Everyone stuck inside of a cubicle has had the moment where they closed their eyes, leaned back in their crappy half-broken chair, and thought “I wish I worked from home.” Now, there’s no denying that working from home is a day-dream worth having…but does getting to that point change our mindset about work?

Being an entrepreneur more than likely means at one point you were staying up late in your office or on your couch grinding on some details of your new idea or budding business. Those lost hours of sleep were offered as tribute to your dream of being a full time entrepreneur. I am a firm believer this passion never leaves a true entrepreneur…if it’s left you, then you may need to find a new passion.

Hard Work is Absolutely Vital

If you’re not willing to put in the work, you’re never going to get the results you desire for your business. As great as we all think we are (at least we think to ourselves), we actually don’t know everything. I’m sick and tired of hearing people saying “I wish I could work from home” or hoping some beneficial situation would fall into their laps without putting in any effort. Unless you are in the 0.0001% of perfect scenario happenstance people, then you have to put in the hard work to get anything worth having.

Keep Work in Perspective

Any entrepreneur out there can tell you about the struggle and hustle of making it on your own. The tension between struggle and hustle is where hard work comes in. Putting in the work is just the minimum absolute requirement to excel at anything. Want to have a great marriage? Put in the work to be the best spouse you can be, even when it’s unfair. Do you want to be a better business owner? Great, stop being complacent and put in the hard work needed to push your business to new heights. Hard work is vital to success.

The problem with hard work comes when we put our work ahead of our family, health, or reality. I’m sorry but if you’re “putting in the hard work” playing Fortnite and your family or job performance suffers…then you have a problem. Maybe you are working hard and providing for your family – that’s great – but not if you are spending so much time at the office that your kids grow up without knowing you.

If you are putting in the work needed to achieve your goal, know that you are doing what most people won’t. Most will only “wish” they did something, yet never actually do it themselves. Hard work can be an incredible propellant for business growth and entrepreneur success, but life is all about balance – you have to be honest with yourself whether you are working to live, or living to work.