Work Hard. It’s Not Hard Work.

In July of 2011, Bobby Kim of The Hundreds, wrote an article that I wouldn’t find until 4 years later.  This is important for two reasons:

1. You never know when and how people will find your content.  Make content that’s as important today as it will be tomorrow and you’ll exponentially increase your impact and reach. (Example: What you’re reading is my 2018 revision of a 2015 article).
2. It resonated with me so strongly that I had to write about it.  Bobby had something to say and made it count.  It inspired me to think, but also to write.  He also got me to read the whole thing.  As a reward, I think I’ll give myself an Instagram double-tap.

Don’t get me wrong.

I’m one of the most publicly optimistic MF’ers I know (privately, maybe a bit less so).

I’ll tell you to have huge dreams, to erase your limiting beliefs, to live your dream life because I know that it’s truly possible given hard, smart work and a long enough timeline.

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re a member of Generation Y (1977-95).

I’m right in the middle, born in 1984.

A millennial.

According to stats, we’re lost.  Most of us who graduate college don’t even have jobs.

Those of us who do, likely hate them.

We work hard to come home, see our kids and family, and do it again tomorrow.

In between we read blogs, listen to podcasts, play Fortnight, and humble-brag in our Instagram stories.

A Dream

People approach me every day telling me about the business they’ll build, the people they’ll coach, the freedom they’ll have. I can’t even imagine how many people share those dreams with people like Bobby and how difficult that is for somebody higher up the ladder like him.

And like Bobby says, this is invigorating.  I go home and tell my wife about the emails, tweets and DMs I get from people about how awesome their life is going to be.

I’ve even gone out of my way to help them.  As many as I humanly can.

I’ll email them back and forth for weeks.

I even did a cool project on my podcast where I did calls with 10 listeners for about an hour each to help them in their business.

I’ll let you guess the percentage that took action on our chats.

And it’s my fault. And Bobby’s.  We’ll tell you things are possible because we’ve done it (or are doing it).

We’ll sell you the dream by proxy.

The problem is that they start to believe that all they need is to BELIEVE. To use the “law of attraction.” To wish it and dream it and think about it with all of their heart.

But it’s just inception. A dream within a dream.

Wake Up

At some point, as Bobby so eloquently puts it, you need to wake up.

I see so many of my peers content with “playing business.”  Getting large numbers of followers, a million Instagram likes, being the expert at whatever new social media app just came out (see also: Vine, Instagram, Meerkat, Periscope, etc.)  They’d rather look like a successful entrepreneur than actually be one.

Side note here that’s extremely important: The solution to your problems is not always starting a side business.  For most people (especially dads, like me), that actually causes you to go in the opposite direction than you’d want.

What we forget is that getting a large audience or successful platform is just the first rung on the ladder and we can not be content to stay there.

Longevity is the name of the game.

I know it’s not what you want to hear reading this, though you should’ve expected it from the title, but it’s just about two simple words:

WORK.

HARD.

It’s not hard work.

Most dads I know don’t want to get up at 3am every day for 4 years (like I did).

Most dads I know don’t want to work a full time job and put an addition 30+ smart hours of work into their business every week (also, like I do).

This isn’t about freedom.

It isn’t about independence.

Those are the goals.

Without a goal, you can’t score. But never forget, you also can’t ever take your eye off the ball.

The obstacle is the way. Your hard work, is your trophy.

Fortunately, we have to climb every single rung of the ladder to get to the top.

But maybe I’m not talking about YOU.

Maybe you ARE willing to work hard for a long period of time.

In that case, welcome.  This blog, and our community, is for you.  You’re already 1 step ahead of 99% of the rest of people playing entrepreneur.

No matter what, we can all work hard. We aren’t all born with silver spoons  but we’re all capable of working super freaking hard.

No excuses.