How to Anti-hustle Your Way to Success

May 4

In today’s world of hustle culture, being productive all the time is glorified. We’re constantly urged to chase the next big thing, often at the expense of our own well-being.

As female entrepreneurs, we also have added pressure of juggling caring for our families and growing our businesses. Jadah Sellner perfectly summed it up in her book, “She Builds: The Anti-Hustle Guide to Grow Your Business and Nourish Your Life,” when she wrote, “Hustle culture has made you believe that you are only valuable, lovable, and worthy enough when you are being productive.”

The truth is, the hustle culture is not sustainable in the long run. For instance, while the 40-hour work week was a practical solution during the industrial revolution for factory workers, it may not always be suitable for our lives today.

Hustling too hard can also lead to chronic stress, which can harm the brain’s structure and cause long-term damage to the nervous system. And let’s not forget that women experience higher levels of burnout than men when trying to balance it all.

That’s where anti-hustle comes in. By challenging the traditional “hustle” mentality, we can find balance and avoid letting work take over our entire lives. Ultimately, it can help us achieve sustainable success without sacrificing what truly matters to us.

What It Means to Anti-hustle

Imagine yourself as a lovely garden. Now, if a garden gets too much sun and not enough water, it withers and dies. The same goes for constantly hustling without rest and recovery.

Just like a garden needs sunlight, water, and nutrients to grow, you need the right balance of work and self-care to thrive. That’s anti-hustle: it’s about providing the right balance for your growth. It motivates you to create an environment where you, your business, and your personal life can flourish.

So, what can you expect when you adopt an anti-hustle mindset? Here are a few perks:

Increased Productivity: Taking intentional breaks isn’t just about relaxation; it can actually boost your productivity. As sleep specialist Dr. Matthew Carter, PhD, points out, “You're able to get more done on a good night's sleep, not less.”

Improved Mental Health: Being overworked can take a toll on your mental health. By taking a break, you can enjoy a mini-vacation from stress. Making time to bond with your family, walk in the park, or listen to a podcast can already do wonders for your overall well-being.

Greater Work Satisfaction: Work doesn’t have to always feel like work. When you’re not always pushing yourself to the limit, you can enjoy what you do and feel more satisfied with your accomplishments.

What It Means to Anti-hustle

If you’re used to the traditional hustle culture, taking it easy can be a bit of a challenge. But don’t worry! There are ways to give yourself some grace and zero in on what truly matters. Check out these tips for embracing anti-hustle and making the most of your journey:

1. Set Realistic Boundaries

The “always-on” culture can make you feel like you’re expected to work around the clock, especially when work emails and chat notifications keep coming in after office hours. This can leave you feeling overwhelmed and unable to fully focus on the present.

But remember, it’s completely fine to unplug and take a break to recharge. To master the art of disconnection, you’ll want to set realistic boundaries. This involves knowing what’s important to you, clearly communicating your boundaries with your team, clients, or anyone else you work with, and setting specific work hours.

2. Reflect on Your Priorities

Your values and priorities impact your decisions in your personal and professional life, so reflecting on them is essential. Here’s how you can identify them and align your actions with them:

Think about what matters most to you. Is it your family, career, health, or personal growth? Make a list of what you value and rank them by importance to understand what’s truly important to you.

Assess your priorities. Your time and energy are your most valuable resources, so make sure to spend them on tasks aligned with your values. If not, identify where you can make adjustments.

Remember that your values and priorities may change over time, and that’s totally okay. You can still make sure your actions are consistent with what matters to you by asking, “How can I ensure that what I do reflects how I want to live my life?”

By aligning your actions with your values and priorities, you have a guiding principle to follow that can make decision-making easier and reduce your stress. This can also increase your motivation by providing a clear sense of direction in both your work and personal life.

3. Learn to Say No

Your time and energy are precious resources, so invest them in tasks that align with your values and priorities. In other words, focus on the things that you know move the needle in your business and life.

Also, learn how to be comfortable to say “no” to opportunities that don’t align with your goals. Remember, saying “no” to one thing often means saying “yes” to something more important.

4. Let Go of Perfectionism

Being a perfectionist can be great for producing high-quality work, but it can also lead to burnout and anxiety if it gets out of hand. It can also become a productivity killer if you get caught up in minor details and lose sight of the big picture.

To avoid these, try embracing anti-hustle as a way to prioritize self-care. This could mean delegating and outsourcing tasks that don’t align with your strengths so you can focus on ones that bring you closer to your goals.

It’s okay to let go and aim for “good enough.” This doesn't mean you lower your standards; you simply recognize that progress is more important than perfection.

5. Focus on Meaningful Work

To truly embrace anti-hustle, you need to prioritize meaningful work. This looks different for everyone, so take your time to reflect on yours. What tasks bring the most value to your business and excite you to start your day? This could be a mix of your values, priorities, and inspirations.

Once you know what meaningful work looks like to you, aim to spend at least 80% of your time on those tasks. To achieve this, set clear goals, focus on your strengths, and choose work that aligns with your values. By doing so, you can make a bigger impact and feel more fulfilled in your entrepreneurial journey and personal life.

Embracing anti-hustle is not about being unproductive or lazy. Instead, it’s about working smarter and prioritizing what truly matters in your personal and professional life. This means setting boundaries, reflecting on your priorities, learning to say no, letting go of perfectionism, and focusing on meaningful work. This way, you can make the most of your time and energy, achieve a healthier work-life balance, and find success on your own terms!

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