We’re told that the key to success is hard work. This I won’t argue. However, we’re also told to equate success with money. The problem this creates is the idea that money is the direct result of hard work.

This idea sends the wrong message.

Let’s put ‘successful’ aside for this topic because it’s such a subjective term. For the sake of argument, we’ll focus on financial wealth.

I know many people that most would consider financially comfortable. Nearly all of them got to this point through hard work and perseverance. I also know quite a few who are equally well-off who got this way either by accident or luck.

Coming from a wealthy family can remove a lot of the work. As can being brought into a well-established company run by a friend or relative. Even winning a small amount in the lottery can have a significant impact on overall finances.

How many millionaires exist because of online poker or because they happened to spend a few hundred dollars on Bitcoin a decade ago. Gambling is not the same as hard work.

Of course, these examples are not the majority. As I said, most people do get to where they are with hard work. But that doesn’t mean that hard work guarantees wealth.

The 20-year-old woman working two or three different jobs to support her siblings and sick mother. The homeless man who, after sleeping on a slab of concrete, wakes at 3 AM to climb through dumpsters looking for bottles to bring in for a bit of pocket change.

If hard work is the key to financial wealth, what failed in situations like these?

Hard work absolutely plays a part in making a good living. There are very few wealthy people out there who got there by accident. But there are countless examples of hard work not paying off.

We need to change the narrative. If you got somewhere through hard work, take a second to look at other factors at play. Because hard work alone guarantees very little.