The Anti-Hustle Life
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This year has been a year of intense shift for me and my business.
First, it was earlier this year realizing that my tagline “Achieve more with less burnout” just didn't sit well with me anymore because, well, I realized that that isn't what personally wanted and not what I saw myself helping people achieve anymore. More and more I was realizing that what I wanted and needed in my life wasn't hustling to do more…it was learning to be okay with doing less.
Now, that has admittedly also coincided with one of the busiest work years of my life. But I actually think that the fact that this year has been so busy has added to that desire: I want to work less and live more!
That's been the shift that has happened for me, but the shift has also come with a whole bunch of insecurity. Am I going to lose the high-achieving Enneagram 3s that I love to serve--that are me in so many ways-- because I'm not helping them to “achieve more” anymore? I don't know. I had a lot of fear around that. I still do! I choose my home page copy very carefully to not drive those achievers away… it's a fear of mine!
But I also realize that I'm never arguing against productivity! I get a lot of fulfillment out of knowing that I'm using my time well. I am not arguing for have fewer goals. I have 80 bajillion goals so that's definitely not what I mean. I love me some new productivity books and systems. Hell, I teach Notion guys!
I guess when I say way “work less and live more” I'm arguing against the vice like grip we have on our lives and how we spend our time. The control that we feel we need to have over our time--and I'm speaking as a control freak! Or at least a recovering one. But that's just it! I'm recovering. I don't want to be like that anymore…
I am talking about creating systems and boundaries and workflows, etc. in our lives that allow us to work effectively. Efficiently. I'm talking about loosening up our identity to build who we are and what we want around so much more than what we accomplish. Questioning the things we’ve been told and bought so absolutely into about achievement. I'm talking about really bringing it back to what we personally value.
I'm getting so much clearer over the course of this year about what these things are to me. And what they mean.
It's about purposeful productivity. Being productive, yes, but not doing things just for the sake of things. Keeping it purposeful. It's about sustainable success. Because I'm all for success, but I want to be able to keep these rhythms going for years! DECADES even!
It's the anti-hustle! I love that notion! So much so that I started googling it yesterday to see what I'd find. And what I found really surprised me…
• I found an article called “The Reality of Hustle Culture” about how everyone and there mother started a business in 2020, but quickly came to realize that maybe everyone doesn't need a business. Fair point!
I found this Forbes article that admittedly pissed me off about how “Anti-Hustle cultuyre is hurting early-stage entrepreneurs”. Seriously, you'll probably see me write a commentary in response to this soon. Just go read it here and let me know if the assumptions this writer makes about anti-hustle piss you off as much they pissed me off.
I found an AMAZING list of books for someone who wants to be Anti-Hustle that added a whole bunch of amazing new ones to my reading list!
I found this beautiful article about one woman's experience trying to step into slow-living
It's just been an enlightening 24 hours and one that's making me feel good about the choices I'm making and the choices I'm making for my business.
I just feel like the next 6 months are going to be BIG. I have so many ideas. I have so many new products I want to put out. I want to make some changes to my current ones. And I'm going to radically simplifying and shifting the systems I am personally using in my life to keep my personal and professional world going.
Anyways, I thought I'd share some of what's going on behind the scenes. Some of what I'm learning (and unlearning). Some of what I'm discovering. And some of the shifts that are being inspired.