Working smart vs working hard - an ultimate guide

[eann014]

Working smart and working hard is a different way, working smart for me is better than to those who work hard. Those who work hard can just earn but don't earn knowledge and strategies, those who work in a smart way can earn money and at the same time, knowledge and strategies.

[ityandsyn]

This is a sequel to this thread. If you are interested only in the fat of the thread and the cream of the theme, look no further than this and the second post here.


Many people say that you should work hard if you want to succeed in life and rise to riches. I'd rather say that working hard will only make your boss richer, not yourself. On the other hand, there is an age-old adage which says that you should be working smarter, not harder. But working smarter is a vague idea, and I'm interested to hear what people have to say on this topic. As far as I'm concerned, I think that working smart comes down to creating environment where you will have more chances to meet Lady Luck smiling at you, where you will be able to hit a lucky strike because luck plays an ever-important role in our lives. For example, if you want to find a date to have a romantic relationship with or you are looking for a one-night stand only, you will go to a beach or a bar since your chances are higher there, right? The same approach seems to be applicable to work as well. In other words, stick around the places where your chances of success are the highest.

So share your opinions here, guys. What is your practical take on working smart?

        We can merely quantify of a working hard, as a matter of exerting effort to your work or a dedication towards work just to meet your goal. while working smart is sometimes it's a matter of a good decision that resulting a good outcome. Like for example in a basketball game, if you pass the ball to an open teammate and he got the basket then you're working smart on particular situation but if you work hard to the basket which playing one on one and also got a score so it's a working hard.
        

[anntlevel]

I think I will go for both working hard and working smart because are both applicable in man daily lives but it the area where you make use of it that matters.There fore, ones need the require instinct, skill and knowledge in other to use it right.

Yes, we need to find situations like where we need to work hard and where we need to work smarter. The situation will be demanding this. But, it is very much necessary for anyone to know on different types of hard-working. All hard working does not need our physical efforts but our mental work also could be classified as smart work.

[intingko]

Working smarter, not harder, is an age-old adage. If you master the concept, your entire working life will be easy to practice the smart. Therefore ahe simple techniques that you can employ to save steps and tedium from almost any. But  like  harwork is  motivational and inspiration from creators, achievers, entrepreneurs, authors, heroes, and others who provide inspiration and example among the people practice about how to hard faster.

[Hell-raiser]

Wouldn't it be better if you do both? I mean, working smart is not appropriate to all situations you are in. Not all jobs require you to only be smart, you still have to work hard to attain the result you desire. Let's say for example in cryptocurrencies, you are working smart by doing your own research about ICOs so that you could prevent being scammed or losing your money and at the same time you are working hard because you are putting much effort in every research you make. It would be nice if you could adjust to every situation you encounter.

I understand what you mean but look at it from a different angle. For example, you think that sometimes you have to work hard, and probably you should, yet you are not working smart because you are not smart enough for this kind of work and not because it is impossible per se. As I said earlier, the ultimate working-smart approach, a Holy Grail of working smart of sorts, consists in achieving what you want by doing nothing, and still better by doing something else.

[mornabo]

I do strongly believe in working smart to working hard. Here in my country, a lot doing the 8-5 office work have been doing the working hard. And I see a lot not doing office work earning quite much more than the office workers. Even making a comparison of site labourers and office workers too is another example of working hard and working smart. Now that we have machines available, it is important that works are done smartly and save time and optimize efficiency.

Yeah its sad but true. is it creative work the same as smart work? sometimes I feel sad with someone who work in office from morning till night only earn a small income? whereas artists who work creatively on a television generate enormous money in a short time? or smart work by utilizing their skills to make big profits like designers, photographers, and so on

[Grayy]

Working smart and working hard must go hand in hand. You should know when to apply each characteristic. For example you have to work smart in laboratory with so many apparatus. But you may have to work hard and stay many nights awake to gather results of your experiment, clearly not a lazy man's job to do. You can't be smart forever and you can't work hard forever.

[ogini]

It is better working smart than working hard and achieving nothing in what one is doing that is this the ultimate goal to achieve anything in life

[Cengghengmania21]

First of all as a hard worker we only get that salary alone, while smart workers will get more salary than he expected. Be an intelligent and hardworking person who will make you happy later, do not be lazy.

[Hell-raiser]

For me working smart means that you give your best to your job and at the same time build your connections or network. It does not mean that you will kiss ass but it means that people will notice you and your work. So that when opportunity comes, you will be one of those who the bosses might think of. Do not just put all your energy in your desk. Advertise yourself, your work in a humble manner. Offer help and volunteer. Be a people person.

Yep, that looks like a worthy comment. You should always try to build and expand your social network of people who may help you in the future, and, at the same time, you should of course be particular about whom you keep friendship with. There is a wisdom which says you can't be friends with the whole world, otherwise you are indiscriminate in your connections (or something to that tune).

