I find that people place too much emphasis on "hard" work and not the "right" work. Personally, I know too many people who have worked their butts off... on the wrong problems.

It's quite simple to continue sweating on the same path, if not easy. But it feels like people prefer difficulty to complexity.

Of course, even working hard on the right problems carries no guarantee. Yet, life isn't about guarantees, but about rigging the dice in your favor.