should you work harder or smarter?

hey friend,

most people would say “work smarter.”
but in reality, most people just need to work harder.
or… try harder.
let’s talk about the mindset it takes to level up any aspect of life.

origins of “try harder”

I learned this back in college when I wanted to become a pilot in the air force.
there was a test called the TBAS, directional orientation and hand-eye coordination.
you only get two shots at the TBAS in your lifetime. I bombed it my first time.

most folks would just shrug, retake it, and hope for the best.
but I decided to build the test myself from memory.
my dad helped me code a mock-up, and I practiced relentlessly.
my second attempt? I scored one of the highest they’d ever seen.
I went from near-zero odds to nearly 100% and got my pilot slot.

the lesson was simple: try harder.
don’t leave your fate to chance.
put in work that most people won’t.
now, it’s a framework I follow daily.

the framework: a-t-th

let me break it down…

average

• what most people do.
• average attempts, average results.

trying

• an above-average approach.
• you’ll see some success, but it’s still limited.

trying harder

• a superpower almost no one uses.
• you make attempts where failure is unreasonable.

it’s the difference between “some effort” and “going all in.”

and here’s the magic of why it works…

the magic: volume + precision

volume

• doing more than anyone else.
• if someone commits to 10 blog posts, you do 1,000.
• if 5 email opt-ins is normal, you do 500.
• uncommon volume = uncommon results.

precision

• focus your massive effort on the one thing that truly matters right now.
• if you believe ads will scale your business, don’t just watch a quick youtube tutorial, hire an expert, buy courses, test relentlessly.
• go deeper than the average person.

why this works

because most people stop at “trying.”
they take half-measures in a lot of areas.
they never pile on the volume or laser-focus on the one thing.
you have to do both.

to scale, you have to do plenty that doesn’t scale, like pouring energy and time into a problem until you figure it out.

only then can you refine your process and separate what works from what’s wasting time.

exercise of the week (30 minutes)

1. pick a single problem or goal you want to tackle.
2. brainstorm what an average attempt would look like.
3. brainstorm what trying looks like.
4. brainstorm what trying harder means, where failure becomes nearly impossible.
5. then execute.

that’s it.

push yourself out of the “trying” zone and into “trying harder.”
that’s how you’ll stand out.

try harder,

JM