We have all heard the saying, "Work smart, not hard." It makes sense. After all, who wants to work hard? The mistake many people make, however, is equating smart to the opposite of hard as if the saying were "Work easy, not hard." But, smart doesn't mean easy.

Working smart often requires engaging in hard work. Not in the sense of slogging away at nearly impossible tasks, but in the sense of working diligently, paying attention to details, doing research, following up, and following through. If you want to move to the head of the pack, you'll need to work hard focusing your efforts on those activities that are specific and integral to achieving your goals.

It's the focus that makes your efforts smart. Over time, even difficult tasks become easier. Why? Because you become more skilled and learn efficiencies that allow you to complete those tasks more quickly.

Working smart requires a concentration of effort. It means putting on blinders and not becoming sidetracked with the easy stuff that makes it appear to others as if you are really working - those activities that require little effort, present few challenges, generate mediocre results and, for the most part, are boring.

Top athletes, for instance, put in long hours perfecting their skills. That's how they became top athletes. But, their hard work is actually smart work because they focus their efforts on developing those skills in which they are deficient. That's how they remain top athletes.

The Bill "Gateses" and Steve "Jobses" of the business world put in long hours and take on massive responsibilities - hard work. But, that too is smart work because they focus their efforts on reading the market, improving their products, and improving their market shares.

If you want to get ahead in the world, you can't escape hard work. But, with focus, diligence, and practice, you can make that hard work smart.

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