Hard Work: The Key to Success
by: Jeramine Robin
Is it innate ability or relentless dedication that truly paves the path to
achievement? While talent may open doors, it's the unwavering commitment
to hard work that ultimately unlocks the secrets to success. In truth, both
talent and hard work are major contributing factors to the success of a person.
Talent is the natural ability to perform exceptionally in a particular field,
whereas Hard work refers to the consistent and dedicated effort put into
achieving a goal or desired outcome. It involves investing time, energy, and
resources into a particular task, project, or endeavor (Admin, 2024). So, hard
work is more important than talent as it increases the probability of achieving
success by creating more opportunities, developing new talents, and involving
consistent effort and practice.
Hard work creates more opportunities for success. Because of
dedication and effort, an individual’s potential and capabilities will have the
chance to be fully discovered. Similarly, Ketan Dattani, CEO of Buckingham
Futures, highlights the significance of hard work. “While hard work is often
cited as a key driver of success, the role of luck should not be
underestimated,” he says. Ketan underscores that hard work lays the
foundation, enabling business owners to identify and seize opportunities when
they arise. He adds that luck can play a role, particularly when it comes to
timing and market conditions, but without hard work, even the best
opportunities can be missed. (Leaders, 2024)
Hard work develops new talents. According to TestGorilla, talents
become useless and naturally fade with time if they aren’t put to good use. By
working toward achieving a goal, one can not only make the most of their
talent but also grow their skills beyond the scope of their natural gifts. Their
hard work also acts as a motivational factor: When they receive positive
feedback thanks to their hard work, they’re even more motivated to continue
to put in the effort to further develop their abilities.
Hard work involves consistent effort and practice, which leads to the
development and refinement of skills. By investing time and energy in honing
one’s abilities, individuals become more proficient and competent in their
respective fields. Increased skill levels improve performance and increase the
likelihood of success. (Admin, 2024)
However, talent has always been synonymous with greatness.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, talent “is a natural ability or aptitude”.
Therefore, talent is considered innate, which means that any qualities can be
discovered at any age, whereas hard work is a characteristic based on
persistence and needs a certain amount of time to actually see progress and
then achieve brilliance. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart became a genius at the
tender age of seven before he began his journey all around Europe.
Furthermore, talent reaches a level that hard work cannot achieve, not even
with several years of dedication and consistency.
Hard work is essential in accomplishing anything in life as it holds
significant value in various aspects of life; it creates more opportunities for
success, develops new talents, and involves consistent effort and practice. It
is important because it encompasses dedication, perseverance, and
consistent effort toward achieving goals and desired outcomes.
References:
Leaders, I. (2024, September 2). Luck is Where Opportunity Meets
Preparation: How Hard Work Creates Success. The Industry Leaders.
https://www.theindustryleaders.org/post/luck-is-where-opportunity-meets-
preparation-how-hard-work-creates-success
Panisara. (2025, March 5). Which is More Important: Hard Work or Talent? -
Keller Executive Search. Keller Executive Search.
https://www.kellerexecutivesearch.com/insight/which-is-more-
important-hard-work-or-talent/
Admin. (2024, August 23). 5 reasons why hard work is the key to success.
Sophia Online Degree College.
https://sophiaonlinecollege.com/reasons-why-hard-work-is-the-key-to-
success/#:~:text=Hard%20Work%20is%20the%20Key%20to
%20Success%20Overview,-Hard%20work%20is&text=It%20refers
%20to%20the%20dedication,improve%20skills%2C%20and%20create
%20opportunities.
Talent will always beat hard work - by Enzo M, 1st place winner of the writing
competition 2022 (level B2) | British Council France. (n.d.).
https://www.britishcouncil.fr/blog/talent-hard-work
