One of my more successful patients stated, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” Apparently, Gary Player is the originator of this particular quote and my patient and I agree with him.
In the past, I have written about the difference between “trying” to accomplish a task and “working” to accomplish that same task. The only thing I ask of my patients is that they work at being healthy. The implications of working on a project are many.
Foremost among the many implications of working on a job is that you go to work every day regardless of whether you want to or not. I don’t care who you are or how much you love your job, there will be days you just don’t want to work. The successful person gets his act together and not only goes to work but gives it his all.
Another important aspect of working on a job is the knowledge that you will make mistakes and that you will correct those mistakes as soon as you identify them. The successful worker goes one step further, he learns from each mistake so as not to repeat it in the future.
Finally, incumbent in every job is the knowledge that your work must be finished within a prescribed length of time. The successful worker learns how to pace himself so as to complete his task in an efficient and timely manner. The end result may look like luck to an outsider, but as Gary Player put it, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.”
If you look at managing diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol as a job, you will succeed at controlling the underlying disorder with a minimum of medications and interventions. If you look at getting off of your cigarettes as a full-time occupation, you will succeed. Hire yourself to work on being healthy. Health does come at a cost! The cost is learning good nutritional, exercise, emotional, and spiritual habits.
If you are retired, come out of retirement and work 2 hours a day on maintaining your body in tiptop shape! If you work long hours and don’t have time for your “self,” learn to “Time Wrap!”
Lastly, if you are having problems finishing your tasks in your everyday job, often turning to a co-worker will help you find the solutions you need to succeed. If you are having problems maintaining your health, turn to your doc for suggestions and help! Remember, the life you save may be your own.
