When I realized hustle was draining more than it was giving
I used to live by this word hustle. Everywhere I looked people said work harder, sleep less, push more. I thought maybe that’s the secret. So I tried. I pushed myself into long nights, coffee cups piling up, skipping simple things like food and even quiet time with family. At first it felt good, like I was part of something. But slowly I noticed I was more tired than happy.
Every day was the same. Wake up, run behind tasks, keep scrolling to see what others are doing, feel guilty if I rested. I kept telling myself one more step, one more sacrifice, then I’ll feel proud. But that day never came. No matter how much I worked, I always felt behind.
The strange thing is hustle gave me speed but not direction. I was moving fast but I didn’t know where I was going. I wasn’t enjoying the work anymore. I wasn’t enjoying life. Just running, always running.
Then one morning I sat still. Just ten minutes, no phone, no noise. And I realized something—hustle isn’t the only way. I don’t have to treat myself like a machine. Work matters, but so does rest, so does breathing, so does time with people I love.
Now I don’t call it hustle. I call it steady. I do the work that matters, not everything that comes my way. I let myself rest without feeling weak. I remind myself growth is not only about grinding hours, it’s about building a life that feels good to wake up to.
Hustle culture almost made me forget I am human. I’m done chasing that. I’d rather move slow and steady than run fast and empty.
