and more. Her consistent dedication to her craft led to the creation of one of the most beloved literary franchises in history. Her success wasn’t instant; it was the result of years of persistent work and continuous improvement.
The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy (Book recommendation) This book explores the power of small, consistent actions over time, which applies to skill development.
5. Building Legacy and Empire
Creating a lasting legacy or empire requires decades of consistent right work. Look at Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, and hundreds on similar companies who took multiple decades to be where they are right now. It’s not about short-term gains or quick fixes but about enduring commitment and perseverance. The thing they identify to fix or rather work on wasn’t something they knew would take 6 months or couple of years, but decades of work rather. Their vision was beyond an ordinary mind.
You might have seen the singer Ed Sheeran talked about how shitty artist he was, but after working for decades he changed. Many times he cried and didn’t sung for days because of depression. but he came back to it again and again. His empire was built over decades of hard work, persistence, and innovation, is a prime example. His consistent efforts in creating valuable content and his dedication to his audience have made him a global icon and a powerful influencer.
6. Resilience and Persistence
Consistent right work acknowledges the human experience of fluctuating motivation. Sometimes people don’t feel like working, and they can go weeks without working, but they still keep coming back to the work they left and resume thing. You might have heard this from many profound legends like Ronaldo, Arnold, David Gogins that they hated every second in the gym, but they understood and kept coming back. There were days they rather failed to make it in gym because they felt lazy, but they kept coming back. This happens thousand time over their life, but they keep coming back. That’s consistent hard work.
Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb, faced numerous failures and setbacks. However, his persistent effort and unwavering determination eventually led to groundbreaking inventions that transformed the world.
7. Learning Through Experience
Despite knowing shortcuts and having access to historical knowledge, people often choose the longer route because they value learning from their own experiences. Personal growth and understanding are more profound when derived from firsthand experiences. When individuals opt for the longer, more arduous route, they encounter various challenges that test their resilience, creativity, and problem-solving skills. These experiences foster a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of their field. Learning from one’s own experiences also instills a sense of ownership and personal achievement.
Edison famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” This mindset exemplifies the value of personal experience in achieving groundbreaking success. Each failure provided Edison with insights that brought him closer to his ultimate goal.
8. Dream Big and Ambitious
If your goals can be achieved in a short period, they may lack true ambition. Dreams and aspirations that require only a year or two to accomplish might not be challenging enough to push you to your limits. True ambition involves setting goals that are not only challenging but also have the potential to create a lasting impact. This requires a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.
For example, Elon Musk’s ambitions with SpaceX and Tesla were not short-term projects but long-term endeavors aimed at transforming entire industries. Even right now many think that Musk’s vision for SpaceX is far beyond human capabilities. But his determination to involve making space travel affordable and eventually enabling human colonization of Mars is what he believes in. This ambitious goal requires sustained effort, innovation, and overcoming numerous challenges.
- “Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs)” by Verne Harnish : This concept by Verne Harnish emphasizes setting audacious, long-term goals that inspire and motivate.
- “The 10X Rule” by Grant Cardo: This book promotes setting goals ten times bigger than you initially think possible.
- “How to Set Ambitious Goals (and Actually Achieve Them)” by Harvard Business Review: Provides practical steps for setting and achieving ambitious goals.
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Conclusion
The path to true success and fulfillment lies not in temporary bursts of hard work or opportunistic smart work but in the enduring commitment to consistent right work. By identifying what truly matters, dedicating sustained effort, and continually learning and growing, you can build a lasting legacy and achieve your highest aspirations. The examples of successful individuals like Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, Elon Musk, J.K. Rowling, Oprah Winfrey, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, and Jeff Bezos illustrate that consistent right work is the key to achieving extraordinary success and leaving a lasting impact on the world.
