Surfing lessons

My brother yelled, “Go! Go! Go!”

I thrashed my arms. Paddling at full speed, I found the wave’s momentum. I dropped in and rode the wave to the shore, propelled forward like a symphony’s crescendo.

I endured being thrown around by the waves for two hours before this rite of passage. I was tired, with nothing to show for my efforts except a raw spot on my chin, courtesy of a failed duck dive which introduced my face to the ocean floor.

Despite the years passed, that was my first wave. I can smell the ocean air, taste the saltiness of the sea and feel the texture of the wax under my chest. It was a pivotal moment, and the most valuable thing I gained from that experience, and surfing, is working smart versus working hard.

When I first joined the lineup, I went for every wave I could catch. I wasn't concerned with position or quality. I was all in. Every wave. Every time. I thought that’s what you’re supposed to do. After all, you catch waves. They don’t catch you.

This was not the strategy my brother and his friends used. They surveyed the horizon, anticipating the next swell’s origin. Then they’d paddle to get into position to catch the waves at their peak. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think they weren’t working. After all, numerous people sitting in a queue on their surfboards staring into space, looks mindless. However, the opposite was true. They positioned themselves perfectly to catch the curling wave and enjoy the ride. They were working smart.

I learned during those summer sessions that you need both hard work and smart work. Working hard helps you find opportunities, and working smart helps you capitalize on them.

Hard work isn’t always breaking rocks in the hot sun or 15-hour days. What makes work hard is that it requires discipline and persistent effort. Hard work produces craftsmanship. It takes time to master a skill. Doing the work consistently sharpens your ability to spot opportunities.

Working smart is usually simple, but often difficult. Smart work requires being productive and executing work with efficiency. I’ve found one way to create smart work habits is to ask myself this question:

Am I doing this thing because it’s the best way to get the most benefit, or am I doing it this way because it’s how I’ve always done it?

Once I learned how to do smart work, taking advantage of opportunities was easier. Success doesn’t fall out of the sky and land on people. It’s a planned event, and the combination of hard work and smart work enables you to see the plan and execute it.