It's Time Overachievers Became the Cool Kids

The status label of cool often is awarded to the wrong people. Too seldom it is the perfectionist, intellectuals, self-starters, or individualist. In fact, in most settings, these people earn titles that are less than cool: wannabe, kiss ass, social climbers, geek or showoffs.

It's time to rebuff some fallacies

Myth #1: Cool doesn't try 

The cool kids in movies range from James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause to Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller, and include the unforgettable character of Danny Zuko in Grease played by John Travolta. The characteristics they all have in common that grant them the cool quality is they don't try, sending the message that cool is laid back and relaxed.

In the real world, cool takes hard work. Will Smith portrays Chris Gardner, a real-life person, in the movie The Pursuit of Happyness. When luck becomes nonexistent and roadblocks block his way to achievement, he refuses to give up. He fights harder to become a business success and becomes pretty darn cool in the end.

Think of the individuals who at first did not fit in with social norms but oozed cool as their characters developed: Spock in Star Wars, Marty McFly in Back to the Future, and Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. In reality, cool people own qualities of hard work, dedication, and passion that empower them to be successful in life.

Myth #2: Cool breaks the rules

Luke Jackson from the movie, Cool Hand Luke, is undeniably cool. As a prisoner he defies authority, and continuously attempts escape. The prisoners admire Luke because, as the character Dragline explains it, "You're an original, that's what you are!" However, Luke's death in the end directly stems from his defiant behaviors.

History reminds us of many rule breakers who have been admired for their daring, adventurers behavior who fell from grace because of their actions when in fact breaking the rules brought about their demise.

• Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France a record seven times only to be banned from all sports when it was discovered he was using performance-enhancing drugs.
• Richard Nixon had a long political career until the facts of the Watergate scandal were reported causing him to resign as President of the United States.
• Mel Gibson became a Hollywood star only to be arrested for driving drunk. During an angry exchanged with the police, he made anti-semitic claims that resulted in him becoming blacklisted from Hollywood for a decade.

No matter how cool a person appears on the outside, when their real personalities and values are discovered to be contradictions, they are suddenly uncool. It is not always cool to play by your own rules.

Myth #3: Cool acts independent

Some people look cool when they stand aloof, often striving to create the appearance of being independent and self-reliant. However, the coolest people will tell you themselves it takes teamwork to be successful.

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." - Michael Jordan

"We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life forever."― Amy Poehler

"I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion." - Mia Hamm

Once these myths are rebuffed, a person in pursuit of a winning lifestyle will reach their goals when they apply the wisdom of reality.

Work habits that produce cool

Work Smart

Working smart can supplement working hard and produce time-saving strategies.

Henry Ford's assembly line reduced the time required to build a car from 12 hours to 2.5 hours. It soon became the system efficacious businesses replicated.

Even before modern technology, Archimedes experimented and invented the block and tackle (pulley) that allowed 20 pounds to be lifted with only 5 pounds of pressure.

I am old enough to remember the days when the task of alphabetizing would make me begin singing the ABC's in my head. Then technology provided an icon on the computer in Word that allowed me to alphabetize with a simple click. I would be crazy not to use it.

Now I snicker when I witness someone brag about how hard they work while avoiding strategies and tools to work smart. During the experience of getting the job done, a worker who remains vigilant and willing to explore strategies to increase productivity may work harder but has the potential to improve the process short-term as well as far into the future.

Work simply

Steve Jobs stated, "That's been one of my mantras - focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains."

Notice the conflicting terms in his statement, "Simple can be harder than complex." By combining determination, persistence, intelligence, and hard work a difficult task can be made simple. Through observation of successful practices and careful monitoring of the procedures, simple actions can be replicated to make hard work uncomplicated.

Prioritize work

No matter how hard I worked some tasks often spilled into the next day, or I found myself sitting at my desk in an empty office after the sunset. Learning to prioritize became essential. Remember time is on your side and focus on the important issues first, big rocks. This video from Stephen Covey's 7 Habits Workshop provides a visual explanation of how to accomplish this.

Give your best - the first time

"I can accept anything, except what seems to be the easiest for most people: the half-way, the almost, the just-about, the in between." - Ayn Rand

Too often society praises work done instead of work well done. Shortcuts often produce a product with brief shelf life or one in need of modification. People who find enduring achievements are recognized because of quality, not quantity. This guiding principle builds a respectful, admired reputation. An individual's coolness is sustained if their contribution remains valuable over time.

Appreciate Mistakes

What do Albert Einstein, Katy Perry, Michael Jordan, Walt Disney, and Jerry Seinfeld have in common? They all failed. However, not one of them ever gave up.

• When Einstein graduated, he wandered for some time until he became an insurance salesman. Only years later did he introduce the theory of relativity.
•  Katy Perry grew up in poverty, dropped out of school at 15, and recorded under several labels that either went out of business or dropped her.
• As a sophomore in high school, Jordan did not make the varsity basketball team.
• Walt Disney had numerous business failures including bankruptcy.
• Seinfeld graduated and started as a stand-up comedian at the age of 22 with limited success and didn't create what is now considered the second greatest show of all time until 12 years later.

We can learn from each of these people because they have one other thing in common. They learned from failures and mistakes to work diligently to find success.

Enjoy Hard Work

Simone Biles lives by the belief "Always work hard and have fun in what you do because I think that's when you're more successful. You have to choose to do it."

People have a way of starting and continuing paths in life that leave them unhappy or at least unsatisfied. Never be afraid to step off the road you are following and explore other options. Make each day's decisions meet one criterion, does it make you happy? Change may be hard, but it is possible. Few people die unhappy thinking they wouldn't have changed a thing.

The greatest contributors to the evolution of ideas and events achieved success through the application of dedication, intelligence, creativity, and perseverance. All of which cannot be attained without hard work. So, push yourself, but do not denigrate your spirit with questions of what might have been, what-ifs, and perhaps.

If you do it right, you will be cool in spite of others

The first time I heard someone say I work too hard, I examined my procedures believing I must be doing something wrong. The second time someone told me I work too hard; they added an accusation that my work makes them look bad. I apologized.

The next time someone delivered that accusation, my response turned confrontational as I attempted to justify my behavior. Now, when someone makes this proclamation about my energy, drive, and dedication I respond with pride, "Thank you." I interpret a complaint about my hard work as a compliment.

Hard work should produce pride, not shame. Do not apologize. It's time cool refers to the hard workers who deserve praise and recognition.

Brenda Mahler is a retired English teacher, administrator, and teacher mentor. She recently published a book that shares the voices of students.

Lockers Speak is available on Amazon.