Have you ever actually really thought about the old adage “work smarter, not harder?” Sure, it sounds good at first glance, great even, but does it actually hold merit? We’ve become so conditioned and pressured to pick one or the other that the majority of people end up feeling like in order to be productive, they must work smarter.

But instead of choosing one or the other you should actually be doing both—working smarter AND harder.

Think about it this way. There are countless applications to have been designed to help you be more productive. Whether you’re utilizing an automated e-mail marketing platform or a CRM to manage your prospects, you’re working smarter. It’s saving you countless hours of tedious work.

But you shouldn’t take that free time for granted. Just because you’re working smarter shouldn’t be an excuse to not work just as or if not, harder. Instead of taking that free time to leave the office a few hours early, use it to tackle something else on your to-do list. Working smarter shouldn’t make you less motivated, or hinder you from putting forth an exceptional amount of effort. You must always work harder because your competition already is.

Hard work and smart work are just two of the facets that make up the distinct skillset that is needed to become successful. However, we can guarantee that the people at the top are working both smarter and harder.