In this short post I aim to crush the common myth or logical fallacy that something requiring effort is hard work. As you’ll see, this is an obvious myth and yet our laziness allows it to permeate through our conversations unchallenged. And then this makes it’s way into our decisions and actions.
The reason that I think this is an incorrect understanding is that it only gives one out of four potential scenarios – and if you don’t consider the other three options then you could be making a big mistake or false assumption.
Now I decided to get funky with a self-created graphic here to illustrate what I’m talking about. The table below pitches “effort” and “hard work” against each other to show that they are not synonymous – that they do not mean necessarily the same thing.
Checking out the diagram below you can easily see that in the top left we have something that takes effort and is hard work. The top right has something that takes little effort, yet is still hard work. The bottom left shows something that takes effort but is easy and doesn’t require hard work. And the bottom right shows something that takes no effort and is easy as well.
What’s the point of sharing this with you?
Well, when it comes to taking action to change or achieve something in our lives we often get stuck because we think it’s going to be ‘hard work’. Getting that degree is going to be lot’s of “hard work”. Starting that business is going to be lot’s of “hard work”. Having kids is lot’s of “hard work”. A lot of people are scared of hard work, so when they imagine that something is going to be hard work they opt out.
Well, let me say, the hardest “work” I’ve ever done actually required very little effort. For example, turning up to a mind numbing job that didn’t require me to think much or do much was the hardest work I’ve ever done. Yet, on the other hand, some of the “easiest” things I’ve ever done have required massive “effort”. For example,
- It’s easy to stay up all night when your child is sick (a big effort that is NOT hard work)
- It’s easy to work late into the night on a new business that you love doing and you’re passionate about (big effort that is NOT hard work)
- It’s easy to give up work to study full time for 3 years pursuing the career you want – if it’s really what you want (big effort that is NOT hard work)
Ya feelin’ me?
For me, one of the best things about the internet is that while it might start out being easy and a big effort, the effort can gradually reduce once you have systems in place, software that automates various functions, and outsourcing in place to free up your time. Then it becomes easy and with little or no effort – but if you’re like me, you just fill up the spare space with something else that’s cool and groovy to throw effort at – so I rarely end up in the easy and no-effort box – I get bored in there.
Soon, I’m going to be teaching a group of people what they need to know in order to have a crack at using the internet for business. A lot of people teaching this stuff try and make out that it doesn’t require much ‘effort’ or ‘hard work’. They shy away from these terms in case they frighten off potential students and some go so far as to say that it doesn’t require any effort at all. And I can understand that approach. Let’s face it, by analogy, the government doesn’t run “give up smoking campaigns” on national TV by pointing out how difficult it is going to be to give up smoking. They play down the negative and spotlight the positive.
Well, that’s kinda what I’m doing here – however I am highlighting the fact that it does take effort to set this internet stuff up. It takes effort to understand how it works and to know what you should and shouldn’t be doing. How can you problem solve challenges and opportunities in your market if you don’t know or understand the business medium. There really is a bunch of stuff you should know if you’re going to have a crack at this internet thing. Even if you never actually end up doing this stuff yourself, because you choose to outsource it all instead, then you’ll be a much better outsourcer because you know your business.
Sure, you don’t have to know how a car works in order to drive it. But you still have to learn how to drive the car.
If someone tells you that you can become an internet entrepreneur without having to put in effort or know much stuff, then they’re shielding you from the truth, when really they could just be honest and say, “it will take effort, but if you are doing what you love doing and making a dent in the world, then it wont be like hard work.”
My view is that doing what you love to do is the easiest thing you could ever do – even if it requires more effort than you could imagine.
PS: If you’re a physicist and you would like to correct my understanding of work by reminding me that it’s actually force times distance – don’t worry – I get it. 
