“The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” – Vince Lombardi
I was never the strongest kid growing up, or even the fastest. Physically, you could say that I was a late bloomer – I didn’t break five feet or even 100 pounds until the summer before my freshman year in high school. And body coordination was something that seemed to elude me well into my teens. But what I did have was above average intelligence and a work ethic that didn’t know the meaning of quit.
So, I worked. I spent at least an hour every night lifting weights in an unheated basement gym. I borrowed my dad’s golfing gloves and ran receiver routes with my friends until my legs ached. And regardless of the weather, I worked fundamentals on our driveway basketball court—often under spotlights attached to the gutters of our house—until the neighbors complained. And when game time arrived, I never stopped until the final whistle blew.
I might not have been the strongest or fastest player in the game, but as my high school basketball coach once said, “You’re a hustler. You never quit. You’re always hustling.” To be fair, I wasn’t very good, but that didn’t stop me from putting it all out there on the court. None of it came naturally, so I worked that much harder to be competitive. And when my physical form finally caught up with my dreams—it turned out that I had to grow into my coordination—the hard work finally paid off.
GET UP, GET OUT, GET BUSY
Outworking your competition isn’t exactly rocket science, but it also isn’t as easy as just working harder. Hard work alone won’t get you there. You have to work smarter.
First, get used to being a morning person. There’s only 24 hours in a day. No more, no less. The earlier you get up, the sooner you can get started on your day. I was never a natural morning person—something the military cured me of over time. Now, I actually do more before 9:00 a.m. than most people do all day. Having dogs that like to be out for a walk before the sun comes up helps a lot in that department.
Second, organize your daily routine. Get a calendar and live by it. Find the discipline, and force yourself to schedule every minute of your day. That doesn’t mean you can’t take time for yourself—you should. But you should deliberately make the most of your available time. A strict schedule will not only make you more productive, it can also help you find a better work-life balance.
Third, find your focus. Too many people confuse the myth of multi-tasking with productivity. Doing too many things at one time only guarantees that you’re missing important details that will later haunt you. Focus on one task at a time—following your schedule—and do it well. Then move on to the next. Keep your focus where it needs to be when it matters.
SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM THE COMPETITION
Stephen Curry, the most prolific three-point shooter in National Basketball Association history, put it best: “Be the hardest working person you can be. That’s how you separate yourself from the competition.” Curry knows a thing or two about hard work. He isn’t the strongest or fastest player on the court. He’s undersized compared to many of the other players, and he’s anything but a physically dominating presence in the paint. But the future Hall of Famer makes up for it by outworking his competition.
Once you’ve developed the habits that optimize your ability to be productive, take that productivity to the next level and separate yourself from the competition. Work smarter and work harder. You’ve got the work ethic in place, now find the best tools to get the most from your hard work.
Think of it as the difference between using hand tools and power tools. From a purist’s perspective, hand tools lend themselves to traditional craftsmanship. However, power tools often allow you to perform the same tasks quicker and often with better results. But like most things in life, finding balance is important. Learning when, where, and how to use the right tools allows you to accelerate your productivity without sacrificing quality craftsmanship.
Then, separating yourself from the competition just becomes a matter of fundamentals. Take the initiative—take on challenges when they present themselves. Learn from your mistakes and grow in the process. Outthink (and outmaneuver) your competition—work smarter and harder. Maintain your work-life balance and avoid burnout. Finally, be optimistic. In the words of Colin Powell, “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.”
Let your hustle work for you and put your competition in the rearview mirror.
