“Work hard and you too can achieve the American Dream” would be commonly accepted advice across the country, that good, old fashioned, Puritan work ethic. If only life was really that simple. In reality, many of the hardest working people you encounter will likely never get ahead in life. There are many reasons, both personal and societal that undermine this reality which I won’t get into here (otherwise this intro might never end).

So, how do you really get ahead in life? Yes, hard work is required. However, while necessary, hard work by itself is not sufficient. You need to work hard at the right things. Today’s first article looks at how her parents were able to achieve their American Dream by working both hard and smart.