Comments on: How hard are you willing to work?

By: 15 Career Development Topics That Will Follow You Through Life | Careers Out There

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:47:30 +0000

[...] poorly and filling the bottom rung on the ladder isn’t much fun. But if you spend that time working hard, acting like a sponge and staying focused, you’ll be happy later when you’ve got a strong foundation of knowledge and skills to [...]

By: Barbara Saunders

Barbara Saunders — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:01:49 +0000

The problem isn’t with equating “dreams” and “professional success.” When it comes down to it, our unique mark on the world must come from something that counts for work, whether we get paid for it or not. I pity the child who gets burdened with being a parent’s “greatest accomplishment.”

The real problem is with equating professional/work success with climbing the corporate ladder, getting particular awards, or making a certain amount of money for one’s efforts. All of those things are part of the measure of success, but often we’re asked to compromise our professional integrity for these kinds of strokes.

By: Ryan @ Planting Dollars

Ryan @ Planting Dollars — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:43:52 +0000

Interesting set of videos you posted, I really enjoyed watching each one.

It’s ironic that many of us who focus on things that are away from the professional realm become more successful and in fact, don’t have to sacrifice much since we’re already doing what we enjoy. For example the Hoyt team probably loves running and training each day where others would see training for the ironman as work.
Ryan @ Planting Dollars´s last blog ..The Part Time Job Search

By: Thanh Lu

Thanh Lu — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:48:30 +0000

This post reminds me of Homeless to Harvard Liz Murray who once said that perseverance is when you’re willing to work past the point where you feel you have absolutely nothing left inside of you.

Grandparents, most of them don’t have traditional professional education, but they sure pack a lot of wisdom and insights.

By: Joakim

Joakim — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:39:44 +0000

These truisms really aren’t deep insight, and your analysis is naive. Have you ever lived on less than a dollar a day? Millions of people do that. Almost half the world lives on less than 2.50 a day.

I’d like to see you try to explain your first world chauvinism to a starving orphan child in a Mumbai slumtown.

“You can do -ANYTHING- you want! Trust me, I write a blog.”

You and your yes-men (and women) should read Death of a Salesman to get some perspective. Hell, read anything other than your overwrought self-help books for once.

By: Brian Wallace

Brian Wallace — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:45:10 +0000

Well Ryan,I am overwhelmingly impressed, yet again, by your saavy and ability to hit the nail on the head, as you so often do. Yet, I am not surprised in the least with your ability to call out the obvious to people that are working so tirelessly that they fail to see what they already know. I too I have many dreams, some of which seem so outlandish to me that I think they are unattainable, but I just might be ambitious enough to chase them. I consider polictician, because I am naive enough to think I can make a difference, best selling author, because I am naive enough to think someone might want to read what I have to say, and head baseball coach at a successful program are just a few. The last would seem to be the most possible. I called you a romantic, listen to me. But, it will be interesting to see how those dreams and ambitions change over the years in the face of adversity. I am enjoying your website very much.

By: Elisa

Elisa — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 19:28:21 +0000

This makes me sad…I typed an entire response and sent it while in VT. I KNEW that internet connection was bunk!

Anyways…

I think there’s a big difference between how hard are you willing to work and how much are you willing to sacrifice. Being willing to work hard is a trait that separates successful people from those willing to just get by. Want an example that isn’t professional? Have you ever met a person who when asked about the success of their marriage replies “I don’t know, marriage is just super easy.”

Hard work does not have to involve sacrifice, we have just conditioned ourselves to believe it does. To be successful in college sports we “have” to miss out on time with friends, to be successful in work we “have” to skip family games and activities, to be successful in health we “have” to get up at 4-5 AM to fit it in.

Someone else mentioned it but for a TRULY happy and successful life you have to learn not only how to work harder but also to work smarter.
Elisa´s last blog ..BlogCrush – Jamie Varon

By: @mcolacurcio

@mcolacurcio — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:07:27 +0000

Ryan,
Great post and thanks for the thoughts. I couldn’t agree with you more. To answer your question, I deeply admire entrepreneurs of any kind. Contrary to the media coverage around ‘greedy, selfish CEOs’, these small business owners are typically the ones sacrificing time with people they love in order to keep a business afloat, even in tough times.

I am going against the bulk of comments here, but what is wrong with a profit-based motive? Isn’t that how we create jobs and grow companies? I have a lot of admiration for the go-getters who sacrifice time with their family and friends so that the rest of us can benefit by either using products they create or working at their companies and taking home a paycheck.

Maria
@mcolacurcio´s last blog ..Crowdsourcing Sounds Useful But How?

By: Sydney

Sydney — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 18:49:03 +0000

This post is fabulous. This week has been particularly interesting as I start to come into my own at this internship, and really figure out what I want to do when it’s all said and done. Is 9-5 for me? Looks like probably not. I’m in the process of starting to brainstorm what I want my life to look like professionally. I want to start my own business, but I’m not entirely sure what I have to offer.

I do know that I will sacrifice, and have sacrificed, whatever it takes to make me happy. Right now, what makes me happy, is exploring this path I’m on, and wondering where it will take me next.

I’m thankful for our community as I start to sort this all out in my head. Thanks for being here!
Sydney´s last blog ..“With” vs. “For”

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:41:58 +0000

I love this post and all of the Youtube examples that you have given as those people who were willing to work hard for their dreams. Working toward your own dreams might be harder, but the payoff will be so much better in the end.

There is another inspiring YouTube video that I absolutely love, called No Excuses, found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myDYE49KPlQ.
Benjamin´s last blog ..Developing a bias toward action