There is an old saw that hard work pays off. It may seem to be a truth that only holds in some cases. However, things tend to work out for us when we put in the time, effort and have some patience. A recent “pay-off” reminded me that overnight success is seldom overnight.
The 10000 Hour Rule
There is a book that talks about how it takes ten thousand hours to master something. That is a focus on developing a skill. On the other hand, we develop soft skills and recognition around areas we focus on. That is easily seen in areas like blogging, videos, and other content production. The more you research and talk about a topic, the more you become a perceived expert. I am not saying the expertise is not warranted, just that it is more likely to be observed by others.
Visible Practice
We are multi-tasking when we take some of our spare time and invest it in skills or a side hustle. These tasks include learning that comes from doing. Also, letting others know the area of focus through marketing or sharing content. Better yet, we tend to do things we enjoy, which makes it easier for us to share that content in a way that entertains others.
Patience
One of the most substantial challenges in becoming better every day is keeping up the effort when no visible change has occurred. This situation is similar to the guy that works out at a gym to become visibly muscular. The day-to-day change is almost impossible to discern. On the other hand, looking back over longer periods of time show substantial change. We often get too focused on the present and recent past while ignoring long-term benefits. When you avoid an attitude of “what has this work done for me lately?” you will be able to stay on track and enjoy the journey. When you take this path, you will find that hard work pays off in more ways than you thought.
