Stop working hard.

There is a mistake I’ve made so many times… here’s how you avoid it.

Every influencer on social media peddles hard work (aka #hustleporn).

To be clear, I’m not anti-hard work (hopefully, that’s obvious).

However, when it comes to high achievement, hard work is the baseline for success.

Here is the mistake: we assume hard work automatically leads to success.

It does not…

Hard work is only part of the equation.

Think of this in terms of Newton’s Second Law of Motion, which defines the equation for Force.

Force = mass * acceleration

Let’s define Newton’s law in terms of achieving success:

• Force (F) = Level or amount of success
• Mass (m) = Value created by action
• Acceleration (a) = Effort (aka hard work)

The Missing Variable

Success is a derivative, not just of hard work, but also value creation.

You could “crushing” work all day, but if you’re not creating value, you’re also not increasing your success.

Sure, you worked hard all day answering emails. How much of that email work created real value for you or your business or, more importantly, your clients?

Sure, you’re home every night at 500 p.m. for dinner. Were you present? Did you listen to your spouse? Were you curious how their day went? Or did you puke your day on them and disappear into your own head?

Showing up is bullshit. Children can show up.

Hard work is the barrier to entry. No prizes for hard work.

Create value. Now you’re building something.

• Do you want to raise more money for your charity? Create more value for donors.
• Do you want a promotion at work? Create more value for your boss.
• Do you want a better relationship with your spouse? Create more value in your relationship.

Sometimes (most of the time), creating value includes hard work.

Sometimes, you can create massive value with just a simple phone call.

The more value you create, the less hard work is needed for the same level of success.

READ NEXT: You Will Not Find Happiness at Work (unless you do this…)

The Rub

Going back to our equation, multiply any amount of hard work by zero value creation, and you get zero success.

So the question is, NOT will you work hard, but how will you create value?

Hard work is gasoline on the value creation fire. 🔥

In my early business years, I’d work myself to the bone, damaging relationships and generating stress and anxiety, only to realize that my work was creating limited value.

Here’s the fun part: as you get better at recognizing where you create the most value, say through the 80/20 rule, you can start focusing your hard work in more specific places…the places that maximize the value creation of every drop of hard work you put in…

This is the way.

Hanley

p.s. because I’m crazy and have too much time on my hands (I’m single, so my nights have been pretty free lately), I created a little store for you guys to purchase my “Discipline” t-shirts.

I’ve gotten a couple dozen messages from people who see me wearing them on Instagram.

I made them as a reminder, but if you want that same reminder, you can get your own here.

There are eight different styles that I originally made and wear to the gym and around town. Enjoy…

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