I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. - Thomas Jefferson - Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) Jefferson was voted the 12th greatest person in America in the 2005 America Online poll, "The Greatest Americans". Thomas Jefferson is the 3rd President of the United States (1801-1809), while he was also the principal author of the American Declaration of Independence and one of the most influential of the American Founding Fathers. In addition to his political career, Jefferson was an expert in agronomy, horticulture, architecture, etymology, archaeology, mathematics, cryptography, surveying, and paleontology; a writer, lawyer, and violinist; and the founder of the University of Virginia. It is also why he is considered by many to be the most intelligent of all American presidents. Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, on the same day as his friend and former president John Adams. What is luck? The force that causes things, especially good things, to happen to you by chance and not as a result of your own efforts or abilities. - Cambridge English Dictionary We should never know when luck is coming because it is unpredictable and unmeasurable. However, does it mean that there is no way for us to increase the rate we have luck? Everyone likes luck, don't we? Just like chance, luck is more likely to visit those who are well prepared and work hard. Just as bosses usually like to bring in people who work hard and don't slack off, clients like to meet well-prepared sales instead, people always prefer people who work hard. For them, it is a kind of luck and a result of hard work. That is also why Jefferson said that he would find the harder he work and the more luck he have. Other than the really unpredictable luck, he also received "luck" by his hard works. Importance of work hard Hard work is the only way to success. Even though we sometimes benefit from different opportunities or luck, it is not stable if we don't put in the effort. Only when we work hard can we move steadily towards our goals and achieve success. Here are the reason why we need to work hard: 1-Respected by others Without pain, there is no gain. If we don't show that we are worthy enough to be successful, others will not respect you, even if you are above them. When we learn more knowledge and skills, we can improve our self-confidence at work, which also helps us to have higher self-satisfaction, which gives us positive emotions. 2-Higher self-satisfaction It's not easy to step out of your comfort zone. Fear of the unknown and failure can stop us from moving forward. In this case, working hard through learning and healthy body management can give us more confidence and courage to leave our comfort zone and challenge ourselves. 3-Leave our comfort zone It's not easy to step out of your comfort zone. Fear of the unknown and failure can stop us from moving forward. In this case, working hard through learning and healthy body management can give us more confidence and courage to leave our comfort zone and challenge ourselves. Work hard in a smart way Although we have already understood the importance of working hard, it is also very important for us to learn how to work hard. If we do it in a wrong way, we may only have low efficiency and get small result only. 1-Document the results of your work Keeping a clear record of what you have done by task clearly defines what you have actually accomplished and the satisfaction you get from it. This also helps you plan for the future by the amount of time each task will take. 2-Limit the length of to-do lists and to-do items Try to focus on a few major tasks or learning goals each day so you can organize your schedule well. With better prioritization of your work, you will have better time management and motivation. 3-Seek for help early When you face any difficulties that you have no way to solve them when doing task or learn, not to be shy and seek for help earlier, try to learn from others; experience and save the time you spend on the problem.