Why I stopped hustling
Whether you’re in college, working at a job or working for yourself, I’m sure you’ve had moments where you’ve felt like you’re on the hamster wheel of hustle. Our society (and lots of motivational speakers on the internet :P) tells us to hustle, work hard, get sh*t done, do whatever it takes to accomplish your dreams, and while I’m a big believer of working hard, ‘hustling’ is a surefire way to burnout.
I speak from personal experience when I say this; I used to think hustling was the way to be. When I started YouTubing full time, I worked every single day without taking a single day off for over a year. But eventually, I reached a point where hustling just wasn’t sustainable for me, and a small part of me had started resenting what I was doing (which by the way used to be something I loved).
This happened to me sometime last year and thankfully, I’ve figured out a way to get over it and enjoy my work while working towards accomplishing my goals at the same time in a more sustainable manner. I feel more in my element and it feels amazing! It was World Mental Health Day yesterday so I thought this was the perfect topic to talk about in today’s newsletter.
So if not hustle, then what’s the right way to work? Well, the answer according to me is a state of flow. It’s letting things happen at their natural pace, and taking the time and the balance you need to feel like your higher self.
Often when we’re feeling stuck or stressed, it’s because we’re disconnected from ourselves. Life is actually meant to be easy, it is we who complicate everything because we feel detached from ourselves. Life is a marathon, not a spring, and hustle basically tries to sprint a marathon, and burn you out in the process.
Life doesn’t always have to be a grind. Flow feels SO GOOD! And that’s a choice we can make. It’s a healthier way of being ambitious, driven and succeed at life. Of course there are times when you need to hustle, but it’s important to balance that with flow. Hustle isn’t bad in itself, getting stuck there is when the problem starts. Less hustle, more flow. That’s the way to go. :)