What is the difference between hard work and smart work?
‘Dreams don’t work unless you do’. Well, we have often heard that ‘Work smart and not hard’, but what really is smart work. Does only smart work brings you success, and if so then why are so many of us still busy putting our blood and sweat into working hard to reach our goals? Whether we should opt for smart work or hard work, which will bring us more efficient results is one of the topics we often hear being discussed among people. Well, let’s break the ice and talk about Smart Work vs Hard Work.
So let’s start with some basic examples: Ages back the cage man pushed his cart or huge pieces of stone for carrying it from one place to the other. But the modern man-made wheelbarrow easily carries its load and travels long distances with less effort
and with more efficiency.This is a classic example of smart work.
When we work for a given task depending on its worth and put our effort and apply our brain in order to produce maximum results by using minimum labor then it is known as SmartWork.
Whereas Hard work is all about consistently working towards a particular goal irrespective of its worth and not being worried about the result or not using any means to reduce your effort. While both methodologies have their pros and cons, it is normally seen that an amalgamation of both gives perfect and efficient results. So let us now study the arguments for both the work forms and then draw a conclusion about what should be preferred.
Hard Work
- Commitment: Hard work requires a lot of commitment and sincerity from the person and is not an easy one to follow. A hard worker needs to consistently work towards what he perceives to be worth it, no matter how challenging the situation is. Success for the HardWorker comes after putting in long hours at work which deprives him/her comforts of life.
- Traditional format: Hard work sticks to the traditional form of doing work and there are not many changes that are incorporated in the pattern of working.
- Tedious: being a traditional form of working pattern, hard work requires a lot of effort and consistency and thus it becomes tedious and tiresome. Overnight success is not ensured by hard work.
- Monotonous: Hard work aims at the quantity and may become monotonous and boring for some. But if done with heart and soul, it can give you the best results.
Smart Work
- Saves a lot of time: Being a smart worker saves a lot of time as you can find ways and means to reduce your work by using logical and innovative ways to achieve your goals. This not only saves your time, but it also gives you enough time to learn a new task while completing the present one.
- Faster realization of goals: Not relying on traditional ways and using improvised ways of working smart work is a faster method that helps you reach your goals earlier.
- Builds your strengths: When one acquires in-depth knowledge about any work and finds ways to improve the working pattern to achieve the goal efficiently and in less time, it builds up on your strengths and helps you become a master of the work at hand.
- The need of the hour: In today’s era of technology and fast-moving times, smart work is the need of the hour. It provides an easier way to do a certain task and provides similar results in a shorter time frame.
- Result of hard work: While we have seen that smart work is a better option, what we forget is that smart work is the fruit of hard work. Only when you work hard do you gather the expertise and the knowledge to understand the work at hand efficiently improve on it and work smartly. So having discussed both Smart Work vs Hard Work, what do you think should be preferred? Well, some people believe that only hard work does not give them the desired results in the allotted time frame whereas smart workers attain their goals faster through proper Time Management. On the contrary, some people also have the notion that it is a shortcut to hard work and can never help you attain goals with the same efficiency and consistency as compared to hard work. Well, we know that you are completely confused between the two. But let us answer that for you. We are sure you have heard of ‘united we stand, divided we fall’. Well, that is true in this case too, if you use either of these individually it may create a problem for you but a perfect mix of both smart and hard work is what will bring you success.
End goal: Smart Work vs Hard Work
One can attain great heights and lead a better and more comfortable life if one incorporates both smart and hard work together. Such a person in due time attains all the accolades and recognition. The reason being the combination of both smart work and hard work will help push you towards your goal through a strategic approach. If you are not smart your hard work will never pay. Just like a donkey only does hard work, whereas a horse does hard work but uses his smartness whenever and wherever needed.
In a similar way smart work is the result of hard work, to master the quality of smartwork one really
needs to work hard. Through hard work, we gain experience which helps us discover new things whichin turn helps us to work smartly. The effort is important, but where to make that effort makes a difference.
So it is recommended that there should always be an amalgamation of both smart work and hard
work (Smart Work vs Hard Work) as they both complement and fill in for each other whenever
required.
So always remember
‘Before you work smart, work hard and If you only work hard, and not smartly, you
may end up only working for the rest of your life.’