“If hard work were really a virtue, then mules would be saints.” ― James Dee Richardson
A few weeks ago I participated in a group workout, a “team-building” kind of event. The structure was similar to many group fitness classes - long work intervals, very little rest time and a whole lot of different exercises.
It was HARD. By the time the warm up was over I was already hurting.
For the “main event” of the class we worked in teams of two, moving through stations of two exercises (one “power”, one “strength”) that were performed back to back for a total of four and a half minutes before moving on to the next station.
After completing four different stations, we then proceeded to go through ski erg intervals, sled pulling/pushing, rower intervals and tire flipping.
By the end of the workout we had done at least 15 different exercises and I had uttered at least 15,000 different expletives.
I will not go deep into my criticism of the workout’s structure, because that’s not the point of this post (though I want to be clear that I wasn’t a fan). What I want to do is pose a question to its creator(s), which is…
What was the purpose?
If the goal was to “make someone more powerful”, I have to call bull****. Because if I just continued doing that kind of workout, I wouldn’t develop much more power.
If the goal was to “make someone stronger”. I have to call bull****. Because if I just continued doing that kind of workout, I wouldn’t develop much more strength.
If the goal was simply to “make a really hard workout”. Well...ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! And if I just continued doing that kind of workout, I’d get better at doing that kind of workout.
But just because something is hard, it doesn’t mean it’s worth doing.
Just because something is hard, it doesn’t mean it’s making you better.
And, just because something is hard, it doesn’t mean it’s building towards something bigger.
I can think of a lot of things that are hard to do: -Deadlifting 500lbs -Learning to speak Russian (for us non-Russians of course) -Buying your first house -Doing laundry (OK, maybe it’s just me…)
Most of the above would be considered “hard” goals to accomplish. But are they worth doing?
It depends.
Would accomplishing any of the above move you closer to your bigger life Goals? Do they reflect what is important, meaningful and valuable to you?
Or would it simply be doing something hard for the sake of doing it?
Because hard work for the sake of hard work is not a virtue.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Enduring difficulty definitely has its merits, including building resiliency, humility and compassion.
But you know what’s also difficult?
Being brave enough to choose your own path. Not getting distracted by what everyone else is doing. Committing to a goal. Having patience. Staying the course.
You see, the virtue of hard work lies in the accomplishment.
So why not make all the “hard stuff” actually add up to something in the end? Something that is meaningful to YOU.
If you want to deadlift 500lbs you need to train hard - but specifically for strength development, not random WODs (workout of the day).
If you want to learn Russian you need to study and practice daily - but specifically Russian, not Japanese.
If you want to buy a house you need to create a budget and save money - but specifically for a down payment, not the newest IPhone.
I know...I’m blowing your mind with these knowledge bombs.
But honestly, I so often see people taking pride in doing something “really hard” without stopping to question why they’re doing it in the first place.
Remember, time and energy are finite resources.
So the next time you are about to take on a new challenge, ask yourself:
“Why am I doing this?” “How will doing this contribute to my Bigger Goals?” And more importantly, “Why are these Bigger Goals important to me?”
If your responses add up to a tangible end goal, an end goal that resonates with your personal values and priorities, then by all means, make a plan and DO THE WORK.
But if your only response to, “Why am I doing this?”
Is, “Because it is hard.”
Well...I have a whole lot of laundry waiting just for you.
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