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Not going to lie: the constant focus on this notion of stay-at-home or lock-down orders "being an opportunity" is pretty damn tough to reckon with.
If I'm being honest, it feels like more "hustle porn" and that's absolutely not a vibe I'm interested in chasing.
If I'm being honest, it feels like more "hustle porn" and that's absolutely not a vibe I'm interested in chasing.
Americans hustle and grind more than any other society on Earth, averaging more hours spent on work and entrepreneurship than really seems sane or sustainable.
Yet somehow, we're broadly left wondering why exactly we're all on-edge, frustrated, lonely, and unfulfilled.
Yet somehow, we're broadly left wondering why exactly we're all on-edge, frustrated, lonely, and unfulfilled.
Like, sure, yeah: If your intent was to write a novel and now you have zero excuses because you don't have a commute or other things to "get in the way"... by all means.
But life is complicated and messy. Props to the people that can singularly focus on a goal like that...
But life is complicated and messy. Props to the people that can singularly focus on a goal like that...
... but I'd wager there's a lot of people out there with the desire and passion to do things like that who are proverbially underwater from the stress and uncertainty this global catastrophe has introduced.
The issue here is the recrimination and judgment that follows.
The issue here is the recrimination and judgment that follows.
"You aren't doing The Thing? Oh, you must not want it bad enough."
"You aren't banging out that software project you've been spitballing? You must be lazy."
"You aren't up until three in the morning working on your business plan? Guess you're just a loser."
"You aren't banging out that software project you've been spitballing? You must be lazy."
"You aren't up until three in the morning working on your business plan? Guess you're just a loser."
Pump the hate-brakes there, Hustle McGrinder. People got other shit they want to be doing with their time besides hustling and grinding. Things like:
- Making sure their friends & family are ok
- Taking time to care for themselves
- Avoiding depression & burnout
- etc.
- Making sure their friends & family are ok
- Taking time to care for themselves
- Avoiding depression & burnout
- etc.
It's something I've been trying to figure out for a long time. I got on that bandwagon years ago and I've yo-yo'd so hard. Reading Tim Ferriss and listening to Tony Robbins clips, then falling into a hole when I didn't "make progress on anything", lather-rinse-repeat. It's crazy.
I'm sure there's thousands of others out there that are listening to all of this "advice" and are thinking to themselves "must try harder" rather than "these are extraordinary times and I'm already under duress given the prevailing economic and social system I live under".
And like... I don't want to sound like I'm dissuading anyone from hustling--on the contrary: if you've got that desire then RUN toward that headlong.
But also realize that your worthiness as a human being doesn't lie with the hustle, it's intrinsic to you directly.
But also realize that your worthiness as a human being doesn't lie with the hustle, it's intrinsic to you directly.
More to the point: hustle porn is bad for all of us in the same way that setting unrealistic expectations is bad for all of us. We have to be realistic and humane with ourselves and each other. We have to design systems and interactions with these in mind.
When we ignore the humanity of those systems and we set ourselves up for the hustle-and-grind without asking ourselves WHY... that's when we're in trouble.
Not asking the questions "Is this really what I want" or "Will this really fulfill me" makes it even worse.
Not asking the questions "Is this really what I want" or "Will this really fulfill me" makes it even worse.
If there's hustle because "it's expected", that's toxic and unsustainable.
If there's hustle because you WANT it (whatever "it" is), that's filling and inspirational.
I guess I'm more writing this thread for myself than anyone else, but I'm honestly tired of the hustle porn.
If there's hustle because you WANT it (whatever "it" is), that's filling and inspirational.
I guess I'm more writing this thread for myself than anyone else, but I'm honestly tired of the hustle porn.
Not to steal the meme from POC or other minorities, but like... I'm tired too, y'all. I can't Tim Ferriss or Marie Kondo my way out of a rut like this, but I can definitely be more aware of the completely extraordinary circumstances we're all under and just take a breath.
And maybe that's what this is all about: taking a breath and taking stock. Is that goal, project, or hustle _REALLY_ worth that time and effort to me? What do I seek to gain out of it? Is it selfish or selfless? Who is this for (someone else or just myself)?
