Busyness is not a status symbol

Hustle culture is selling you a lie.

In fact, busyness is a distraction that tears you apart from the value of who you genuinely are as a human being.

And I, for one, am tired of being busy.

Look, I know this has nothing to do with email marketing or content marketing. It has to do with life. Sometimes you need to press “pause” on some things so you can focus on the other things that matter.

Hustle Culture is a Lie

Have you ever heard of “hustle culture”?

Its popularity is prominent with millennials, and in my opinion, is built on an obsession with striving to become. It abandons healthy work-life balance and instead integrates identity with the ideas that we are what we do and we are what we contribute to the world.

It’s so messed up, but it’s a lie I’m susceptible to every couple of months or so.

I’m always looking for ways to improve and be better, to come out on top in my craft or my work, which isn’t always a bad thing, but hustling is often measured by, well, busyness.

Busyness for the sake of busyness isn’t healthy; it’s symptomatic of something else.

But if I were being honest with myself, it’s a mask for my chronic battle with perfectionism.

The Hustle with Perfectionism

In her recent book Dare to Lead*, Brené Brown writes:

“Perfectionism is not self-improvement. Perfectionism is, at its core, about trying to earn approval. Most perfectionists grew up being praised for achievement and performance (grades, manners, rule following, people pleasing, appearance, sports). Somewhere along the way, they adopted this dangerous and debilitating belief system: I am what I accomplish and how well I accomplish it. Please. Perform. Perfect. Prove. Healthy striving is self-focused: How can I improve? Perfectionism is other-focused: What will people think? Perfectionism is a hustle” (p. 79).

Brené goes on to say that perfectionism is far from being the key to success; in fact, it’s the exact opposite. It hampers success.

Moreover, perfectionism is a function of shame.
Ouch.

Why am I saying all of this?

I’m saying all of this because I’ve been really busy the last few weeks with extraneous nonsense.

And it’s all focused on getting praise and measuring my performance against an impossible standard.

Some days I convince myself it’s hustling, and some people probably think it is, but it’s far from it.

Just because I’m busy doesn’t mean I’m embedded in the right rhythm of living.

It just means I’m busy.

And so, in taking the advice from a wise friend, I’m giving myself permission to slow down and breathe.

I hope you do the same.

Because you are not what you do.
You are not the sum total of what you contribute to the world.
You are you.

May that be enough.

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