Hard work? Not enough…
There. I said it.
And NO, I’m not talking about the old “work smart, not hard”.
You have to WORK HARD.
But that’s not the most important variable in the success equation.
You have to “work hard,” at the RIGHT THINGS.
And here’s the problem: 99% of people are working their asses off… but on the WRONG things.
Let that sink in.
Really think about it, and soon you’ll realize this is PROFOUND.
You can work SO HARD, for SO LONG, and get absolutely nowhere close where you want to be… except closer to burnout, depression, frustration, and giving up.
Wrong strategy. Wrong skills. Wrong goals. Wrong game entirely.
WHY? Here’s the bitter truth…
We’re “programmed” to work hard—but not for ourselves!
Since birth, we’ve been conditioned to maximize everyone else’s interests…
We were taught how to be a “good workers,” “team players,” “good citizens.”
But… No one taught us to be the “smart strategist” of our own lives.
No one taught us to maximize for OUR success, OUR dreams, OUR legacy.
The BAD news? No one really ever will.
The GOOD news? We can.
HOW?
➡️ Work out the right things to work at.
Read that again.
Sounds simple, right? It’s NOT.
It’s probably the “hardest simple” thing you’ll ever do.
Here is my roadmap to make sure I’m on the right track…
Will it work for you? Try it 😊.
➡️ Be “brutally honest” about EVERYTHING you do.
➡️ Find your leverage—what are you actually trying to achieve? What moves the needle? Start there.
➡️ Study the winners—read their failures, systems, frameworks.
➡️ Map your gaps—what crucial skills are you missing?
➡️ Audit everything—where’s your time really going? Cut the noise.
➡️ Ask WHY. Relentlessly—why this project? this task? this goal?
➡️ Find your force multipliers—WHAT or WHO drive you?
➡️ Test small, fail fast—validate before you go all-in.
Get the right focus. Then “work hard” at THAT.
Refine it. Keep coming back.
The “right work” isn’t a one-time thing.
Question for you:
What are you “grinding at” right now?
And have you checked if it’s actually moving you forward?
Friendly yours,
Gaetan Portaels
Original publication date — October, 2024 (HERE)