Hustle Porn, Hustle Shame...What Gives?

When it comes to achievement, the online world is full of isht…ain’t it"?

There's hustle porn: "WORK TILL YOUR EYES BLEED! STOP WATCHING TV! STOP DOING ANYTHING REMOTELY ENJOYABLE TILL YOU'VE CRACKED THE 3-COMMA MARK!"

And then there's hustle shaming: "Don't do all the things. People who do all the things have secret adrenal fatigue. Just be of service and get in alignment and flow, and adopt a loving mindset of abundance, and the money will come to you. You don't have to work hard; you just have to work smart! Money is energy!"

There I was, waddling around humid, 85-degree MSP in that “Unstinkable” athleisure gear I managed to stink up after just 2 wearings like the world champion sweater I am. Earlier that afternoon, I’d run errands for an elderly neighbor, met a friend for a walk because she needed moral support, picked up a thing for my mom, and fit in a last-minute in-person coaching sesh w/ a client. I’d say that's working hard. I thought to myself, "You're doing it!"

In the time since I was actually diagnosed with adrenal fatigue (ahem, HPA-axis dysfunction), I’ve learned a thing or two about hustle. And something’s changed for me...BIG TIME. You see: I used to do things for others to ensure I’d be in their good graces. These days, my doing most things is rooted in two truths:

Following through on what I really want.
Keeping my word to myself.

This seems like the best version of hustle, no?

For instance, do you have to create that themed school day costume for your kid because other parents said so? No!
Should you create one because you know doing so is going to help your kid feel more social connectedness at school? Yes.
Should you create one because you know you want to and you've said this is the year you're going to do it? Oh, yes.
Should you push hard when it comes to keeping your word to yourself, even if you're a lazybutt? Oh, yes. Yes, you should.
Should you listen to my "shoulds" when I’ve also told you to "stop shoulding all over yourself"? This once, yes. Yes, you absolutely should.

For years, I was more self-starter than self-finisher…even on things where I thought to myself, "This is the thing I really want." Once I got clear on why that was (hint: it's related to identity), I was able to finish things more consistently.

Now, when I think about “hustle” (to be honest: I'm intentional about avoiding use of that word most days), I really just think about these two factors:

Remember what you want.
Keep your word to yourself.

This kind of hustle is where it's at.

P.S. My self-coaching course—The Bullshift Boot Camp—helps you explore your subconscious identity and how it plays out in your life with respect to hustle porn and hustle shame…and what to do about it.