During one of my walks in a sprawling public park, I saw a Swallow engaged in a work. Close observation revealed that the bird was collecting mud in its small beak, carrying it to a corner of a partly hidden structure of cement and mortar, offering shelter and privacy. The bird was accompanied by its companion; both were seriously involved in nest building, painstakingly joining the bits of mud and glueing them together to form a cup-shaped structure later to be made more comfortable and warmer by putting and adjusting it with hay and dried pieces of grasses. It was an enthralling view. After observing them work for a few minutes I went my way. A few days later I found that the nest they built with their hard labour was routed and deserted. I was dismayed and pained by the loss of the nest that the birds built with their hard work but then, it is the law of nature.
On another occasion, I saw a roaming small ant that found a trail of flour. It sent a message to its fellow ants which soon swarmed and started working in tandem to collect flour. Their consistent and collective hard work paid dividends. They successfully collected the flour.
The two instances speak volumes about hard work. Nature and its elements are always at work, constantly doing and redoing, constructing and reconstructing, learning and repeatedly learning. It seems painstaking but besides being scrupulous the systematic hard work helps run the whole system spick and span, without any significant glitches. It underlines the importance of hard work and the pleasure it gives in return.
A hard-working student who gives much time to studies feels enchanted when his hard work is rewarded. It rejuvenates the student and encourages to work harder to get more. Still, there are some who even after burning the midnight oil, do not get desired; despite repeated efforts, they become frustrated. Some lose interest and leave their study halfway. So, the question is, what is hard work, and does it always pay?
It leads to another aspect, that is of “Smart work”. There is a difference between “Hard work” and “Smart work”. Here are some brief aspects of both.
- Hard Work – Hard work helps achieve a time-bound goal or target. It focuses on quantity; instantly gives the desired results mostly of good quality but sometimes faulty and undesirable.
- Smart Work – Smart work is methodical, scientific and organized. It requires prior planning and strategies to achieve a long-term goal. A thorough understanding of the task, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the individual, is necessary to carefully devise a roadmap for moving ahead.
Hard work is unquestionable. The solution is one and only hard work, but it must be amalgamated with focused and strategized effort to get the pointed results in a record time. The Kargil Victory aptly exemplifies the fusion of exceptional bravery, diligent effort, unwavering commitment, and astute strategy, all buttressed by effective time management.
The current time is an era of technology. The fast and interconnected world has much to offer than the world of a bygone era. The dearth of technology made our forefathers toil, making them physically and mentally very strong. Modern technologies have given access to various things, unavailable to the people of yesteryears. This necessitated a greater emphasis on intelligent hard work rather than mere hard work.
Sense of accomplishment, inner satisfaction and elevation are the outcomes of hard work after work is over. The results are not very important, but the intent and commitment are the key. The invested hard work with commitment and zeal is bound to fruit. It is this that gives a feeling of fulfilment.
Leave a Reply