--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no substitute for hard work…" description: "\"There is no substitute for hard work. There is a little luck along the way, but there is no substitute for really super-hard work, first in, last out.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea5/mary-callahan-erdoes-46383_along_there-is-no-substitute-for-hard-work-the_152500.jpg" --- # There is no substitute for hard work. There is a little… ![“There is no substitute for hard work. There is a little luck along the way, but there is no substitute for really super-hard work, first in, last out.” quote by Mary Callahan Erdoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea5/mary-callahan-erdoes-46383_along_there-is-no-substitute-for-hard-work-the_152500.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea5/mary-callahan-erdoes-46383_along_there-is-no-substitute-for-hard-work-the_152500.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea5/mary-callahan-erdoes-46383_along_there-is-no-substitute-for-hard-work-the_152500.jpg) > “There is no substitute for hard work. There is a little luck along the way, but there is no substitute for really super-hard work, first in, last out.” [Mary Callahan Erdoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-callahan-erdoes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hard work is irreplaceable; luck plays a minor role, but effort is essential. **In simple terms:** Hard work beats luck. Key Takeaway Commit to sustained effort. Themes work ethic perseverance success Mood determined realistic Type motivational pragmatic When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - sports - academics Key Concepts economics career development Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance effort with realistic expectations? - What role does luck truly play? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on effort may overlook systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [There is no substitute for hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-substitute-for-hard-work/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There may be some substitute for hard facts, but if there is, I have no idea what it can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/there-may-be-some-substitute-for-hard-facts-but-if-there-is-i-have-no/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [There's no substitute to hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manisha-koirala/there-s-no-substitute-to-hard-work/) [Manisha Koirala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manisha-koirala/) > [Even with God’s help there is no substitute for the hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentina/even-with-god-s-help-there-is-no-substitute-for-the-hard-work/) [Valentina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valentina/) > [It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from - there's no substitute for hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lubetzky/it-doesn-t-matter-who-you-are-or-where-you-come-from-there-s-no/) [Daniel Lubetzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lubetzky/) > [No one has come up with a substitute for hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-williams/no-one-has-come-up-with-a-substitute-for-hard-work/) [Ted Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-williams/) > [There's no substitute for hard work. If you work hard and prepare yourself, you might get beat, but you'll never lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lieberman/there-s-no-substitute-for-hard-work-if-you-work-hard-and-prepare/) Nancy Lieberman > [There is no substitute for hard work. If you're looking for the easy way, if you're looking for the trick, you might get by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/there-is-no-substitute-for-hard-work-if-you-re-looking-for-the-easy/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [There is no substitute for hard work. There is no such thing as overnight success or easy money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-sy/there-is-no-substitute-for-hard-work-there-is-no-such-thing-as/) [Henry Sy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-sy/) > [When we live longer, we must work a little bit longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-hollande/when-we-live-longer-we-must-work-a-little-bit-longer/) [Francois Hollande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-hollande/) > [When you have a great and difficult task, something perhaps almost impossible, if you only work a little at a time, every day a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isak-dinesen/when-you-have-a-great-and-difficult-task-something-perhaps-almost/) [Isak Dinesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isak-dinesen/) > [If you work on something a little bit every day, you end up with something that is massive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/if-you-work-on-something-a-little-bit-every-day-you-end-up-with/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [The desire of excellence is the necessary attribute of those who excel. We work little for a thing unless we wish for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/the-desire-of-excellence-is-the-necessary-attribute-of-those-who-2/) [Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/) > [I like to work as little as possible to make the most money possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-disick/i-like-to-work-as-little-as-possible-to-make-the-most-money-possible/) [Scott Disick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-disick/) > [We all have a path to take; sometimes it's hidden under the weeds, so you might have to work a little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dolan/we-all-have-a-path-to-take-sometimes-it-s-hidden-under-the-weeds-so/) [Michael Dolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dolan/) ## More by Mary Callahan Erdoes > [Clients are becoming more global; they're realizing that markets are more interconnected. It's no longer the local regional clients buying the local regional flavors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-callahan-erdoes/clients-are-becoming-more-global-they-re-realizing-that-markets-are/) [Mary Callahan Erdoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-callahan-erdoes/) > [If you put someone in a job who is thinking for even a moment about the next job, you have the wrong person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-callahan-erdoes/if-you-put-someone-in-a-job-who-is-thinking-for-even-a-moment-about/) [Mary Callahan Erdoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-callahan-erdoes/) > [You worry just as much about great performance as you do about underperformance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-callahan-erdoes/you-worry-just-as-much-about-great-performance-as-you-do-about/) [Mary Callahan Erdoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-callahan-erdoes/) > [I think the U.S. economy wants to be strong. It wants to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-callahan-erdoes/i-think-the-u-s-economy-wants-to-be-strong-it-wants-to-be/) [Mary Callahan Erdoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-callahan-erdoes/) > [I was a mathematics major and really into math.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-callahan-erdoes/i-was-a-mathematics-major-and-really-into-math/) [Mary Callahan Erdoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-callahan-erdoes/) > [My grandmother Izzy taught me to balance her checkbook when I was 6 years old. She would sign the checks after I paid the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-callahan-erdoes/my-grandmother-izzy-taught-me-to-balance-her-checkbook-when-i-was-6/) [Mary Callahan Erdoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-callahan-erdoes/) > [The U.S. has to realize it's got so much going for it. 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It was good casting, I suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-west/it-would-have-been-an-interesting-run-if-we-hadn-t-gotten-along-it/) [Dominic West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-west/) > [Defense spending as a share of the economy dropped significantly during the early 1990s, and that was one of the things, along with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orszag/defense-spending-as-a-share-of-the-economy-dropped-significantly/) Peter Orszag > [Just remember: to be grateful and thank the people who are there and support you along the way is a great start to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-davis/just-remember-to-be-grateful-and-thank-the-people-who-are-there-and/) [Meryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-davis/) > [We feel that, with Sidney, we have a great opportunity over the next few years to put a great team on the ice. 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