Alex Taub has an interesting post up on LinkedIn about the concept of glorifying hard work. He makes the case that we shouldn’t glorify hard work (the humble brag if you will). He acknowledges that we should work hard, but we shouldn’t glorify it. He also offers this great Yahoo answer which offers some interesting perspective on “hard work.”
Question: Why do people glorify “hard work”?
Yahoo Answer: Working isn’t about working hard. It isn’t about working long hours. It’s about working efficiently, being productive and getting your job done effectively with the least amount of effort possible.
I have a friend who brags that he busts his *** 60 hours a week driving a Coca-Cola delivery truck. Congratulations, I work 35 and make twice as much as he does.
Shouldn’t we stop pretending spending 50+ hours a week at the office or jobsite to be a good thing and recognize that real genius is finding a way to streamline the process and get that same job done in 25?
I’ve always had a hard time with the concept of hard work. I’m often asked on social media if I ever sleep. I usually answer that “Sleep is for the weak and sometimes I’m weak.” Of course, I sleep. However, sometimes I do work and when I am working, I work hard. Sometimes that means working late. Sometimes I like to talk about that on Twitter. It motivates me when I’m grinding through a challenging project with a deadline.
So, I have to disagree with Alex about not glorifying hard work. Sure, it can be taken to an extreme. Also, it does have a negative impact on you if you take it too far. However, if you’ve really done an extraordinary effort to complete something, I think it’s good to celebrate that accomplishment. Just don’t make a habit of doing it always. Like most things in life, it’s only good in moderation.
