The Hustle: A Love Affair Gone Sour

They say you can always tell a new entrepreneur and just the other day, as I watched a woman in a chic chemise and denim combo clutch an iced coffee, while staring at her laptop with the same frantic energy as a Wall Street trader on a Friday afternoon, I immediately knew what they meant. 

That young woman wasn’t closing a major deal, the vibes weren’t right, instead she was just trying to keep up with the so-called "hustle."

You know, the one that makes you pore over your social media views, engagement, likes and analytics so you can erroneously forecast just how broke you’re going to be and what excuse you’ll give your family when they once again tell you to ‘get a real job’. 

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about that word—hustle.

 It’s the new black, the must-have accessory we’ve all been told to wear.

 We've been sold this perfect lie that if we aren’t working 24/7, if our calendars aren't packed with back-to-back meetings, we’re just not trying hard enough to be successful and wealthy.

As if the level of busyness has anything to do with how easily and fat your bank account grows. Thank God in the sky it does not! 

But I have to ask... Do you truly think that a frantic pace is a sign of progress, or is it just a symptom of burnout?

This got me thinking... Why are we so afraid of rest? 

Hustle culture has taught us that every moment not spent working is a moment wasted. It’s preached that the moment you turn your eyes away from your ‘goals’, they will slip away faster than that sniper in The Day of The Jackal series.

 It's a cruel game, a high-stakes race where the prize isn’t success, but a near permanent state of exhaustion, which makes me believe that being constantly tired isn’t a sign of success, rather, it's a bright red flag that it’s time for a new plan.

I remember writing about a very similar situation in my Ashlee Chronicles entry, The One About The Glitches. 

It was the day I was convinced my entire business was going to fall apart, my laptop was glitching and my mobile was acting possessed. It sucked. 

And like the millennial I am, I was expecting a grand, cinematic rescue, but what saved it wasn't some heroic all-nighter or a last-minute email. 

It was a simple, unglamorous decision to put my laptop away and take a walk, which led me to a nap.

In that quiet, unscripted moment—far from the noise of my inbox and the endless list of to-dos—I realized my entire strategy and mindset around my set-backs and perceived powerlessness was backwards. 

I had been so focused on running that I forgot where I was going.

Maybe the secret to building a dream isn’t to work yourself to the bone or trigger yourself into a catatonic state when things break down…

Maybe the greatest victories happen when you finally stop running and just sit down.

So, the next time you feel the pressure to "hustle," take a moment for yourself.

 Put your phone away, grab a coffee, and just be. 

You might find that your best ideas—and your greatest successes—have been waiting for you all along.

XOXO, Ashlee