5 Myths About A Hustler’s Mentality

When was the last time you had a massage, ate a proper meal or slept at least 8 hrs? As a career driven millennial, I am guilty of placing my personal needs behind the vision I have for my life. At my peak, I’ve worked 15 hrs. void of proper breaks to refuel. At my lowest, I’ve lost control of my body, crashing at my desk, forcing me to self -medicate on Emergen-C tablets and good ole fashion sleep. The fatigue I experienced, frightened me and it was then, that I realized I could miss success, simply because my body wasn’t well enough to receive it.

I’ve always produced my greatest creative ideas, when my mind, body and spirit were sober. Only with a fresh set of eyes, could I stretch my minds limitation. As we all continue to put in tireless work, to make our dreams a reality, let’s not become seduced by the hustlers mentality. It is a glorified and over dramatized “success” plan, that will cause you to fail.

Myth #1: Team No Sleep Will Make You Successful

Medically, a continuous lack of sleep can cause long term damage to your body, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. So yes, #teamnosleep has the potential to kill you. The more obvious symptoms though, are fatigue and lack of concentration. Our work deserves the very best attention and care. You can only give what you have, so if you feel pressured to work 24 hrs a day, remember quality work matters first. If you continue to operate without enough sleep, you are more likely to experience a drastic change in mood and health. Moral of the story, get some rest.

Myth #2: You Can Never Say “No” To An Opportunity

I completely understand hesitancy in saying “no” to an open door. It seems counterproductive to the dream, but I’ve learned that every opportunity, may not be the one for you. Your moral and ethical standards, personal brand and peace of mind should always come first. I’ve accepted amazing opportunities, the kind where you rub shoulders with top tier public figures, but quickly realized the experience wasn’t worth the severe misconduct and lack of protocol. The space wasn’t worth the mistreatment. Looking back on one particular work experience, I ignored initial concerns, because I feared saying “no” would close my window of opportunity. Since then, I’ve developed the belief that  “what is for you, is for you” and just because it glitters, doesn’t mean it’s gold. If I am bringing my very best, the companies and brands I work with must do the same. Set your intentions high and protect yourself. Success comes when you are properly aligned and aren’t afraid to say no.

Myth #3: A Healthy Lifestyle Is Not Important

Health is wealth. Money, material belongings and the highest distinction of honor will not keep you alive. If you are to sustain success, you must have an able-body. They say you are what you eat, and if you’re too busy working and not taking the time to properly nourish your body, overtime your vessel will decline. I get it, the hustle and bustle of everyday life, can sometimes stand in the way. Fast food is cheap and easy, but to be successful, you must be in complete mental control. You must master every part of your life, including health. You’ll find some of the world’s wealthiest, value the art of supremacy. Most people are unable to focus long enough to produce the outcome they wish to see. As we hustle, there’s no room to value one area of our life, but allow other components to suffer. Your health is just as important as your will to succeed.

Myth #4: You Must Step Over The Competition

Good competition can make you stronger, but if you aren’t careful, creating a competitive streak can work against you. In the age of social media, collaboration and networking has never been made easier. The very person you might be envious of, could be your ticket to the next level. You can learn more from working with others, rather than working against your peers. There’s no one like you on earth, therefore, no one can deliver your specific gift. So, why compete? If I meet someone who is traveling down the same journey as me, I immediately try to collaborate. There’s something magical about driven minds, joined together to share ambition. Every person pursuing the same goal as you should not be treated as an enemy. You’d be surprised by the open doors, expanded network and just sheer knowledge developed, through an honest group of dream seekers. Open up and allow yourself to grow in ways unimaginable.

Myth #5: The Younger The Better

Stop rushing yourself. What I know for certain, is that success happens at the right time. There’s no way to speed up the clock.  Setting goals according to age will drive you insane. Our timing will always be off, because as humans, we cannot control what we have not created. Honestly, the older the better. Wisdom is the gas fueling success. It is impossible to believe you can handle the full responsibility of your big dream, if you are not wise enough to manage the heavy load. What most people fail to explain, is that with success, comes duty. A duty so large, that it takes a person who has failed continuously, corrected themselves extensively and fine tuned their path thoroughly, to have the expertise to carry out the dream. Nothing would be more hurtful, than to fumble your life changing blessing, because you entered into the realm of success too soon.  So no, success should not happen while you are still swirling in adolescence. You need a strong mind, lessons learned and a developed gift to turn success into prosperity.

As I too, journey along in search of opportunity, I am confident that my vision will come to life. I’m trusting the process. We can grind until the sun is down, but if we don’t believe in our own ability and learn from the experience, our tireless work will be in vain. Life is a cycle, so move out of the way and allow yourself to be led. Hustle less.