What's The Deal Wednesday

Hustle Haters

This line represents David Goggins and every other super hustler that will always be better than you in something…

This line represents human sloth…

This area is everybody else…you, me, and the rest of us, even the hustle haters.

What’s the deal with hustle haters?

I once followed a guy who regularly harped on the hustle culture. I liked what he was selling at first, but eventually I grew tired of his complaining.

Quitting your job to forge an alternative path in life is commendable. It also takes some hustle to choose to pursue something new, or fewer things, in life.

I love the “few things great” motto. I try to teach that to every group I lead.

The idea is simple in theory: you focus on a few main things and create goals and routines to keep those “few things” the main thing.

However, it’s not simple in practice; being great takes effort. You don’t just sit on the beach soaking up the sun, casually taking cheap shots at the “tryhards” to make greatness happen in your life.

That’s why hustle-hating makes no sense.

This same guy who got burnt out and quit his job for a better life claims that hustle bros were the problem.

He drew a line in the sand and made a major life pivot. Then got married, had a kid, wrote two books, started a business, and took on side consulting jobs as necessary to afford his new life.

That is the definition of hustle, bro.

No need to hate. Find a way to channel your effort into what you want for your life, and get to work. As the saying goes, you are either getting better or worse; there is no staying the same. Trying is getting better. Not trying is getting worse. And no one, outside of the sloths, actually likes getting worse.

Of course, there are the super hustlers, the ones who get up before sunrise and who seem to get more done in the morning than we do in a week. Good for them! We should praise the hustlers. We don’t have to emulate every aspect of their life. We don’t have to sign up for a 100-mile race next weekend, finish four books by Friday, or combine cold plunging with cold calling on our lunch break.

However, despite every excuse we can muster up for why we can’t be them or do this or that, we should strive to be better tomorrow than we are today. That’s hustle. It’s all about guiding your hustle in the right direction.

How do you do that? It starts with the direction you are looking…

On the kettlebell curve of hustling (see above), there are three types of people: the supers, the sloths, and all the rest of us.

Here we are, in the middle, trying to find a way to be better. The middle is messy. Sometimes you can’t tell which way is up, down, left, or right. Sometimes you take two steps forward and one step back. That’s normal. Life is a grind. You need a compass. You need a landmark to know the general direction forward. So, which way are you going to look? Hopefully, toward the LFG-getters, the maximizers, the producers, the…I think I’ve watched enough show-ers, it’s time to make the most of lifers…

They push us. They help us grow. They help us recognize we have more in us than we thought possible.

This doesn’t have to be an unhealthy obsession with productivity. That’s what the hustle haters will try to convince you of. That somehow the cause of our plight is the unrealistic expectations of an overzealous hustler community that only wants to crush its competition. That’s obnoxious. Of course, they have flaws. We all do. Of course, some do things you would never do. That’s fine, you get to make the process of being better your own. It’s not the outcome of your hustle that matters; it’s your attitude and your effort that count to keep you moving forward.

Maybe “great” isn’t your goal, but hopefully “better” is. If you are in the middle of my intentionally oversimplistic hustle curve (hint…we all are), the group you look towards, the supers or the sloths, matters. Who you follow will have a profound impact on your life.

Looking towards the sloths might make you feel good about where you are right now, but it won’t push you to be better. If you are the smartest, fittest, most mature person in your friend group, you need to find more friends. We need people in our lives who are better than we are to keep us sharp. To help us push past the false limits that we have set for ourselves.

Looking towards the supers points you to, and through, other hustlers on your way to better. All of them serve as guides to keep you moving in the right direction.

That’s a good thing. This is why I have no patience for hustle haters. It just doesn’t make sense. It’s misguided, wasted energy. Real hustle isn’t unhealthy; it’s an attitude and an effort to make the most of your life.

There are no “levels” in the middle. It’s a mess. There is a sea of what my friend calls “lifters and leaners” (helpers and haters) floating around us, trying to grab our limited attention. And yet, every day, it comes down to a series of “you v. you” choices. That’s the way it should be. We have to decide which direction we’ll head and who we’ll follow to get there. A healthy dose of inspiration to develop as a person isn’t about being motivated to be better than those around you. It’s about being disciplined to create a better version of you today. And it starts with knowing which direction to aim, and then putting in the work…tracking and stacking small personal wins to make progress toward your goals.

I’m advocating for hustle, not hurry. Hustling is baby steps. Take a risk. Know and grow your why. Set some goals. Keep showing up. That’s it. You are bound to get better…whatever your endeavor.

In our hyper-polarized world, we would all benefit from a shift in perspective on hustle-hating. It’s not a winner-take-all mentality. It’s about us all choosing to get better. There is a path to “better” for all of us. The hater wants you to think that the super’s path is too narrow. But we know better. We aren’t on their path; we are on our own. And we know which direction to look to make progress. Let’s call a super a super, and find a sliver of inspiration from their effort, and a little light from their path to guide us.

So what’s the deal with hustle haters? I think this negative external focus on hustlers is a ruse. The truth is, our biggest obstacle to better isn’t “out there”, it’s within.

Find a way to be better…every day. Better is not bad. Better is not easy. Better is better. And it takes a little hustle to get there.

AP

p.s. Want to know who one of my favorite hustlers is? Jesse Itzler. Check him out! You don’t have to go where he’s going. But if you set your compass in his direction, you’ll be better in the long run. (Pun intended.)