Just working isn’t enough to succeed

“Success comes to those who act” is a commonly heard phrase. But the irony is that people work every day yet they don’t succeed. There are people who work on their enterprise yet they are far from being a success. People are working on their health but are still unsuccessful in losing that extra pound. Then there are those who work hard to make a relationship work, yet they don’t always. I have personally heard people saying, “No matter what I do, I don’t get the results I desire”, “I am working for ten years yet I stand at the same place”, “I gave it all yet I am not getting what I expected”. Aren’t these statements mundane?

As the working population of the country is growing, so are the levels of dissatisfaction. The working population is yet to enjoy the divine fruit of success because of the limited thinking that work alone can make them successful and happy. They believe that the more time they put into work the better are chances that they will be successful. For people who believe that success is a function of working over a long duration of time are living in an illusion. The ones who believe that with time their relationship will become better are living a lie. People who believe that they must work their whole life to become successful are fooling themselves. We should know that success is not a function of hard works.

Success is a function of intentional work. Intentional work can change your life three sixty degrees and get you to achieve quicker outcomes. Take the example of a candy seller. One candy seller spends his entire life at a road junction selling candies where he barely gets by with his earning. He works twelve hours a day selling candies consistently throughout his life. This man lives and dies as an average human being. There is another candy man who works on the next street, and he is involved into intentional work. He doesn’t sit at just one place, but also waves his hand full of candies towards the children, he would jump and show his dance moves on the street.

He would greet people who pass by and gives a smile to everyone. He observes that in afternoon children would hoard around the school gate so he spends ample time in that area, while in the evening he would go out to the main bazaar to sell candies. He is curious to know where the market lies.

He saves money and buys a cart after a few months. He believes in progress. He hires another person and gives him few candies to sell on his behalf in the nearby block. More customers start coming in, he decides to hire more candy sellers and hence his candy business becomes popular in the neighborhood. Today, he is the owner of a successful candy selling business.

He is different from the first candy seller because he believes in intentional work.

Intentional work requires seeking continuous improvements in whatever you are engaged in. When you keep surpassing your past performances, new doors open, opportunities which you couldn’t see earlier, begin to appear. Mere working at the same level throughout your life will not make you financially and emotionally rich.

You must find ways to master your area of interest. One question which can guide you to become a master of your domain would be: “How can I go the extra mile?” Every day ask yourself “How can I go the extra mile in serving my customers? How can I go the extra mile in becoming healthy? How can I go the extra mile in learning a new skill?”

The greatest disappointments are caused by mediocrity. Mediocre performances have cost several jobs, mediocre presentations have caused failure of numerous products, mediocre communication skills have caused limitless relationship failures, mediocre dressing have caused several social fiascos, and mediocre products have doomed so many organisations.

Passionately challenge mediocrity with your dynamic will. Work with an intention to rise above mediocrity and attain mastery, because it is not enough to simply work. You must outlast and out-perform the competition through intentional work.