"Work hard and be nice to people," is one of my favorite quotes to live by. However, I think there are a couple of things that need to be added to it to make it complete.
Yes, this makes me a dork and a bit of a buzzkill, but entertain me if you will, please. This will be very brief.
"Work Hard & Be Nice to People"
Although the saying surely existed long before, the book "Make It Now," by Anthony Burrill which he later turned into "Work Hard and Be Nice to People," gave it legs.
A graphics first book revolving around a quote we should all live by.
It's a fantastic, design-heavy, book that I recommend having in your library or on your coffee table.
The book goes deeper into the quote and other things to consider, but I wanted to also mention my biggest notes here in this post.
More on "Work Hard"
Hard work is great but it's incomplete.
Working hard on the wrong things is wasted time. We need to ensure we are spending our hard work with purpose, where it matters.
Part of working hard is consistency. Sporadically working hard is common in our society. We bust our butts the day before a deadline or try to hit our numbers for whatever task in a small amount of the allotted time to do it. Working intensely with consistency is the true definition of "working hard." It's easy to put in effort occasionally.
Finally, working hard without taking time to enjoy the things around you like your family and friends is work done in vain. Take time to enjoy the fruits of your labor and the things around you. Avoid workaholism at all costs.
Work without relief or rest is a personal slavery. To work constantly and never being able to enjoy what you have earned and achieved is the opposite of freedom.
More On "Be nice to People"
Being nice should be the default, but we can't allow niceness to prevent us from standing up for ourselves or having difficult conversions.
Part of being nice to others involves being honest with them. Sometimes, the nicest thing we can do for someone is to tell them something that might not make them happy in the short term but will help them in the long run.
If you have coworkers or supervisors, they will always prefer to hear the hard truth over a sugar-coated lie. Say you screwed up on something; the best thing you can do is to fully, promptly, and concisely communicate the situation with your associates.
Honest communication in the workplace, even when it isn't convenient, will always be respected.