Work Harder Day is celebrated on January 12 annually. It is a day for people to do what its name suggests; work harder. In everything we hope to achieve success in, we do one thing; work hard. And when we want to achieve that success faster, we put in more effort and push ourselves to the limits. Staying longer than usual at work offers a chance to work harder. But do you know that working longer and harder aren’t synonymous? While working longer makes you look diligent, working harder actually makes you successful.
History of Work Harder Day
The earliest indication of the celebration of Work Harder Day dates back to 2016. However, while the holiday hasn’t been long in the making, the idea behind it has centuries of history. From businesspersons, sportspersons, inventors, and even politicians, hard work has always played a significant role in their success. It is symbolic of the history of all those great individuals. And not just any type of hard work, but the one that pushes them to the limits.
History will never forget Thomas Edison and his thousands of inventions. In the 1800s, Edison’s teachers described him as a dullard. However, he didn’t allow that to weigh him down, and with hard work and perseverance, he became one of the greatest inventors of all time. The later 1900s witnessed Michael Jordan’s brilliance in basketball. His longtime coach, Phil Jackson, once wrote that it was hard work that made Jordan a legend. He also wrote that Jordan’s unique characteristic wasn’t his talent, but knowing he had to constantly work hard to be the best. The Williams’ daughters — Serena and Venus, worked extraordinarily hard to write both their names in gold. A report showed the duo’s lives were almost all about tennis. Together, they dominated tennis for over a decade, combinedly winning the title of Best Female Tennis Player a whopping 13 times between 2001 and 2021!
Howard Schultz is another typical example of an entrepreneur who worked harder than usual. He was so determined to be successful that while being the C.E.O. of Starbucks in the 1980s, he stayed longer at work and even went to the office on Sundays to read emails from his employees. Mark Cuban once wrote on his blog that it took him an incredible amount of work to benefit from his luck.
Work Harder Day timeline
Edison invents the light bulb after several failed trials.
Shultz buys the company from its three initial founders — Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowler.
Jordan wins his first championship with the Bulls.
The duo dominates the Best Female Tennis Player award, sharing it 13 times between themselves.
Work Harder Day FAQs
Why is hard work important?
Hard work is crucial because it is the key to success. Everything we strive to do will go to naught if we don’t invest enough energy in it. Even talented and intelligent people can perform woefully if they don’t augment those gifts with hard work. And while intelligence can be inherited, hard work is what everyone can choose to do.
What counts more — hard work or luck?
The two are intertwined, and one without the other can make one’s efforts futile. However, even when luck is on your side, hard work determines whether you stay within that luck or not. A lucky but lazy person is most likely not going to do well. Imagine being lucky enough to land your dream job but not putting in enough effort. The result would be outright dismissal.
How do you become a hard worker?
Many people know what ways work for them the most. However, it is widely believed that people can become hard-working if they know the worth of what they are trying to achieve, have hopes of succeeding, break big goals into smaller, easily achievable ones, have the right mindset to work, and so on.
Work Harder Day Activities
Put in more effort at work
If you are used to executing one project daily, today is the day to improve your performance. Why not work harder and complete two, three, or even as many as your strength allows?
Stay longer at work
Adding one or two more hours after your closing hour today wouldn't harm you, would it? Stay later than usual. Tackle tomorrow's work and get some of it done today.
Advise others to work harder
Be it a relative, friend, or any random person, advise them to put more effort into every worthy thing they are doing or need to get done. You might be pushing someone to success.
5 Interesting Facts About Hard Work You Should Know
It's mostly not attractive
Many people are scared of hard-working people as they feel it isn't glamorous to work so hard.
It is rewarding
While it is not glamorous, the results you will get from it can be very lucrative.
Might fetch you ridicules
People will call a hard worker many unpleasant names like crazy, obsessed, lunatic, or even show off.
From ridiculing to praises
People who called you unpleasant names will switch to attributing praise names once your hard work pays off.
It levels the playing field
Hard work keeps the playing field leveled and ensures you are more or as successful as other smart, intelligent, and talented people.
Why We Love Work Harder Day
It implores us to do more
People work more than usual on this day. Therefore, more gets done overall.
It reveals hidden skills
We might have skills we haven't realized yet. While working harder, there's every chance that these skills will surface. How about realizing how good you are at multitasking? Joyful, right?
It improves productivity
Workers’ general and/or individual productivity is bound to go up if they work harder. Deadlines can be achieved even before they are reached with increased productivity.
Work Harder Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | January 12 | Sunday |
| 2026 | January 12 | Monday |
| 2027 | January 12 | Tuesday |
| 2028 | January 12 | Wednesday |
| 2029 | January 12 | Friday |
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