The Hustler Mentality: Beauty Behind the Madness or Simple Showmanship?
Whether you’re part of “Grind everyday Twitter” or not, chances are your timeline has been bombarded by the hustler lifestyles posts more frequently recently.
With the recent pandemic, working from home has people clocking in more work hours than usual. However, there is always that certain type of person, (most likely someone that you know), that seems to be doing the most all year round. Pandemic or not.
With the rise of social media hustle culture, working up to 70 hours a week is gradually becoming normalised, and even praised. All these side hustles and network marketing streams of income are slowly increasing in popularity. But when does this round the clock working culture become borderline toxic?
Studies carried out by The Wall Street Journal have highlighted that Entrepreneurs are 50% more likely than others to struggle with severe, lifelong mental health issues than the average person.
So how do we ensure that we are working towards our goals in a steadfast, but healthy way?
1) Work SMART (and occasionally hard)
There’s no denying that a lot of days you have to put in the grunt work to reap those ever- elusive rewards. However, the moment you feel that your daily tasks are more like a chore than a stepping stone to your goal, you might want to consider delegation.
Part of being a great entrepreneur is using your existing skillset and network to streamline your work processes. When you’re stretched for time, you must use your agility to adopt either new technology which deals with some of your tasks, or utilise your existing network to outsource them.
Being resourceful with both your influence and finances will take you far in your bootstrapping journey.
2) Show up when necessary
We’ve all heard the same story. Whether it’s Sara Blakely personally acting as the in-store saleswoman for her first order of Spanx, or Gary V marketing his first Wine Library business distributing flyers door to door, make sure to leave an impression when duty calls for it.
We all have to start somewhere, so never feel like any job, event or marketing opportunity is too small to make an impact.
From the conversations that I’ve had with the entrepreneurs excelling in their field, the ‘grunt work’ from their early days hardly felt taxing. Chances are, if you’re starting your journey in the correct industry, every chance to seize an opportunity which will help your business’ growth at its beginning is an exciting move. Don’t get me wrong- there’ll always be times where you’d rather get that extra hour of sleep, but they are made up for the countless ones that wake you up before your alarm with the prospect of a new chance to seize the day .
3) Shift your perspective: Have an end- goal in sight
The ‘Never Quit’ mentality has been glamorised so much so that it’s very easy for it to be projected into each and every endeavour you might undertake.
I disagree wholeheartedly with this movement though. Instead, I’m a heavy advocate for constantly trying your hand at numerous ventures throughout the course of your life, but understanding when it’s time to kiss them goodbye.
There’s no secret that people aren’t born with success, but rather they work meticulously and tirelessly at their craft before they become a master. It’s incredibly important however to realise when the hustle you are pursuing has become forced. If you feel like you’re trying too hard to become a success in a business area which you don’t feel like you enjoy anymore, then run far, far away.
The truth is, the honeymoon phase is a made up concept when it comes to building a successful business. Yes, there will be many ups and downs, but the sheer satisfaction of the climb should keep you going. If there is true passion in your hustle and you see a slow but upward trajectory in your wins, then this is when you know you shouldn’t quit.
To summarise, the sheer rise of ‘social media entrepreneur’ lifestyle posts, as well as the pressure to pick up an xyz amount of skills in the pandemic, has led to a rise in the number of the 24/7 ‘hustlers’ amongst us.
Although i’m a true advocate of working fast and hard for what you truly want, there has to be lines drawn to prevent burn out and resentment for passions you once held with high regard.
Even though this sounds obvious, breaking large goals into smaller segments, with very specific timelines really helps to achieve them more efficiently. This way, it’s not grind all day and every day. It’s grind till you achieve a certain result, rejuvenate and repeat.
Be smart and don’t work around the clock, make the clock work around you
