I dunno about you, but the word 'hustle' seems a bit played out as of late.
For those that don't know, 'hustle' is the entrepreneurial equivalent of cleaning with a toddler.
For the majority of people, it's a waste of time.
It's a 'cool' code word for I'm doing shit.
Is it the norm now for us to be constantly on the hustle?
Or is it in the hustle?
Damnit, is there an appropriate way of describing this activity?
Little help, Gary?
Image: Gary Vee. Hustling.
My experience with hustle is that it just meant a time-sucking waste of time while validating it with a dream.
Do we need to add 'busyness' to our daily lives in an attempt to feel more validated or important?
Does it make us feel like we're really doing it in life?
Or that we can officially add the word 'entrepreneur' to our social media profiles?
For years, I prided myself on my hustle. My busy schedule. My preoccupied days while shuffling my kids around.
I remember popping out my second child and whipping out my laptop minutes later to work.
He could probably wait to eat after all.
I had a mission.
The need to be busy never ended.
I remember the nurses telling me to rest, to enjoy the time with my new baby and to embrace this special moment.
Ahh, what did they know?
Excuse me nurse Roxy, I'm hustling here.
I've given up lots of time being 'busy' now that I look back.
My hustle was misdirected time disguised as work.
I've had dreams and dream boards plastered to every wall in my room, on my backgrounds and in my car.
Shit was real. It was important. And I was gritting my teeth trying to figure it out.
The dreams aren't the problem though.
Looking back, I wonder how much time I missed out on during those moments.
Just feeling like life needed to be really tough in order for it to be worthwhile.
Hustle to me meant hard, forced, and overly busy.
Was it worth it?
Never would I say, hang up your dreams ma you've got kids now.
Hail to the no.
I'm the exact opposite.
I think when you become a mom, you become a better version of who you already are.
I think you are a full blown lion.
You are fierce.
You problem solve.
You protect.
You navigate, better than ever.
And you have a nice full foxy mane 🦁
If you're after dreams, running your own business, or a certain goal, keep after them.
I'm an advocate for both.
Kick ass and take names.
Go after your dreams whole heartedly.
I think you can do that and be a mom.
I know you can.
Sometimes, you'll be imbalanced.
That is to be expected.
And totally fine!
What I disagree with, is day stuffing to fit into the Gary Vee hustle your ass off box.
I've found that those seasons where I committed to hustling would mostly be a waste of time staring at my computer screen trying to force out good ideas.
I'd sit at my computer all day because I thought that's how it needed to be for my dreams to come true.
It never worked and was basically a time sucking waste.
My kids would watch movies (okay who am I kidding, they'd fight) beside me while I tried to force feed my dreams.
Gary Vee, I blame you 😝
Was it just the cool thing todo?
Or do we need to sacrifice everything to live out our dreams and love the shit out of our kids at the same time?
Obviously that's what was necessary, right?
You NEED to hustle.
You don't want it bad enough, you're not hustling.
Earn it. Hustle harder.
You think it's going to be that easy? HUSTLE BABY.
Well Gary, I quit the hustle.
HUSTLED OUT.
I'm sick of hearing about it.
I'm sick of revolving my life around busy.
I'm over making up shit so I appear to fit into this aggressive force it mentality.
I'm done sacrificing presence to fit into the new 'cool' entrepreneurial box.
I'm after life. I'm after ease. I'm after simplicity. I'm after presence. I'm after alignment. I'm after authenticity.
I'm after f*ck it, let's do the opposite of hustle.
Let's build the dreams and the homes with simplicity.
WTF Gary.
There is a time and a place.
There are intentions and purpose.
There are goals and dreams..
But above all, there is LIFE.
I had to stop myself and ask what I'm doing it all for.
I LOVE my business and I LOVE my goals.
I won't give them up just because I've got kids.
Life doesn't end there.
It starts a new chapter in your book of life.
When I think of my dreams, I get excited.
I like to be in the ring, showing my kids what's possible.
I like the satisfaction of knowing that I'm leading by example, showing them to work hard and not just moving my lips.
I like to share with them the obstacles I'm facing and talk about them so they know that sometimes, shit just gets hard. We learn to take it as a puzzle and can figure it out one piece at a time.
I like to discuss ideas with them and hear their feedback from their own perspective. I love seeing them light up with ideas and suggestions.
I like to show them that your dreams are worth chasing. You matter, your mission matters.
Sure, some sacrifices will be made.
That's life.
But it doesn't need to be so forced.
Kids give you an advantage in a lot of ways.
It's a matter of perspective.
They definitely keep you humble for starters.
I have to remind them daily that I am cool af.
And that my jokes are really quite funny.
But more so, they help you keep your stars aligned.
They help you remember what's important.
There is no doubt that these little humans require some serious time and attention.
So, if you're chasing your dreams and raising the babies, GET IT GIRL.
I know it can feel overwhelming.
Use those little monsters to help guide you into simplicity.
To help you manage your time.
To make you more efficient in life and in the workplace, so you don't have to sacrifice what's really important.
Step back and take a look at your life.
What makes you excited AF?
What do you hate?
How do you want to spend your time?
What would make you most proud looking back at your life?
Where can you find some help in life or your business to free you up for things you enjoy more?
You don't have to do things a certain way because your neighbor, bestie or mom does.
This is your box office hit ma, you're the star of the show.
Don't listen to Gary of the smurfs that run around priding themselves on their hustle.
The majority of them aren't doing shit, believe me.
Chances are, they're just inefficient or hopeful for something to land in their lap just like I was.
There are seasons to sprint.
There are seasons to walk.
And there are seasons to skip to the park with a margarita in hand.
A lot of them actually!
Don't get too excited about the skipping or the margaritas that you forget the kids ;)
Take a good look at your life and do what makes sense for you.
That's what matters.
I believe in you, ma.
Xx,
Karin
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