No matter how hard you work, if you’re headed in the wrong direction, it won’t matter.

I distinctly remember a time in my life when I was around 13 years old. I had been reading some biographies of successful people and thought I had hit an amazing realization.

Enthusiastically, I told my brother this new found knowledge, “If you work hard enough, you can accomplish anything!!”

After I spoke, he paused and said along the lines of, “Well, hard work is good but it won’t allow you to accomplish everything. After all, many railroad workers in the 1900s spent their lives working solely on the railroad for countless hours died before accomplishing what they wanted to.

In this case, I’m going to equate work with effort.

If your goal is to become an exceptional fire fighter but you work hard at learning how to read brail you certainly won’t become a good fire fighter.

Hard work must be aimed in a fruitful direction.