Rewarding Work

I’ve been asked for advice enough times to have given it some thought. And, being a father of two boys in their formative years, it’s not a stretch to think about what I have learned and what I want them to take with them out into the world.

I don’t remember the first time I heard the phrase, “The harder I work, the luckier I get,”[1] but it has stuck with me. It’s one of those simple truths that feel deeper each time you think about them.

One of the things I like about this is that it doesn’t discount the existence of luck, but it does acknowledge that hard work is one of the ways you can “stack the deck,” rather than leaving everything up to the fickle finger of fate.

“The harder I work, the luckier I get" is one of those simple truths that feel deeper each time you think about them.

When an athlete gets a scholarship, you could say that she was lucky there was a scout there that night and that she had a good game. Or you could acknowledge the years of hard work she put in to prepare her for that moment. Was that athlete lucky the scout was there or was the scout there because he’d been told about this player he really needed to see? It’s remarkable to me how often hard work is mistaken for luck.

Many people in my life have told me that hard work is tough. It can be lonely and frustrating and thankless. If you’re working for pats on the back, recognition, and financial gain, you’re putting all the power to define and assess the value of your work in other people’s hands. Yes, that can be tough, frustrating, and thankless.

If you’re working for pats on the back, recognition, and financial gain, you’re putting all the power to define and assess the value of your work in other people’s hands.

But I’ve also been fortunate to work with people I admire and who have taught me the importance of finding motivation and validation within yourself. Who you are working for matters. There is value in challenging yourself, in working for yourself, and in knowing that the most important person you can please is yourself. When you do it all for you because you see the value in it, it isn’t tough, it’s focusing, energizing, and fulfilling.

Praise is great, recognition is wonderful, and rewards are nice, but they’re a beneficial byproduct. If you can find inspiration in succeeding and helping others succeed, that’s powerful. Trust that the rest will come.

Praise is great, recognition is wonderful, and rewards are nice, but they’re a beneficial byproduct.

To my boys: My greatest wish and hope for you is that you get to live the lives you want, that you find what makes you happy, and feel passionately about what you do. I want you to want to work hard and hope that your efforts prepare you when opportunities come your way. In other words, I wish you luck.

[1] This exact phasing seems to have come from Samuel Goldwyn, though a similar sentiment—"I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it."—has been attributed to Thomas Jefferson. I wouldn’t bet my life on that.