The Surprising Truth About Hard Work & Why It Might Be Blocking Your Success
Most us believe that people who are successful work very, very hard.
We also (often unconsciously) believe that they work harder than everyone else.
Honestly, I love to work (and you may, too!)
I’m that annoying person who will get up off the couch and organize the garage, because, “What better time to do it than now?”
I’m that person who is emailing my clients at 1 AM with an idea I just had for them and can’t wait to share.
And I’m that person who will go the extra mile to make sure every single detail of a task is taken care of, even if it means I have to stay up late.
But I can absolutely, without a doubt, tell you: hard work itself has never led to any of my best successes in business.
In fact, it’s worked against me when a deliverable has taken me 10x as long as I’d estimated, either eating away at my take-home fee if the project is for a client (and causing me nothing but stress) or causing my own projects to be delayed — simply because I was devoted to excellence in my finished product.
Unfortunately, there’s been so much focus on quantity over quality in the online world that excellence is rarely valued. (I’m not talking about stifling perfectionism, I’m talking about taking the time to do things well — a concept that’s gotten lost somewhere along the digital path.)
I do believe we’re seeing see a reckoning, where businesses that prioritize a steady stream of “meh” programs, content, and AI-generated copy will fade into the background while those who are devoted to mastery — even if that means a lower volume of content, deeper relationships, and less frenetic communication — will rise to the top. More about that in a moment…
Back to the topic of hard work, though: when I look at my most successful clients (meaning those who feel like they are thriving, instead of struggling and frustrated by a lack of results) — they, too, are not successful because of hard work.
When you think about it, who could even gauge what “hard work” is?
Lots of people work very long hours, often in harsh environments, for low pay, and never seem to get ahead.
So let’s just get it out of the way: people who are successful do NOT work harder than anyone else.
So what is the difference, then, between those who continue to struggle and those who actually get the results they desire?
The truth is, your PRESENCE is the single most important thing you bring to your business.
I’m not referring to your personality here, or even your gifts or talents.
I’m talking about the way you BRING YOURSELF to your business, which amplifies even the smallest efforts you may make.
(And can create truly miraculous results!)
When you bring your full presence to your business, you create alignment between your deeper self and the actions you take.
When your actions are aligned, they work together to create momentum in the direction of your goals.
When they are scattered and incoherent, they are like light diffused across a room or a surface. Effective to a certain degree, but not powerful.
So, I invite you to explore the idea of bringing your full presence to your work.
What that looks like on a practical level is slowing down your pace, and mastering, deepening, and improving what you’ve already got…
…rather than simply doing more (creating new things, handling tasks that don’t move the needle in your business, researching and prepping more, setting up new funnels, etc.)
This can be as simple as spending an entire day reviewing all of your notes, all of your offerings, all of your plans, all of your revenue projections — and organizing, streamlining, and rightsizing everything that’s in front of you right now.
That includes things like:
Getting rid of offers that you don’t love
Repurposing, repackaging, or repricing those that you love but that are not profitable
Ruthlessly deleting content that’s been on a digital shelf gathering “dust” for far too long (trainings you’ve signed up for, notes you’ve gathered, templates you’ve purchased thinking you’ll “someday” use them to create social media posts, etc.)
Canceling software subscriptions that are not essential or useful (even if they’re only $20/month — they add up quickly!)
Releasing (or making a plan to release) clients who don’t feel like a right fit for you
All of these are pulling your precious presence away from what matters most and preventing you from gaining the momentum you really want.
True story: I once spent a whole day deleting HUNDREDS of digital notes on my computer, and instantly “cured” a bout of writer’s block that had been plaguing me for about 3 years.
(I’m probably under-exaggerating the length of the writer’s block, to be honest, because I’m ashamed to admit how long it lasted.)
The amount of energy that’s often unconsciously funneled into information, plans, unprofitable ideas and products, tools, software, and clients is astounding.
As simple as it sounds, freeing up that energy so you can fully bring your presence to your business is guaranteed to have an immediate and beneficial effect on the work you do.
Which means you don’t have to work harder to get better results.
This is how two people do the exact same amount of work each day, but get wildly different results.
This is how one entrepreneur generates two to three times the amount of income as another, while working the exact same number of hours each day.
More importantly, it’s how that entrepreneur is also more fulfilled after a full day of work… how they actually look forward to getting started each day… and how they feel a sense that what they’re doing matters, and is getting them closer to their goals.
So if you feel like you’ve worked hard in your business, and you’re still not getting the results you desire (and deserve)…
(And what entrepreneur hasn’t felt like that at one point or another?)…
Give yourself a break.
You are already working hard enough.
Slow down, take time to reassess, and see how you can more fully bring YOU to your work.
If you’d like a smart, skilled partner to help you slow down and intentionally choose the next moves that will make the most difference in your business, book a complimentary 6-Figure Strategy Session with me.
During this 30-minute call, we’ll identify the specific shifts you can take to attract high-value clients to your transformational business, so you can create consistent $10K months while delivering life-changing results — without overworking or overcomplicating your strategy. Together, we’ll clarify your unique positioning, simplify your marketing plan and revenue model, and, most importantly, amplify every action you take by bringing your full presence to your work.
Running a transformational service-based business is different than any other business out there. Your clients have to bring their own commitment to the process — so marketing hits different for them. The decision-making process requires you do the opposite of almost everything you may have learned. And your own mindset, energy, and heart need to be aligned for your work to work.I’m Helen Hunter Mackenzie, positioning expert and business strategist for impact-driven entrepreneurs working in the transformational field. I’ll help you differentiate your work, create strong messaging to articulate that difference, and streamline your marketing & revenue strategy so can focus only on attracting high-quality clients and building $10K+ months (and beyond).Book a complimentary 6-Figure Strategy Session with me, where together we'll uncover the simplest, most high-leverage shifts you can make right now to start building 6-figure success with more ease and a whole lot less overwhelm. Schedule your complimentary (no-obligation) 30-minute session today! 📆