How to Hustle When You Hate The Hustle

Hustle doesn’t have to mean sacrifice.

In my early 20s, I was dating an entrepreneur.

He was heavily involved in the start-up community and was around people who were constantly coming up with cool ideas and building and creating things. It was inspiring.

But there was one word that always came up that bothered me: hustle.

It’s all about the hustle.

She’s a hustler.

He’s the best because he hustles.

You have to hustle if you want to make it.

I hated it.

Now, as a freelancer, I’ve been hearing that same word creep up again and again. As if it’s the best compliment you can give someone who’s “making it” on their own.

I’d hear this and see these so-called hustlers in action and think, that’s not me.

We’re living in a time of toxic productivity, where there’s this constant need to be “doing” all the time. And if we’re not “doing,” we’re worried we’ll be seen as lazy or we’ll fall behind in the rat race.

But life isn’t a race and hustle doesn’t have to mean sacrifice. We can work hard in a way that aligns with our bodies, mental health, and other priorities.

Here are a few ways I “hustle” as someone who hates the hustle:

1. Learn your body’s “peak” hours. I used to think being successful meant waking up at the crack of dawn, going for a run, meditating, eating breakfast all before 8 am. But everyone functions differently. Of course, it depends on what other priorities you have (a working parent might have to wake up at 5 am because they have kids who get up at 6 am). But as a grad student and freelancer, I have flexibility. I wake up early, but I start with a coffee and writing, and I like to do my exercise over lunch to split the day up. I know my creative mind works best early morning, and I have more energy to work out in the afternoons.

You have to find what works for you, your schedule, and when your mind and body are most alert. You can read more about your Chronotype here here.

2. Turn lazy activities into “productive lazy ones.” I’m a big T.V. watcher. It’s totally fine to sit back and binge-watch the latest season of “Queer Eye,” yes, but we can also be deliberate about what we consume. We can have set periods where we allow ourselves to veg out, and we can also have set times where we maybe choose something educational — watch a documentary to learn about a topic we’re interested in or watch a TED Talk.

If you’re also a writer, you can consider writing about something you’re watching. For example, I’ve written about what love taught me about attraction from watching “Love Is Blind.” I get to watch trashy television and add something to my writing portfolio.

3. Set goals that are aligned with your values. One of the biggest mistakes I made when I was first starting out as a freelancer was trying to be a hustler for other people. I thought that if people saw I was out doing things or posting things or publishing, they’d think I was making it. In reality, I was burning out and stressed out. I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted with my career or writing because I was so focused on appearing successful to other people.

By having clear goals, we can be more selective about the things we choose to take on. And when we achieve those goals, the reward is intrinsic. We don’t feel like we need to prove something to other people.

4. Do it because you have no other option. A few years ago, I was still working a corporate job when I first tried freelancing. There was less urgency then because I was comfortable. I had a steady paycheque to fall back on. I don’t advocate quitting your job with no plan, but at a certain point, there has to be this sense of I have no other choice. When your rent depends on getting that next client, “the hustle” just happens.

As Anaïs Nin famously said, “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

But remember: even hustlers need downtime, self-care, and a social life that gives us the fuel we need to get back to doing the work we need to do.

When I think back to my ex who first exposed me to the world of entrepreneurship, I feel bad because I kind of gave him a hard time for hustling. I didn’t understand that, at the time, it was a “no other option” motivation for him.

From what I’ve seen, it looks like his hustling did pay off.

I still hate the word “hustle,” but I’ve found ways that work for me to stay motivated and not lose myself in the process.

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