There is no easy way out when you are trying to be successful.

NBA superstar Stephen Curry looks at hard work this way: “Be the hardest working person you can be. That’s how you separate yourself from the competition.”

Since a young age, we’ve all been taught that we must work hard and put a good effort into anything that we try. So, to me, this premise is already ingrained in most of us. In some cases, the one piece of the puzzle that is missing does go hand-in-hand with working harder. It’s working SMARTER.

I only mention working smarter, because hard-work won’t take you very far if you’re not directing your efforts at the right things.  So outwork the competition by putting in the effort in an efficient and smart way.

Our cross country program has a few core components. One of them is a quote by John Wooden, where he states that you should strive to “make every day your masterpiece“.  To us, this is all about taking advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. Each work out, each challenge and each staff meeting at work provide you with an opportunity to grow and be better. We need to embrace those moments.  Take full advantage of each day, and outwork the competition.

I’ll leave you with five tips on ways you can begin to outwork the competition:

1. Get up early
2. Create a to-do list
3. Research and study the competition
4. Come up with a “plan”
5. Stick to that “plan”

Chris Hardie is the Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach at Waynesburg University.  You can follow him on Twitter @Coach_Hardie_WU or follow the team on Facebook at Waynesburg University Cross Country.