The Hustle: It’s Not for Everyone

“In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human success, but rather on how much we have loved” (St. John of the Cross).

Like all of us, I have dreams. 

In the past, I’ve had dreams to further my career as a business leader, I’ve had dreams to learn new skills, and, more recently, I have dreams to grow my business. 

As these dreams and goals have evolved and taken on new form, I’ve made the commitment to put in the hard work. As I started working on tactical steps to achieve these goals, however, I became more and more aware of this pressure to hit them, fast and furious. I was surrounded by encouragement — “Don’t stop!” and “You’ll sleep when you’re dead!” and “It will be worth it when you reach your goals!” Somewhere along the line, I became obsessed with reaching these goals at superhuman speeds and working until my fingers bled. I became ingrained in the hustle mentality.

As I tried to find a balance with work, private life, and growing a side business, I had to recognize the ways in which this lifestyle was having a negative effect on me — the ways it may not be for me.

Burnout Culture

I’ve always wanted my superiors to know that I’m a hard worker and willing to go the extra mile to get the job done. I don’t think that quality is a bad one, but today’s work culture often encourages people to put everything on hold to achieve their professional goals.

The hustle culture can seem glamorous, with plenty of success stories of young entrepreneurs working hard to reach success. The reality is that buying into the hustle culture can be fruitful. It can lead to quick bursts of success, but it can also lead to burnout.

We can have dreams, we can work toward them — and work hard — but we don’t have to hit our goals on the same timeline as everyone we see on our social feeds. As Catholics, we are taught to love and appreciate the unique gifts God gives to each of us. If our gifts and talents are varied, then the way we approach our goals is going to be different — which is OK.

If you find yourself slipping into burnout, start by setting boundaries for yourself in each area of your life. Keep your goals and some of that hustle, but remember to take time to practice self-care — mentally, spiritually, and physically.

The Cost to Your Mental and Emotional Health

The first time I started experiencing burnout, I did what I was encouraged to do: I spoke to my superior. This conversation was beneficial, because together, we were able to come up with a plan to make some changes.

After that discussion, things went well — for a while. As new goals came into reach and priorities began to change in my life, once again, I felt the pressure to plow ahead and make big changes quickly. While at times, it felt great to check things off my to-do list, I found that I was always mentally exhausted.

A study published in Occupational Medicine shared that the more rigorous work hours we put into our day without proper care to our well-being, the more likely we are to fall into depression, experience anxiety, and have poor sleep quality. The trend that we have to “go, go, go” all the time can be detrimental to our well-being and, ultimately, affect the quality of our work.

As women with dreams and goals, we shouldn't have to decide if our value should be on our work or our health and well-being. Keep working toward the things that are important to you, but take the time to prioritize yourself as well. If you’re a leader in your business, try to recognize when others may be close to burnout and in need of a helping hand. Sometimes, all it takes is encouragement from another person.

An Addiction to Being Busy

More often than I’d like to admit, when asked, “How are you doing?” I’ve answered with an exasperated, “I’m pretty busy these days!”

I used to wear my “busy-ness” as a badge of honor, as though working over 60 hours in a work week was a trophy to show how much I cared. I had to finally ask myself: Am I really being productive, or do I have an addiction to being busy? After some soul-searching, I found that in taking a step back — not from my goals but from the pressure to hustle — I was able to focus on the bigger picture.

Give yourself permission to say “no” to tasks, advocate for yourself at work, and use tools that will help you stay productive. If you have goals you want to hit, consider working with a mentor who can help you work smarter. You don’t have to be tied down to busy-ness just to fit a trend.

Annie Schunior is a copywriter and communications specialist working for the Catholic Church in the city of Detroit. In addition, she does consulting for nonprofits and online ministries as well as some freelance writing. Most days, Annie can be found with coffee in hand, toting around her two-year-old son or exploring the beautiful city of Detroit with her family. You can follow her on Instagram at @annie_schuns.