In reply to the post I wrote yesterday addressing some of the contributing factors to my success I received a number of comments that suggested that it is better to work smarter instead of harder. While that sounds good in theory, I do not think that advice is very pratical, and even if it is practical I don't think it is accurate.
It is not practical because working smarter is often something outside of my control, while working harder rarely is.
It is not accurate because a vast majority of the most successful people I know are definately harder workers than they are smart.
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan press on has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."
(John) Calvin Coolidge
Working smarter can be a very simple series of steps. An example of working smarter would be asking a buyer who calls you or e-mails you if they are currently working with another agent? Another would be asking them if you found their dream home today and it was within their price range what would they do? Doing a prelisting questionaire over the phone before meeting the clients so that you are better prepared is another example of working smarter and no harder. Certainly hard work is important but when you combine hard work with working smarter your production level can increase to an all new level.
I am not saying work stupidly. I just believe that working as smart as you are able to is a foregone conclusion.
This has always been one of my favorite quotes! I don't credit myself with being brilliant! I do know how to work though! That is soooo reassuring to me at least!
Hi Jonathan,
In todays market, I think you have to work harder and smarter to be successful.
P.S. Thanks for the points for How can Active Rain be more than itself.
All the best!
Kevin
I've heard that phrase often myself and wondered about it. I'm smart, but I'm not a techie genius nor am I gifted in other ways. Therefore, I have to work harder. It's refreshing to see someone else think this way (and have that someone be as successful as you to give us "harder" workers inspiration.)
Thanks :-)
I love the quote by Calvin Coolidge, it's like in music, not the most talented get recognized but the individual that works hard and pursues his music with abandon.
Hey, AR is FAST this morning. Good job, lots of hard work and it is appreciated.
P.S. I never understood that comment either, work smarter, not harder. Heard it for years, but never could figure it out. LOL
Working smarter is always a good idea, but you're right - working harder AND smarter is even better. One is certainly not exclusive of the other. The best of the best do both!
I guess we can always learn and improve on the way we work. Is that working smarter? Still, nothing takes the place of working harder.
Amen, Brother Jon. Persistance and hard work are going to kepp us in the business and thriving while those who "gave up" to go back to "real jobs" or more comfortable/secure employement.
Sometimes one has to wonder if working hard is a lost art. I was raised to do both, work HARD and work SMART. Some days I don't know if am working SMART but I know I am trying and working HARD.
my dad instilled in me the value of being a hard worker.....and to always do your best!
That's the first time I've read that quote and I love it! Working smarter is a cliche I tire of hearing. One needs to work very hard. Period.
Glin, "There's nothing cooler than free!" What is that supposed to mean?
Jonathan, I think it truly requires both. I work very hard at working smarter. The real key of course is to work ....not to be busy but to get things done.
In todays market the process of being successful requires some on to have some brains and someone to work hard does not mean it has to be the same person.
I think that one needs to work hard, but be smart. I see a lot of people that are VERY hard workers, but spin their wheels because they are no applying the smart part to the hard work.
I also see some very lazy smart people that go nowhere...
You gotta have them both if you want to be successful. One without the other won't get you very far. Kinda like AR. Some are smart enough to join AR, but they don't work hard by writing posts and using it for the full potential. Therefore, one without the other is kinda pointless...Just like a 700 point AR Profile/blog.
And J Paul Getty said, " I would rather have 10% of the efforts of others than 100% of my own." That is working smarter not harder.
In business, you must work on your business, not in your business if you ever want to truly make a lot of money.
My comments in your last post were about focus. What you focus on expands. If you THINK HARD WORK, your work will become HARD.
Let me give you a true life example of working smart not hard. N and I worked HARD at Re/max for 5 years being the top agents there, working many hours, no life, all work, etc, you know the drill. We would make 250K in a year and only be keeping 60K of it! Something was wrong with that picture.
We then opened up our own brokerage and working smarter looked to see what could we do to make that same amount of money, keep most of it but only work from 10 am to 4 pm monday thru Friday.
Nestor came up with the plan of doing land assemblages for big developers. We had no contacts in that arena and we were a brand new company. We did what we said we would. We only worked 10 to 4, 5 days a week. We made 250K the first year and that was from just 3 deals the whole year. We just focused, was it work, yes, but it was not HARD work in that sense of the word. Each year after that it only went up and up until the market crashed.
Then we shifted and said again, what can we do and still have the lifestyle we love and enjoy. The answer was in luxury homes and short sales. We then hired the people we need in place to do the short sales so that we are still living life instead of working all the time.
I am not saying not to work, but use your brain when you work, that is working smarter. Working smarter is about perserverence, focus, attitude and all those things you stated in your quote. I coach agents to do what we do and it works, The first thing I do in my coaching is to make all my clients take a day off every week! It does wonders for their real estate businesses!
Work more on yourself than you do on your business is smart work not hard work.
In the movie The Secret, Laurel Langmeyer who made more milliionaires in the last year than I can even remember talks about the mindset of money.
She was raised with, you have to work hard for money. So guess what, it becomes hard to make money because you believe it is hard work to make money. IT is NOT hard work to make money. First, your money should be working hard for you not you working hard for it. But she says to herself just as now I do, money comes to me easily and frequently. Now that is applying Smart work over hard work, then you look for the ways that you can increase your business that use the highest and best use of your time.
I guess I need to turn this into a post:)
You are right I was just reading the book by John Maxwell on Talent is never Enough and he talks about persistence will out do talent any day
Katerina said it better than I could, but I am of the same belief as her. There have been plenty of times I have worked hard. I started working at the age of 13 and at that time had to get a permit to do it, not sure if it's the same nowadays.
Anyway, from my pre-teen years of part time money to my young adult years of full time needed money I know there was a lot of hard work to make minimal money. My most successful work has been smarter work. Work that allowed breaks, work that wasn't all consuming to my life.
Had I to do it all over again, I would have always looked for a smarter way to work. Because everytime I have taken the harder road, it has been harder to make money. My mindset in those cases put a roadblock on success, because I couldn't fathom finding another hour to squeeze out of the day to make myself even more profitable.
Smart work and a good attitude are the route to finding the path to my success story.