Work Hard vs Work Smart

I believe Hard Work and Smart Work are two different tools to complete a single task. Or you can say that they are two faces of the same coin! It depends on the duration of the task or the level of difficulty, on the basis of which a measurable amount of Hard Work and Smart Work should be put in, together. I have learnt to adapt myself accordingly to situations and accordingly apply myself. If the deadline is 2 days away, I'm a Smart Worker. I focus on various aspects of the task, what's needed from me and which will have long term impacts. If we have 2 months to complete a task, I'll spend time on the details and Work Hard to gain results.

But personally, I think the idea of Hard Work is slightly outdated. Don't get me wrong, I said slightly!. In the olden days, when there was lack of technology and information, most people worked hard to achieve results. In my opinion, Hard Work can be defined as ‘physical work and/or long hours of labour’. But today, we have technology, tools and strategies to help us work faster and achieve similar or even better results.

Since I graduated from University, I've been involved in many activities and now for the past few years in my work environment, I've learned to prioritize tasks. My peers and colleagues know that I spend time on planning ahead. Although this is Smart Work, I consider it extremely hard. Planning requires an immense understanding of the resources in hand – therefore there is Hard Work involved (aha!). I Work Smart and I do so for long hours. Consistency is the sign of a Hard Worker and I aim to Work Smart consistently.

A combination of both has guaranteed me the best possible results, always!