Just a Little Hard Work

Standing on top of my roof last week with my 2 daughters (5 and 3 years old) looking out their window curiously as I try to trim the top of the huge Japanese Maple tree growing in front of our house. Every year this tree gives me a fit as I try to cut it back when it starts to grow wild in the summertime. It is over 100 degrees. The hottest June I can remember for sure. After clipping all the branches I can reach from the rooftop, I climb back in through my daughters’ bedroom window and walk downstairs, pole saw and hedge trimmers in hand. My wife looks at me and says to our girls, “Poor Daddy has been out there sweating so much working on that tree!” My oldest daughter, completely unphased, replies, “Just a little hard work Mom, that’s all.” I could not help but smile…that’s my' girl.

That moment and that quote from my 5 year old has stuck with me for the past couple weeks. It seems to pop into my head each time I think about obstacles/hurdles standing in my way. In the middle of a tough 5:30am workout, “Just a little hard work, that’s all.” When I am up late at night after everyone is bed, doing all the things that need to be done in order to run a business and serve our clients well, “Just a little hard work, that’s all.” When I am working on a search and the right candidate seems almost impossible to find, “Just a little hard work, that’s all.” It has motivated me to keep going.

This little mantra has been serving me well, and I think we can all benefit from thinking this way a little more often to help us get through the wall we need to break through to keep pushing forward and making progress.

I have since found out from my daughter that she got the quote from the Disney movie “Hannah Montana”, but that’s neither here nor there!

I hope you persevere this week through whatever you are going through and remember that in most cases, it’s “just a little hard work, that’s all.”