Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing.
William Arthur Ward
Almost every successful person out there will attest to the fact that it isn’t sheer talent or luck that got them through, but a lot of hard work. And even in this age of shortcuts and become-rich-overnight schemes, it is mostly those who put in the hard yards who make it big in life.
There is truly no substitute for hard work. You might figure out a shortcut or an easy way to get where you wish to be, but the fact remains that you will need to do some hard graft. Sure, there are plenty of cases where someone simply got lucky and got whatever they sought in their lives without having to do the heavy work. Then there are some others who either inherited a fortune or got a head start over others as a result of nepotism. However, even these folks cannot avoid elbow grease, for there is only so far inheritance or connections can get you in life.
Even so, hard work isn’t just a prerequisite to a successful, but also a fulfilling life. Even if one were to accomplish their goals without slogging away, would it give them a lasting sense of accomplishment? Would they feel any pride in their achievements if those achievements were the product of pure luck? We need to understand that it isn’t just our success that gives us a feeling of gratification, but also the hard yards we put into achieving it. In fact, even the world only respects those who made it on the basis of merit.
William Arthur Ward was an American motivational author. Known as a staunch proponent of pursuing one’s dreams, Ward wrote: “Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing.”