Have you ever noticed the people who work extra hard? It could vary from doing the extra question on the quiz to staying after the designated time to work on something. If you haven’t, you should consider noticing those people, as they have one of the arguably most valuable skills a person can have: they are hard working. But what does it mean to be hardworking, and what are the things that make up a hardworking person?

     The ability to be hardworking is a learned skill, not a personality trait, so it can’t be identified by a personality test. This skill might come more naturally to some than others, but even still it takes years of practice and intention to perfect. No matter how easy it comes to anyone, though, hard working people are always determined, positive, and can be trusted with a wide range of tasks. Even if they sometimes aren’t recognized for their efforts, hard working people keep on going, no matter how hard it gets.

     Hard workers reap rewards beyond a good reputation. The benefits of hard work are a strong sense that they are doing the right thing and the knowledge that they are trying their best. They also understand that they are making a positive impact on all aspects of their life. For example, many successful people and athletes are hard workers, such as Serena Williams. She once said, “Everyone’s dream can come true if you just stick to it and work hard.” So obviously the key to success is to work hard, but you can’t just put a label on yourself and call it done, as hard working people never accept achieving “good enough” results. Serena Williams didn’t work hard for just one tennis match; she did her best every time she practiced and every time she played tennis. That’s why she is so famous. 

     Serena Williams also possesses the two most important parts that a hard working person is. She is determined and always has a positive attitude. Why do these two parts make up a hardworking person? Well, if someone is determined, they won’t give up no matter how difficult the situation is until they achieve their goals. Determination also gives a sense of purpose, which in turn gives the person the motivation to overcome any obstacle that comes along the way to success. That almost sounds like the definition of doing hard work, right?

     A positive attitude is important for anything anyone does, but it is especially important when you are hard working. With a positive attitude, a hardworking person is able to remain upbeat in the face of adversity. You don’t necessarily have to love the thing you are doing, but you do it with a positive attitude anyway. It is virtually impossible to be truly hard working without a positive attitude. If you see a hard task as an impossible task, or the task set before you seemingly endless, you are never going to finish the thing you are doing. With a positive attitude, you are able to complete hard tasks because you see them as possible.

     Being hardworking is a skill that makes people very successful, like Serena Williams, but it requires determination, positivity, and practice to perfect. There is a saying, “the only place where ‘success’ comes before ‘work’ is in the dictionary.” Well, life is definitely not a dictionary.

-Aileana E.