There's no 'easy hack' to success without hardwork

Sometime ago on some social media platforms I came across some quotes and hashtags with inscriptions like:

It's not about working hard but working smart

Or

Don't work hard, work smart

These quotes have gained wide acceptance or spread because of certain personalities that they have been attributed to online. These individuals were once referred to as social media personalities or celebrities but this nomenclature has been rebranded in more recent times to be social media influencers. The utterances by these individuals are important because we live in the age of social media which has a remarkable influence on the mindset or attitudes of the younger generation particularly and the larger society in general.

So many youths have picked up and now run with the 'work smart and not hard' mantra without critically analysing the real world implications of the statement.

The adoption of this saying and many others like it by many simply because a social media influencer said it reminds me about the closing dialogue in a children's programme I watched while growing up. The dialogue ends with a song that goes thus:

This is the song that never ends.

Yes, it goes on and on, my friend(s).

Some people started singing it not knowing what it was,

and they'll continue singing it forever just because...

The subtle message I picked from the song was don't simply adopt an ideology or principle because others or someone important is doing so without finding out more or doing a critique to take a stand or an informed decision.

My opinion is that the mantra ( of work smart and not hard) quite misleading as it tends to paint a picture that the moment you are able to optimise your efforts by using more efficient approaches you no longer need to work hard. Being able to maintain a consistent level of optimization via efficient methods indeed requires putting in hard work. Therefore I would prefer to say work hard and work smart or work hard and smart . Irrespective of whatever combination you decide to adopt, working hard and in a smart manner should not be mutually exclusive.

I dare to say that if any of the wealthiest or successful people on the planet by any standards were interviewed, they wouldn't attribute their achievement(s) to working smart alone without putting in any hardwork. I am quite sure you'd be told that working hard is one of the essential ingredients in preparing the success cuisine. Without it, such achievements or success cannot be sustained in the long run. They would also probably also state that there's a feeling of satisfaction or joy which one experiences upon reaping or seeing the results of one's consistent hard work.

Indeed there is and will never be a substitute for working hard in a consistent manner to achieve success. Any social media influencer or celebrity who deceives his or her followers into thinking that success can be accomplished simply by working smart without corresponding hard work is being economical with the truth and living in a world of fantasies. The consequence of which will be heartbreak or shock to the followers upon realisation of the reality of things.

Shukran

Danke

Merci

Gracias

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Спасибо

for reading.