A Letter For The Hustle
Being an entrepreneur is hard
This week has been insane. A prolonged holiday season has created a wave of activity this week and I’ve fallen victim to it. 6+ hours a day on calls, constant contact switching, and a flood of productivity in-between. I’ve been on a mission since last May trying to rebuild my boutique consultancy.
As with any new business there are ups and downs, wins and loses, and tons of lessons learned. The enduring theme at the moment is just hustle. I’m trying to appreciate it instead of despise it. It’s actually the most fun it’s ever been for me right now. A clarified vision, an operating model, and good projects/clients to work with.
The way we portray the hustle in this country can sometimes make me nauseous - but I can see both sides of the argument.
I fundamentally disagree with the “Hustle Porn” industry and the social media influencers pumping this trend. Life is much more than running a business and you can run a successful business without running the rest of your life into the ground and destroying everything else around you.
But I do GET it. In order to be successful it takes a certain focus. In order to build something substantial and meaningful and reap the rewards you do have to hustle. You have to make sacrifices and compromises.
If you’re lucky enough to find something you love to do and have positioned yourself to having control over the right things, it can be extremely fulfilling to hustle. It can fuel successes in other parts of your life as well. It can act as a swell of energy and create an upward spiral of goodness.
It’s important to keep things in perspective though, work to remain balanced in the places you can, and focus on building a rewarding LIFE, not just a rewarding career.
All I’m trying to say is right now, the hustle is good. It can be good for you too. Don’t push it away because its hard or not balanced, just find a way to adjust.
Today I’m grateful for the hustle and for my ability to embrace it and give it the gratitude it deserves right now.
With love and deep appreciation,
-Andrew