There’s one debate regarding how people find and maintain success. That concerns hard work versus luck. Some believe that one is more important than the other, and may even go so far as to believe that both cannot co-exist together. Meanwhile, others think that both hard luck and success go hand-in-hand well. But which mindset is right and which one is wrong? Or can both be correct?
At the end of the day, everyone is entitled to their respective opinion. You’re more than welcome to believe one or the other. But if you’re at a crossroads and are trying to figure out how to find success for yourself, knowing which is more important is crucial.
It’s hard to argue against the importance of hard work. Putting your head down and working your ass off is incredibly important in order to see the results you wish to see. There are multiple examples that prove this time and time again. This includes studying for a test in ordering to nail your exam; working hard on a school project to get a high mark; and doing your job well enough to earn a raise and/or promotion at your workplace. All of those examples show why hard work is important because the reward for doing so is obvious and high.
Hard work isn’t easy. It takes tons of time and effort in order to pull off. It requires sacrificing quite a lot- time with family and friends, money, and much more. That can sometimes be a large, bitter pill to swallow because such sacrifices aren’t always easy to make. But once such sacrifices are made, hard work can be achieved- and rewards for that hard work will come in.
Then there’s luck. Some don’t believe in luck, but others do for their respective reasons. But those in the latter category swear that luck plays into success in various instances. This could include being in the right place at the right time (i.e. getting that promotion or raise despite your workplace struggling), or that one person taking a chance on you when you really need it. Such instances have been known to happen (I can attest to that on numerous occasions).
So, does that mean luck is necessary for the equation to success? Sometimes. One can even play into the other. For example, seeking a promotion at your job requires hard work- that’s a given. But actually getting that promotion can be argued as proof of luck. After all, how many of your co-workers are working just as hard, if not harder than you for the same promotion? Whether the answer to that is one or several, the point is that getting that promotion isn’t as clear-cut as it may appear. Luck almost certainly played a part in snagging the promotion in this scenario.
As far as I’m concerned, hard work and luck go hand-in-hand. Relying on one solely for success will cause you to forget about or neglect the other. Striking a healthy balance between both is key in order to achieve more success. Will it be easy? Of course not- nothing (and I mean NOTHING) is easy. But if you put in that hard work and let luck help you here and there, success should come your way in whatever it is you’re doing.
xo,
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Sarah Larkin 