Why Co-founder Alex Quit the Hustle (And Why You Should Too)

October 11, 2022

Hustle hard.

This message has echoed through modern society and become the motivational mantra of millennials around the globe.

Aside from invading our instagram feeds, it has dangerously trickled into our subconscious minds, recklessly throwing us into motion.

The culture of hustling is more commonly celebrated than it is rejected. The glorification stems from the inherent belief that the more we do, the more we sacrifice and the more hours we put in, the more worthy we are as humans.

What we don’t realise is that by participating in this relentless pursuit for social status, we’re laying the foundations for self-sabotage.

So, what do we do?

I’m not suggesting that we retire at twenty-five, become lifelong couch potatoes and netflix our lives away, but rather that we surrender our hustle membership and begin entertaining the concept of balance and wellness.

Putting in the hours is necessary, I’ll admit, but subscribing to a culture that demands personal sacrifice over personal wellbeing is not the answer, and we need to stop applauding it.

Much to our disappointment, the human body is not an industrial machine, so we need to stop treating it like one.

Derailment is inevitable when speed is no longer a factor we can control, so for the sake of our future selves, we need to stop, drop and roll out of this burnout-inducing lifestyle before it consumes us entirely.

I get it.

Having stubbornly played the hustle game in my early twenties, I understand the motivation behind it. We want to do it all, so we proceed to do it all, without assessing the real price tag of our decisions.

Aside from the external validation we crave, we sprint because we believe that we’ll get to our destination sooner, painfully ignorant of the fact that this fiery impatience only obstructs our view of the present.

When we sprint in this clumsy fashion, we bypass so many crucial, fulfilling moments. We ignore the stop signs that the universe has so kindly erected for us because pausing to catch our breath is synonymous with defeat.

Sound familiar?

The fact is, mindlessly accelerating our way through life is not a sustainable option, nor is it one we should endorse or praise.

I grew up watching my parents work relentlessly to build their furniture empire and raise two kids, only to later suffer the physical and mental consequences of self-neglect.

Naturally, I entered adulthood with the same gung-ho spirit and deep seated obsession with progress.

It was only after experiencing a pretty gnarly case of burnout and a series of emotional meltdowns that I was able to connect the dots and come to terms with how foolishly out of order my priorities were. My actions were a clear cut recipe for self-destruction.

So, I quit the hustle.

I quit because living is more than what the medical definition lends.

It’s not just about being alive. It’s about feeling alive and well.

I want to thrive physically, mentally, spiritually (insert more extravagant words here), and I can’t do that when I’m consistently burning myself into the ground.

Taking a more proactive approach by actively putting your health first doesn’t mean you’ll be in tip-top shape 24/7—we’re still human. It will however, lay the solid foundations for a healthier, happier and more fulfilled life.

Now it’s your turn.

It’s time to filter out the BS from your weekly agenda and defy the status quo.

Start doing the things that actually make you happy, but don’t forget to check in with yourself.

The trouble begins when you start sacrificing your wellbeing in pursuit of your goals and what sometimes feels like an endless list of to-dos. It may not be intentional at first, it almost never is, but consistently depriving yourself of sleep or refusing to take a timeout because of the perceived lack of time—those actions class as neglect.

What I’m advocating is not some fluffy new year resolution. It’s a new life resolution.

Slow down and take some time away from the madness to really think about how you want to approach 2023 and beyond.

The number one lesson I’ve learned is that when you start prioritising your wellbeing, everything else falls into place. You can start living a more wholesome and fulfilling life at a pace that actually serves you.