I’ve noticed a trend in the past few years. Those who accomplish tasks or put forth an extra effort in whatever they’re doing are labeled “sweats” or “tryhards” while those who boast mediocrity present themselves as heroes for being “real.”
After a little digging, I’ve found that the “tryhard” label goes back at least to the 1950s, though I haven’t heard it until modern video-game culture. Calling someone a “sweat” or “sweaty” is relatively newer, to my knowledge. When I was growing up, the term “nerd” was used more commonly, but I wore it as a badge of honor anytime it was hurled at me. Being a nerd meant I was accomplishing things that the average person couldn’t do or was too self-conscious to attempt.
In our social-media culture, success and excellence are often made to appear effortless. Those who get the most followers are the ones who seem to stay beautiful, wealthy and adored on any given day. Unfortunately, this doesn’t reflect reality, and even those beautiful, wealthy and adored trend setters have undocumented days of struggle.
Pushing ahead
Without sweat, without trying hard, we give up hope that life can be better. Without hope, we give up on meaning. Without meaning, we flounder around until death. That’s not living, no matter how desirable it appears to that high-school cool kid destined for unemployment.
Instead, I urge you to push through those hard steps on the way to ambitious goals, even when it makes you look sweaty. You will look sweaty for much of your journey. That’s the sign of growth.
A few months ago, I went to the gym with a friend to start up a healthy weightlifting routine. Though I couldn’t lift the amount of weights he was lifting, I was proud of myself for keeping up with the pace he was setting–and I wasn’t even breaking a sweat! After the workout, when I lost consciousness in the car, I realized my not sweating was a sign of dehydration and it was a warning sign that I had pushed myself too hard. Life without sweat, it seems, can be hazardous to your health.
Failing forward
Though this shouldn’t come as a surprise, the immediate precursor to victory is not inaction. Most of the time, loss precedes action. Winners lose. A lot. Michael Jordan was cut from his high-school basketball team. For a long time, Babe Ruth held the record for strikeouts as a batter. Without failure, there’s little room for improvement.
What would happen if we took a break from the smiling pretty faces on Instagram and push ahead toward failure, knowing it’s inevitable? The more we experience failure, the more resilience we can develop and the closer to success we come.
In Malcolm Gladwell’s tremendous book, Outliers, he mentions the 10,000 hour rule. According to researcher Anders Ericsson, it usually takes 10,000 hours of practice to be considered an expert at any given task. That’s a whole lotta sweat. (As a sidebar, Gladwell’s book is a wonderful love letter to fellow sweats and try-hard.)
Don’t forget the deodorant!
Just because you sweat a lot doesn’t mean you should stink. Suffering before achieving your goal is expected; bragging about how much you’re suffering isn’t required. Remaining fixated on your failures and lack of achievement can actually signal to your brain that suffering is your new norm. Try hard, sweat but then keep your sites on the goal.
If you’re trying hard today, I commend you. Your sustained effort puts you ahead of the majority of your peers. Your sweat will be rewarded when you achieve the tasks ahead. Don’t give up. Don’t give in to the mediocre. You’re putting in the time toward your passion, and you’re one step closer to mastery. Continue these habits and you’ll one day find yourself amongst the peak performers in your field. Sweat, try hard and reap the rewards when they come!
(Note: This post includes affiliate links. This means that, for every purchase you make following some of my links, I get a cut from the product provider. This doesn’t cost you any extra money, but it certainly can help me pay the bills!)