[sharted]

Most will suggest you to work hard to achieve in job and as well as future.I think you have to work hard and learn what is the work and then make a move to get a smart steps to complete the same work.After that you can work smart to achieve the goal.

[Lieldoryn]

Most will suggest you to work hard to achieve in job and as well as future.I think you have to work hard and learn what is the work and then make a move to get a smart steps to complete the same work.After that you can work smart to achieve the goal.

I think you're wrong. In order for a person to work intelligently, he must learn a lot. You say it has to work a lot. Work takes a lot of time and effort. In such circumstances, it is impossible to obtain a quality education. While we are young, it seems to us that studying does not give us anything, but takes away the opportunity to get paid. Only with age do we understand that it is not, but it's too late.

[saifanik]

I agree with everyone's comments that success comes fact by working smart than working hard.But one thing is to keep in mind that when a person can do a smart job,he gets a lot of experience by doing a lot of research.Must be diligent to be smart.And diligence is associated with hard work.So in my opinion, there is a need to hard work to be smart.

[Andrej Peiboski]

It is not just a question of opposing hard work to the smart one.
There are objectives to be achieved, and sequences of necessary actions.
Sometimes the smartest thing is to work hard.

[mOgliE]

Hi,

Luck is not everything.

Being smart is not everything.

Having a great family environment is important.

Working hard is not enough, and may not give the results you expect.

[Hell-raiser]

Working smart makes you efficient and effective,  working hard makes you reliable and trustworthy. Thus,  this two characteristics are essential for you to become successful in whatever endeavor you take.

I tend to disagree with this approach. In short, as it seems to me, you make a wrong distinction. Effective means fulfilling your task in full and likely on time. This is what makes you reliable and trustworthy. But both working smart and working hard get there in the end. Efficient means you finish your job in a most optimal way, therefore if there is a difference between your working tactics, it lies in how efficient you are at tackling specific problems, while effective is apparently the common denominator here.

[Semosuchi Tesongrato]

The point of action is to reach the goal in the most economical way.
Sometimes, trying to be smart, you lose a lot more time and you risk not getting anything.
So maybe it's not about work hadr vs work smart, but simply about work right.

[Hell-raiser]

Its very hard to find the difference between the two, but for me I'll go both. I guess working hard and working smart will always be a partner. Working hard without using your intelligent is useless, we work hard for us to succeed that's why it is important that should be smart on the strategies and techniques for us to be able reach what we aim in life. True that working hard will make our boss richer, we need also to be smart to look for a way that our lives also improves out from the salary that we got from our employer by thinking some ways on how to make our money grow out from our ideas and ability.

I agree, but for the definition, for me working hard  is like getting it done without any strategies or plan, like when you need to transfer a heavy box to another place and you used your stregnth to carry it, while working smart is doing it differently where you can use a trolley instead that would provide the same result but less effort and probably faster. Doing it at the same time would definitely provide better outcome and would maximize your chances to achieve whatever your goals are, but on the other hand luck for me involves tAking risk unless it is pure luck.  This is just my opinion and you  guys might have other definition  on this which you can also share with us.

Your reference to carrying a heavy box to another place reminds me of a one-liner that women often repeat in these quarters. Basically, they say there are two types of men, those who can bring up a washing machine to the fifth floor themselves and those who can hire somebody to do that for them. And there is a third type which can do neither.

The point of action is to reach the goal in the most economical way.
Sometimes, trying to be smart, you lose a lot more time and you risk not getting anything.
So maybe it's not about work hadr vs work smart, but simply about work right.

Trying to be smart is evidently not the same as being smart.

[Harlot]

This can be applicable to anything but if you are looking for a promotion in a job it will depend on your bosses on who they see is worthy to be promoted and sometimes the hard worker is the one who gets promoted as he sees him working his ass off for the company. But there are other bosses where he sees smart workers as intelligent people that can be proven valuable to the company, but it will depend on the interpretation of the one who will promote you. Sometimes just showing that you want the position as well as you show your dedication to the company is enough.

[Hell-raiser]

I'll choose both, because working hard and working smart is a good way to do better in your work, its not just if you work hard your boss will only become richer? i dont think so, because if you dont work hard then how can you earn more money if your lazy in your work? how will your rank up if you dont work hard and just work smart? both things will help you to become richer and achieve your goals. Dont argue because the two things is good for you.

I don't think you can choose both at the same time since working smart is doing the same stuff as working hard, so you can do your work in either smart or hard way. Further, you ask if you don't work hard then how you can earn more money if you just work smart. To me, this is a meaningless question because you get the job done in both of these cases, only using different approaches. And finally, it makes sense to promote those who work smart just because they are smart. It seems to me pretty straightforward.