Everyone has their own definitions of what hard work is. I believe that it is going above and beyond "trying your best" and instead, it is actually "doing your best." "Doing your best" doesn't always necessarily get you to where you hoped to end up, but at least you did the best work you could have done to reach your goals.
First, let's talk about what happens when you don't work hard from the very beginning of a task, goal or adventure. Think high school. High school is where a huge portion of your life really starts to take off and freshman year is a huge deal. Sure, you might be at the bottom of the food chain, but by no means does that mean that you can't do exactly what those juniors are doing. Maybe you think that high school is going to be easy. For some it might be, but not everyone gets to be that lucky. This is where hard work comes in to play. It's important to realize that even freshman year counts. If you decide to slack, it can hurt your GPA for the rest of high school and could ultimately lead to you not getting into the colleges you were hoping on receiving a letter of acceptance from. Of course this is somewhat extreme, but the truth is that it is real and it can happen. Your SAT scores can only get you so far.
If I didn't get into my top school because I decided not to work hard in the beginning of high school, I would regret that decision and carry that weight on my shoulders for a very long time. (Please do keep in mind that this is just an example. You could do your best and it might not be enough but at least you did everything you could. You might also have some incredible letters of recommendation stating how amazing you were while on student council or as the president of a club and these could possibly get you to where you want to be.) Regret is one consequence of not working hard.
Another consequence of not starting out as a hard worker could be that you would have to catch up and work extra hard because you didn't try you best at the start. For example, If you don't give it your all in the beginning of basketball season, then later in the season you may find yourself having to work 50 times harder than everyone else to get that starting spot. No one likes feeling like they are behind. It's stressful.
I could go on and on about all of the not-so-terrible and the very terrible events that could occur from not working hard from the start. However, what's more important is all of the great things that come out of making the smart choice to do your best at the very beginning. In the big scheme of things, making this decision can get you to where you want to be. This is very rewarding and who doesn't like that feeling? It brings out a more positive side and encourages yourself to continue to carry out this lifestyle. In addition, this lifestyle pays off! You'll find that more often than not you'll complete your tasks, reach your goals, and have a wonderful adventure along the way. Not to mention, your great progress will most likely motivate those around you to work hard as well!
I've learned that this lifestyle has greatly changed my life and in a positive way. I chose to work extremely hard my freshman year of high school. In turn, when school got harder as the years went by, I still had that solid ground that I formed in the beginning of my high school career. I thank myself for doing this all the time. All. The. Time. Take my word. If you haven't ever thought about going about doing something in this manner just try it. Start with something simple. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Try it. Then do it.
