Get Off That Grind
You hop out of bed, take a hit of that early morning caffeine, jog around the block, get ready, head to the office, work your eight-hour shift, cram in a meal in if you’re lucky enough to have the time, log off on the dot but take your work home, pull an all-nighter to prep for that big upcoming pitch, keep it up all week, work all day long on the weekend, meet your friends at night but spend most of your time on a work call, all while documenting it for the gram with #grinding inserted. That is just a glimpse of what is presently known as Hustle Culture.
The main focus is to find success, set yourself apart from the rest and well, to put it plainly, make heaps of money. The ‘hustler’ doesn’t stop when they’re tired, they stop when the dream is achieved. I mean, how are you going to become a millionaire and retire by thirty otherwise? The end goal of hustle culture is actually quite motivational and positive on its own, but club it with the means to achieving that end and you’re got an extremely toxic culture on your hands.
Built on the belief that dreams are achievable, there is a large group working themselves into the ground, just to own castles in the air. There’s a focus on the outcome with no mind being paid to the side effects of the effort. The acidity that comes with an all coffee diet, the depletion in health caused by numerous factors, the strain on mental health from not having a work-life balance, are all worn as badges of honour. Through all of this, the ‘hustler’ has a smile on their face, embracing the facade that this process brings fulfilment.
The lifestyle is evidently painful yet we see a generation that is adamant about following it. Previous generations were forced through the grinder by corporations but why today, do we see individuals enthusiastically running towards it, head first? Well, it’s the result of a generation being bred to be overachievers. The boomers were born into a post war-torn period, having to overwork themselves just to get by. Of course, the importance of hard work was passed onto the next generation but not before being dipped in extremity. Now, here we are with a generation born of the internet, constantly being fed the filtered lives of others. Every day being targeted with content that tells you that you need to be more and do more, irrespective of your circumstance. I mean if Steve Jobs could start Apple out of his garage, what’s stopping you?
There’s nothing wrong with working hard and having fixed goals in mind, but that’s not the case when it comes to hustle culture. There is no meeting your goal because just as you meet one, another arises. So, the ‘hustlers’ who are ‘grinding’ all day are not going to retire at thirty because of all the extra hours they have put in. At most, they will find success, grace the covers of Forbes and join the ranks of the ‘self-made’ billionaires who perpetuate the culture. Even at that point, there’s no rest because you’ve spent so much of your life being the picture-perfect hustler that you can’t be caught slipping now can you?
The rush of accomplishment sets in over time with Hustle Culture. A hit of happiness, every time a goal is met. So, after a point, it’s the adrenaline rush that is prompting the effort and no longer the goal that started the hustler on the journey. Like all addictions, it feels great until you reach rock bottom which in this case would be burnout. This prompts the question, does the hustle ever stop?
