Time to read: 3 minutes
Article at a glance:
- The “blood, sweat, and tears” mindset can lead to burnout and wasted energy when applied to the wrong efforts.
- Struggle isn’t proof of value. It can be a signal that something needs to change, not intensify.
- Intentionality (reflecting, adjusting, and aligning effort) leads to more sustainable and meaningful progress.
- The goal isn’t zero effort, but effort in the right direction, where work feels challenging and fulfilling.
The mentality of “blood, sweat, and tears” is deeply ingrained in a lot of us. This is the idea that anything valuable requires struggle, and that struggle itself is valuable, whether the end result is helpful or not.
If something is difficult, great. If something is easy, that means it’s not worth it. The path of least resistance is for lazy people.
When we hear “I put my blood, sweat, and tears into this!” it usually means that we cared a lot, that we gave it our all.
Sound familiar?
We tout “blood, sweat, and tears” like it’s a good thing. But is it? Do we have to go the blood, sweat, and tears route in order to do great work?
Difficult doesn’t necessarily mean worthwhile. It doesn’t automatically mean good or valuable.
When we get burned out from the blood, sweat, and tears mentality, it’s tempting to swing to the other end of the spectrum: no effort. But this isn’t helpful or fulfilling either!
Is it possible to do great work without struggle? Can we grow and improve without risking burnout?
We think so.
Blood, Sweat, and Tears
Sometimes, hard is just hard. And if something is an uphill battle, that might be a sign you’re climbing the wrong hill.
How do you know if you’re stuck in the blood, sweat, and tears mentality?
- You feel depleted and unfulfilled
- You do it because you “should”
- It feels difficult, like a slog
- A lot of effort doesn’t get you very far
- Feels worthwhile because it’s hard, but you actually make little progress
Often, if something is really difficult, you need to try doing it a different way instead of doubling down on what’s not working.
For example, if you have a goal to build strength, but you’ve hit a plateau, the answer might not be to work out even harder and longer. In fact, pushing harder might actually cause injury and set you behind! You might actually need to back off a little, eat more to support your workouts, and focus on sleep and recovery.
It’s counterintuitive, but this happens more often than we think.
At Redmond, we actively try to avoid the “blood, sweat, and tears” mentality. In fact, if we notice something has become a slog or that we have to force it, that’s a sign to back off, shift those tasks to someone who might enjoy them more, or work to understand the issue more deeply.
Instead of working harder, we look for ways to adjust the system to make it easier, and so things run more smoothly.
Blood, sweat, and tears is a warning sign, a yellow light. Not a badge of honor. It’s often a sign that we’re working ineffectively, either because the process isn’t doing what it’s supposed to, or because the task isn’t a strength for the person doing it.
We’re Not Looking for Zero Effort
Of course, there has to be some effort. Giving no effort is boring, unfulfilling, and a one-way ticket to Regretsville, because you’ll almost certainly look back and wish you’d acted differently.
But there’s a third alternative: intentionality. This is where we try to spend our time.
Intentionality
When we act intentionally, meaning we actually pay attention to what we’re doing and the results of our actions, when we reflect and adjust, we make some headway. That’s when we grow.
Acting with intention is…
- deeply fulfilling
- challenging, but satisfying
- more conducive to long-term progress
- more effortful in the beginning, but it’s usually enjoyable once you get going
When we’re acting intentionally, work is actually fun. We do better work because we can be more playful and explorative.
The Key: Effort in the Right Direction
When we measure worth by effort alone, we can get stuck doing the wrong things, just more intensely.
There are hard things that are worthwhile, but they aren’t worthwhile because they’re hard.
On the flip side the blood, sweat, and tears mentality can lead us to dismiss something because it feels easy. Just because something is easy doesn’t mean it’s worthless.
But when we incorporate Reflection, curiosity, and the willingness to adjust, we can make real progress and figure out where our efforts really make a difference.
So the next time something isn’t working, pause before you double down. Look at it from a different angle. Ask different questions. Try a new approach.
Because usually, the hardest thing you can do isn't the most valuable thing you can do.
