Is The Grind Really Worth It?

Rethinking Hustle Culture and True Success

Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

Hustle Culture.

You've probably heard of it, especially if you're a millennial or younger.

If you put in 150% daily, you'll reach your goals.

But you gotta hustle. You gotta kill it. You have to be willing to grind 24/7. You gotta go into beast mode and monk mode at the same time. Shut everyone and everything out and work your tail off like there's no tomorrow.

Then you'll get there. You'll find your success. You'll have the 7-figure business, the private yacht, and the Mercedes in the driveway.

That's hustle culture in a nutshell. However, some may ask: What if I hustle and grind for weeks, months, or years, and I don't see results? What if I'm not the next Elon Musk in five years?

Hustle Culture's response? You didn't work hard enough. You weren't smart about it. You didn't do your best. Heck, you're not enough. You're a loser.

What's next? Burnout, self-rejection, self-doubt, self-hatred, and a whole host of other things.

Even growing up, I was spoonfed by media, school, and others that as long as you work hard enough, you can be anything you want! Cue rainbows, smiley faces, and sparkles.

I recently found an article on CNBC where Captain America star Anthony Mackie chimed in on this issue:

A lot of parents tell their children that can achieve anything if they work hard and apply themselves. But that doesn't account for luck, which is a huge factor that many highly successful people have said they owe their careers to, points out Anthony Mackie, star of the 2025 movie "Captain America: Brave New World."

Life has a way of being unfair and throwing obstacles your way.

Many unpopular factors contribute to success besides just hard work. Things like timing, luck, environment, circumstances, and even genetics. All things outside of your control.

Some people get a head start that others don't and fail. Others begin at the bottom, encounter the perfect opportunity, and become a smashing success.

That's just life. No, it's not fair.

Hustle culture encourages people to focus on outcomes rather than processes.

It encourages people to chase external validation rather than internal validation. Likes, comments, views, reads, plays, profit, numbers, calls, etc.

Your self-worth and self-esteem could take a nosedive if those things aren't where you want. You set yourself up for frustration when you watch factors tied to circumstances outside your control.

No one asks: Do you enjoy what you do? Are you feeling good about the journey?

Let's ask some different questions here.

Are you improving? Are you growing? Are you learning?

I've learned that in my projects, writing, and personal life. So much of life is about learning, improving, and growing, not living up to someone else's or society's expectations.

I’ve had interactions with certain people who tried to guide me in different areas over the years. The problem was their expectations seemed constantly out of reach for me. No matter what I said, did, or proved, I was never good enough for them. I needed to keep trying, keep pushing, keep working.

Eventually, I was exhausted. It came down to trying to please them or be true to myself and my journey.

Hustle culture can land you here. Letting it can alienate you from yourself and tie you to someone else's vision.

Now, let me be clear. I am NOT against the concept of hard work at all. It's an essential part of life. We shouldn't allow our self-worth to be tied to success or failure after we "pursued the grind."

Persistence is the key here. Slow and steady wins the race.

Here are a few ways to shift your focus to persistence rather than hustle:

1. Look for opportunities: Opportunities come and go quickly. Each one that comes your way is a chance to learn something new or grow.

2. Do what you know you can: Burnout is real. It's better to go slow and dodge obstacles than breakneck speed and crash. Look for sustainable pathways. Focus on what you CAN control.

3. Focus on improvement: Overnight success makes people famous. That's why it's rare. Focus on skilling up and improving in a way that works for you.

4. Do what you enjoy: Look for the activities and hobbies that bring you joy and fulfillment. That's a good place to start!

Thomas Edison, one of the greatest inventors in America, said this: I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.

The real hustle is not about how fast and hard you go to reach your goals but how long. You only fail when you decide to quit. When you make success about you, that's how you win!

What does success mean to you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments or reply to the email!