Why Consistently Working Hard Works

School never came easily to me. It was a bad mix of not being the smartest person inherently and not enjoying many of the subjects I had to sit through. Through high school, I struggled to achieve A/B honor roll. I made it a few times, but it wasn’t consistent by any means. Like most kids, school was the last thing I wanted to do. Even though my parents instilled a strong work ethic and discipline in me, I couldn’t find the will to sit down and do homework.

For some kids, learning came easier. I had buddies who could goof off with me in class while still absorbing what the teacher was saying. I, however, was not that person. For me, it was an opportunity cost: I could talk, but you best believe I couldn’t learn at the same time. I can’t tell you how many times a teacher would say, “Michael, what did I just say?” and I’d turn around awkwardly, giving that deer-in-the-headlights look.

But something shifted when I got to college. It wasn’t that I got smarter, per se, but I started trying harder. College is a whole different ballgame—you’re paying for your education now. The effort you put in determines the setup you give yourself when you graduate and start job hunting. My first two years, I attended all my classes and did (almost) all my homework. I started earning A’s in my classes. It wasn’t about being smarter; I was just working harder. All the consequences of being lazy felt more real.

Unfortunately, I broke my jaw my junior year in college and I had some setbacks with my grades that snowballed into my senior year. I still graduated with a 3.0, but it wasn’t the stellar performance I’d hoped for. I was able to reset after landing my first temp job out of college. I graduated with a BA in Marketing and a minor in Information Systems—a 50/50 mix of business and computer science classes (Fun fact: Sean has the exact same major and minor.) That degree helped me land a role at an impressive cybersecurity company.

Everyone there was smarter than me. I mean that—everyone. I knew I couldn’t outsmart my colleagues, and I didn’t want to come off as the dummy, so I promised myself I’d outwork them. And that’s what I did. I was one of the first to arrive each day and one of the last to leave. I became a “yes” man, tackling any request made of me. I even grabbed cough medicine from Walmart for our CEO once when he wasn’t feeling well (not my proudest moment).

Within 14 months, I was promoted to a business development role and doubled my salary. My manager said I was the youngest person ever promoted to that role at the company. “That can’t be right,” I thought. How could someone like me earn that? But it wasn’t about being inherently smart. There are tons of smart people in this world, but it’s often meaningless without a strong work ethic.

That’s why I love the phrase, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work.” It’s so true. If you’re the hardest-working person in the room and give it your all, you’re more likely to succeed than someone naturally smarter or better who isn’t consistent or doesn’t work hard.

That’s why we’re so passionate at GTY Performance about how consistency compounds and how tiny incremental progressions lead to impressive outcomes. You might’ve known kids growing up who were naturally great at sports, but they likely practiced hard too. If they didn’t, they’d quickly be outshined by those who did. Natural talent is great, but it only carries you so far.

If you have a physical goal, trust the process. Relentless consistency is key. Want to be better at running? You’ve got to run—a lot. Want to lose weight? You need to stay consistent with your diet—a lot. At times, it may feel like you’re not progressing or seeing the results you want. But progress comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it’s ten pounds less on the scale or running a mile 30 seconds faster than you ever have. Other times, it’s invisible, building up inside you, getting ready for a big reveal.

Creating a company takes a lot of effort—consistent effort. I learned early on that growing GTY Performance would take everything I had and then some. I wasn’t the smartest person to start a company, but I knew I could work as hard as anyone, and I truly believe in what we’re doing. When you’re passionate about something and willing to put in the time, you’d be amazed at what you can grow.

So choose your goal, put in the time, endure what’s required, and watch what you can do.

Have a great week!