The Truth Behind Hustle Culture
What is it that you actually want?
A quick scroll online will convince you that the only path to success requires indulging in hustle culture.
You will quickly believe that working yourself to the bone is needed to be a productive member of society and achieve success.
While hustling is vital to certain paths of success, there is a good chance that path isn’t even the one for you.
Before “hustling”, you need to know you’re doing it for the right reasons.
Because if you are not, the cost can be immense.
There is a balance
I will be the first person to tell you that to get to the top of any field, you need to work hard. There is rarely a way around that.
However, you need to ensure that the hustle will be worth it for you. You need to know you are on the right path.
Is the goal to make as much money as possible?
At what cost does this money come?
Is that going to make you happy?
Before putting your time into something, make sure it is something that you enjoy (at least a little) and that the potential outcome will make you happy.
Chances are, dumping 100 hours a week into something, no matter what the outcome, will actually make you less happy. I’ve tried that myself.
The journey that you are on to get to that outcome also needs to be enjoyable.
When you are working on a great mission you enjoy, and when achieving that mission will result in a happy outcome, that is when the hustle is worth it.
Burn-out
Most people will tell you the cost of hustle culture is that eventually you burn out.
Now, it’s not that I don’t believe people burnout… I do.
But I don’t believe people burn out when they are working on something they truly love.
This goes back to what I was saying above.
Don’t hustle or work yourself to the bone unless you are working on something you enjoy, and the outcome is worth it.
If your “why” is not strong enough, that is when burnout occurs.
And burnout is a major cost.
What is the real goal?
You need to have a clear vision of what you want. Otherwise, you will be wasting your time and effort.
If happiness and peace of mind are the goal, indulging in the hustle will not be for you.
Stressing yourself out, missing sleep, not eating properly, missing workouts, and not having the time to cultivate relationships all take a toll on your life.
What happens at the end of your hustle is MAYBE you made money (if that’s even what you wanted), but you ABSOLUTELY negatively affected other areas of your life.
We have all seen the rich people who are miserable, unhealthy, and doing whatever they can to get themselves back to a reasonable place.
Don’t sacrifice it all only to find yourself wishing you could redo life.
Regret is the highest cost. Because when it kicks in, it is already too late.
Decide based on your values
At the end of the day, how you live your life is going to depend on what your values are.
If family, health, and peace are your priority, then hustle culture is unlikely to appeal to you.
If wealth and power are your priority, then you will most definitely have to hustle.
Don’t fall into anyone’s trap because the cost could be regret for the rest of your life.
Thanks for reading