You don't have to be serious all the time to do a good job.

Simone Biles, a name etched in the heavens of sport, once gave the world a teaching cloaked in joy: “You don’t have to be serious all the time to do a good job.” At first, these words may seem light, even playful. Yet behind them stands a truth as solid as the earth itself: that excellence is not born only of furrowed brows and unrelenting sternness, but also of freedom, of laughter, of the heart’s ease. The balance of discipline and joy is what allows human beings to reach their highest potential.

The origin of this saying rests in the arena where Biles herself has danced between triumph and trial—the world of gymnastics. From a young age, she bore the weight of expectation, the burning gaze of millions, and the burden of being called the greatest of all time. Yet she never allowed the iron of seriousness to consume her spirit. She laughed with teammates, played between routines, and even smiled while performing feats that defied gravity. To Biles, joy was not a distraction from greatness, but the very fire that sustained it.

To say that one need not be serious all the time is to remind us that life is more than a battlefield of grim determination. Too often, we mistake heaviness for commitment, silence for wisdom, severity for strength. But the truth, which Biles embodies, is that joy does not weaken effort—it strengthens it. A spirit refreshed by laughter and play can endure longer, rise higher, and achieve greater things than one crushed beneath the weight of endless solemnity.

History too affirms this lesson. Think of Thomas Edison, whose laboratory was filled not with silence, but with lively chatter, banter, and cheer. He failed countless times before creating the electric light, yet his good humor and light-hearted resilience kept him pressing forward when others would have surrendered. Seriousness alone could not have carried him through a thousand trials—but joy, mingled with persistence, gave him the strength to endure.

Or think of Winston Churchill, who during the darkest days of war mixed his grave responsibilities with wit and humor. His speeches inspired not only because of their solemn truth, but also because of their sparkle, their play of words, their refusal to let despair rule the spirit of a nation. His example shows us what Biles proclaims: that one can fight the gravest battles and still keep a spark of laughter, and in that spark lies power.

The lesson is clear: true mastery requires balance. Discipline must be tempered with joy; focus must be softened with play; effort must be lightened by laughter. The one who works always in heaviness will soon collapse, but the one who works with a free spirit will endure. Joy is not the enemy of work—it is the breath that makes work possible.

Practically, this means giving yourself permission to smile while laboring, to rest without guilt, to play without shame. Whether in school, in craft, or in toil, let joy accompany effort as a companion. Approach your duties with a light heart, knowing that excellence is not diminished by laughter, but strengthened by it. In doing so, you will not only succeed, but you will flourish.

So let Simone Biles’ words echo as timeless counsel: “You don’t have to be serious all the time to do a good job.” Remember them when the weight of your tasks threatens to smother your joy. Remember them when discipline feels like chains. For the greatest victories of life are not won by sternness alone, but by a spirit that can labor and laugh, strive and smile, endure and rejoice. In this balance lies the secret of greatness.