Hard work is inevitable. Laziness gets us nowhere, just as this Proverb says. Original text puts it as the sluggard desires much, but gets little, the diligent man receives much for his work. This is so true. Things only come to those who work for them and we can't just put in a half effort either.
I see this a lot with horsemanship. The rider asks the horse to move in a certain way, but quits at the first ask and gets frustrated when the horse doesn't do it. Of course it won't do it! The horse only exerts as much energy as absolutely necessary. If you are not going to follow through all the way then horse won't move. This is why we follow a rule of ask the horse to move, then tell the horse they are going to move, and then make the horse move. Next time you ask the horse to move you more than likely only have to tell them to move and they will move. When you are consistent in this you will soon find you have a willing partner who moves with your most subtle cue and becomes a joy to ride.
This same is said in our everyday life. I see so many people just make a small attempt to make something happen, quit when it gets the slightest bit hard, and then complain when they don't receive what they desire. This is laziness and the attitude of a sluggard.
Because of our sin, we now have to work by the sweat of our brow to receive our food (Genesis 3:19). Life is no longer easy; we must work to live. We cannot take the easy way out, for when we do life gets hard. Yet if we work hard, life becomes easy. It's your option to choose which type of life you want. This Proverb speaks directly to that.