The life-changing value of hard work

We’re often told that working hard will beat talent, that a strong work ethic is a key leadership quality, and that keeping our minds and bodies busy is good for us. But there’s another, even bigger benefit to hard work, one that’s often overlooked. It has the power to change your life for the better, not just your career.

Imagine this: it’s the weekend, and you’ve had a tough week—long hours, stress, and plenty of challenges. You’re finally on the sofa, blissfully doing and thinking about nothing. You’ve just poured yourself a cuppa when your phone buzzes with a new social media post.

Your friend is in the middle of a home renovation nightmare. Their post is a cry for help. Your first thought is to swipe away and ignore it. You’ve had a long week, you need to recharge, and helping them sounds like the last thing you want to do.

But you hesitate. Your conscience is nudging you, pushing you to make a choice.

And that choice holds more value than you know.

From Apathy to Action

If you had stayed on the sofa, you might have spent the next few hours ruminating on the negative parts of your week—a cycle that can lead to anxiety and feeling sorry for yourself. Instead, you make a different choice. You respond to your friend with a simple message: "I'll be there in 30 minutes."

In that moment, you get an instant oxytocin boost. Your feelings of emotional warmth towards your friend trigger a rush of this hormone, which reduces blood pressure and makes you feel happy. Listening to your heart is good for your heart.

Next, you get up off the couch. This simple act changes your physical position and, more importantly, your perspective. You’ve interrupted the cycle of rumination. By exercising your choice to positively impact someone else, you’ve taken back control. You are actively supporting your mental health.

When you arrive at your friend’s place, you’re handed the task of nailing several hundred decking planks with an old-fashioned hammer. No nail gun, just pure, hard yakka. You might momentarily regret your decision. But after a few hours of hard work, as the deck grows from loose planks into something you helped build with your own hands, you start to feel satisfaction. You see the value in your work and get the dopamine hit that comes from a job well done.

The True Pay-off of Hard Work: the Life-Changing Value

Let's look at the balance sheet.

On the debit side: your arm is tired, your shorts might be nailed to the deck, and you’re sweaty, hungry, and thirsty. You didn't get to watch nine episodes of Schitt’s Creek.

On the credit side: you’re not ruminating on what you can't control, you’ve had a boost of happy hormones, and you’ve been a true leader and a true friend. You’ve had a free workout, and you now have bragging rights at barbecues for the next twenty years.

But this isn't the real life-changing value of hard work. That's something much deeper.

Hard work, acts of kindness, and doing the hard yards create the most memorable experiences because they engage your muscle memory. When we move physically through life and share these experiences with others, we create moments that stay with us. We lay down rich, vivid, shared memories that we would not have achieved otherwise. This wasn't a choice between "me-time" and aching muscles. This was a golden opportunity to grow, learn, enrich, and expand your life.

Oh, and don't forget—your friend now owes you a favour!

For more insights on leadership and change, visit www.agenciachange.com or book an introductory meeting with one of our experienced consultants.

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