Hustler Much?

It is as if, hustling, as a last resort, is being idealized and romanticized. To cope with it, to deny the harm it can do. When you overdo it. 

There will be people taking pride and bragging about how they wear themselves to the ground, over and over, and how you should, too. But if you ponder it, what is really in it? Is the work they do even truly helpful, all things considered, directly or indirectly, to merit that sort of sacrifice? Sadly, you will find that, quite often, it is not. On the contrary, rather than a net-positive, it is a net-negative.

There is going to be work that you don’t love, but still ought to do, and there is no denying that. Sometimes you must push yourself to meet a standard, a deadline, a quota, when you’d rather be resting. But if you are severely jeopardizing yourself in the process, continually overlooking your deterioration, who is that going to help? You could lose what made you qualify in the first place, becoming bitter, fried, numb, or even end up suffering from complications that fully disable you and disqualify you.

It is not about being a lazy bum, which won’t be that enjoyable after a while, either. It is about preserving yourself so that you can continue or start giving your best. And depending on your field and what it requires from you, this would be more or less imperative.

You can challenge yourself, improve your strengths, and develop past your weaknesses. But you can also be systematic and strategic enough to minimize strain and maximize return. Work with rather than against yourself. It shouldn’t be a race to be the most damaged, but to be capable, competent, and ultimately formidable. And for that, you OUGHT to stay in shape. Mentally, emotionally, physically…

Yet, part of staying in shape, in more than one aspect, is to go through the ‘tasks’ of rest, repair, and refill. Even machines do it, and you believe yourself above it? Book that as though it is part of your job, because, if you make art, it is. And save yourself from “mysterious” illnesses and injuries. Or just pathetically low or merely mediocre performance. If you have control over your schedule, there is no excuse.

Look at how much more you can accomplish when you bounce back from effective breaks. How your mood affects your mindset, how your mindset affects your outlook, how your outlook affects your approach, and how your approach affects your results. It is worth it.