Chapter 25

Work Ethic


The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is
nothing without work.

Emile Zola




A very successful and famous professional was asked if he thought that he was lucky in life. “Yes,” he responded. “The harder I work, the luckier I get!”

To succeed, commitment and focused effort towards your objective is crucial. You need to be immersed in professional work, putting in the amount of time and inputs as needed. Successful people, it has been found put in up to 70 or even, hours of work a week.


However, it is important to be aware as early in life as possible, that your commitment to work should be balanced by your other commitments and desires and dreams of a balanced life.



All too often, people who succeed financially and professionally have regrets about not having had time for other areas and activities in life, especially personal health close relationships. This reminds me of a quote I read in a medical college many years ago. It went: “we squander health in search of wealth, we sweat and toil and save, then squander wealth in search of health and only find a grave.”



So while hard work is a clear prerequisite for success, especially financial success. You should be conscious of the price you have to pay if the drive is so singular, as to be at the cost of everything else.


There is no royal road to

success. Hard work

pays,and a balance of

work and play is best.