Hustling in Business Can Kill You
When someone dives into the world of entrepreneurship, they quickly realize that there are several experts they can listen to. These experts are shouting conflicting advice. But the new entrepreneur needs someone to show them the ropes, so they enroll in a course, program, or coaching to learn their success system.
Unfortunately, that often starts a domino effect of:
And when you go back to said business expert and question their proven success system, they tell you to work on your mindset and hustle harder.
I am so over that. Many female entrepreneurs come to me after they’ve tried EVERYTHING to get their business to predictable growth and profits. And they are exhausted from doing all the things and grinding out 60 to 80 hour work weeks. American Express shared the following statistics in 2019 as a result of their research:
See how grinding out those insane hours has not helped most entrepreneurs? This is not their fault because we have been fed the hustle-your-butt-off-and-you’ll-be-a-millionaire lie for far too long. The Hustle Culture is a popular approach to entrepreneurship. Everyday you can come across new content, new stories, and new voices telling you how to bust your butt and reach your goals. But hustling and grinding is not sustainable long term. The reality is “hustling” doesn’t work for 99 percent of women entrepreneurs. They say:
Well, we know that’s not true.
The reality looks more like completing your work in strategic pockets of time, tucked in around homeschooling, parent taxi service, toddlers nap time, managing a household, caring for aging parents, etc. It is necessary for us to have a rock-solid plan and set of go-to strategies in place so we can navigate every twist and turn successfully--from the smallest tug at the sleeve to the largest interruption ever, a global pandemic.
The other glaring issue that hustle culture conveniently ignores? The basic human need to have a life outside of your business or career. What's the point of hitting seven-figures if you have completely alienated your family and your health is compromised (thanks burnout)?
What if we stopped defining success by revenue at all costs? It is great that you are passionate about what you do, but let’s be real: You need dedicated time for yourself, your health, your loved ones, and for anything else that matters to you.
The truth about building a business you love and one that is sustainable is not sexy. But what is better than a flashy, sexy, hustle-hard motivational speech is actually having a life beyond your business. An UNsexy business building plan helps you:
Again, the constant grind isn’t sustainable and you may not be getting more things done. There is this illusion that if you’re working you’re being productive. The number of hours you spend on a project is not indicative of its quality. Squashing the hustle mindset may be challenging but the rewards will benefit your business and your life.