I want to make a button or a sign that says NO MORE FUCKING HUSTLE ALLOWED.
Not because I am anti — productivity and getting shit done. I freakin’ LOVE to get shit done.
But I am exhausted from the constant screaming that we all must hustle harder.
“Hustle hard, bro!”
Maybe it’s because I am a woman (and I have had the experience of growing a child inside my body) that I inherently detest this hustle idea.
I know how to make stuff, bro — and the answer wasn’t HUSTLE.
Making something awesome takes time. Building something useful requires breaks, and naps, and a double cheeseburger sometimes.
“Hustle until you no longer need to introduce yourself.”
Uh…fuck no.
For one, refusing to introduce yourself because you are famous is asinine. Also, no matter how famous you are, you still never know everyone or at least you don’t have REAL and USEFUL relationships with everyone, so yeah, you still should value introducing yourself. Get yer shit together.
Oh, and also implied in that statement — once you are famous you stop hustling? Whaaaat? I’m pretty sure the hustle police are not gonna allow that, so watch out.
How about — work deeply and passionately and from your soul. And then take a break because you need (or simply want) a break. And then do it again. Regardless of fame, fortune or finally making it onto the cover of a magazine or whatever bullshit benchmark of success you have bought into.
Let all that shit go.
“Stop crying and start hustling. Nobody cares. Work harder.”
So, crying makes me an asshole? Cool, because in that case, I make asshole status even on my good days. For example, today I was in the subway and I heard the awesome brass band performing and dancing and playing with such joy that it brought tears to my eyes. Like, I wiped tears away. Unabashedly. Because tears are cool. They mean you feel things. You are willing to actually FEEL your emotions. Like a goddamn human being.
And also, crying has nothing to do with my work ethic. I sometimes do incredible work while feeling emotions, including sorrow. You should try it. And ask some of the greatest poets and songwriters of all time how they connected to their greatness. Emotion. I know.
And one more thing. Nobody cares? REALLY? Because that is seldom true. That is something someone says to either feel sorry for themselves or to explain the unfortunate lack of true relationships they have cultivated because of their over-the-top entrepreneur hustle act. Yeah — when all you care about is out hustling everyone else — you probably don’t know a lot of people who care. I however know a shit-ton of people who care. Even if we disagree about stuff they still care about me and my feelings and I care about theirs.
Good things come to those who hustle.
I do value work, and tenacity and persistence. I know that is what hustle means. Here’s my issue.
We have a preponderance of push of the “go, go, go” side of the equation but that full equation REQUIRES an equal measure of true rejuvenation and restoration.
I know that Gary Vee says that we can do so much more work than we think we can and I think that is true. I have surprised myself in my ability to go harder and for longer than I thought I could plenty of times. BUT I also have surprised myself by how much damage I can do to my work, my friends and my family by pushing too hard and not making enough energetic space to see what is actually occurring.
I have seen close friends blow up their lives, their relationships to their kids and spouses, and ruin their businesses while pushing and pushing and pushing to achieve a dream.
Life requires balance. Balance requires as much restoration as there is hard core hustle.
If you are truly lacking the ability to tap into the part of you that does work, go ahead and get “HUSTLE” tattooed on your forehead or forearm or whatever. Or if you are (like me) pretty good at getting shit done but need a reminder to pause and rejuvenate and let some YIN energy into your life, know that you are not alone.
The bros have been running this place for a while. And their best weapon is hustle. So they wield it, and yell “hustle” often. Because that is their one trick.
My motto? When in doubt – Pump the breaks. See what is really going on. Hug somebody. Take a nap. Like a boss.
