Work Smarter, Then Work Harder!

Or, as Lance Armstrong puts it, "Work like you stole something."

Teammates, I’m over all the efficiency experts in the world saying: “Work Smarter Not Harder”. Who’s kidding who here? Just because you’re going to “work smarter” doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still work harder. Think about it! Let's assume you’ve discovered a smarter way to work (assuming you haven’t just discovered a Genie in a bottle), you have to assume others have unearthed a similar “smarter” approach; which means that you’re no further ahead then when you started “working smarter” because others are doing the same “smart work” – which means you’re right where you started UNLESS, you take your new found “smart work” technique and apply a hefty dose of good old fashioned hard work to the equation.

For those looking to really make something happen – then live by this slogan:

“Work smarter, THEN Work harder!”

There’s lots of ways to work smarter (we think we’re on to something here at Team Perfect!) but that’s only half of the equation – the other half is hard work, and lots of it! At the end of the day, the person with the prize is the one who learned to work smarter while working his or her tail off all along the way. When you learn a better way to do something, be like Lance Armstrong when he would earn the yellow jersey for the first time on each of his tour wins – he’s been quoted as saying: “I ride like I stole something”. I love that phrase, because that’s exactly what you should be thinking when you’ve discovered a better way to do something. Take that smarter approach, then work like you’ve stole something! Because sooner or later, others are coming, and the one that wins will be the one that is relentless on learning how to work smarter while working harder!

And guess what, your ability to work harder is directly correlated with the condition of your body! The strength of your brain, body and attitude – the only three things you can control – determine your ability to generate work. The better conditioned your brain, body, and attitude are, the better you’ll be at generating relentless amounts of smarter, harder work toward your goal. That’s why fitness Fires me UP so much, because it’s a key component in enabling you to work harder to accomplish your goals – i.e. it powers your ability to make a difference – to live the life you want!!

So next time you hear some self-help expert tell you that all you need to do is Work Smarter Not Harder – correct him/her immediately before they accidentally infect another poor soul with a slacker’s slogan.

Define your goal, then work it like you stole something!

CHARLIE MIKE - ALDEN