In episode 82 of the Focused podcast, I ruminated about the merit of “the hustle”. For the longest time, I thought the hustle was a good thing. It meant I was willing to wake up earlier and go to bed later. It meant that even when my heart wasn’t in it, I was ready to grind it out to get the job done. But the problem with the hustle is that grind. Indeed, as David Heinemeier Hansson wrote, the “hustle” became the “grind.” 

Since we recorded that episode, I’ve been thinking about this concept. When I compare periods of hustle versus periods of thoughtful consideration and deliberate work, I believe that my very best work comes from the latter. Indeed, a lot of the work I have done over the years in the midst of the hustle was, in hindsight, subpar. Looking back, I realize I was doing work that was less than my very best and burning myself out in the process.

So after years of coaching my children that they should always be willing to hustle, I find myself reversing course and talking to them more about planning and deliberate work. If you pride yourself on your ability to hustle, maybe it’s time to rethink and put that in the rearview mirror.