What does it mean to Hustle?
When you hear the term hustle your mind may gravitate to a hustler. NOPE, let's not go there! This is not the definition I am talking about. I am talking about the type of hustle that is eccentric and motivating. The person that is consistent and drives you to dream big. I'm talking about finding your inner motivation to do something amazing, to create, to pursue, to find the next step that will truly make you happy.
My hustle stems from a motivation to be more, to do more and to reach my goals. Due to the competition in me, I am wired to always want to be the best. Drive and persistence are two key qualities that can be trained and applied. These traits will get you where you want to be. Even if you cannot see or feel it right now, YOU do have that hustle in you. My favorite definition is, "to make the most of what you have, moving quickly and with purpose to breed successful results."
Merriam-Webster defines hustle as, "to obtain by energetic activity."
Their secondary definition is, "to sell or promote energetically and aggressively." These are powerful words and actions.
In a way we are all in sales, each of us is selling a product, a service, selling ourselves and our achievements. We are all looking to be heard, accepted and acknowledged.
Promote yourself!
Selling is a good thing, please don't view this in the wrong way. We all need to promote ourselves or there may not be anyone else that will. When I was in digital sales I remember my manager saying that you need to look out for number one. Number one is you, YOU NEED TO PROMOTE YOURSELF. You need to realize that by promoting your strengths, achievements and your abilities, you will inherently drive yourself to the next level. By leveraging this in both a humble and honest way, others will recognize your importance, credibility and the need for your services.
How do I become more productive?
Hustling is a way of living. To hustle to get things done does not mean that you do things in a careless way. It means that you are doing it in a way that gets things done fast with applied thought. It means that you apply drive and consistency to your everyday to get things done.
Struggling to find your passion? Try this exercise...
If you are struggling to find your hustle there are many things you can do to find it. THE FIRST IS REALIZING YOUR PASSIONS. Take a minute and jot down the things that you love, the things that make your day, the things that you enjoy doing. Write down the topics that make you excited, the people that intrigue you, the influences that drive you. Once you have written these down (yes, you need to write them down), circle the ideas that stand out to you. From there, zero in on your future and what you are doing right now in your career. Do those items you circled align with your current path?
If they do, that is great and you are on track, keep doing more of that! If they don't, that is okay. Chill.
What to do when you need a change in your role
The next step is to try to do more of those things you like doing that you circled above. Be sure to discuss this with your superior. Find a way to convince your boss to offload the activities that you don't like. Define individuals or areas where they may be more suited and be ready to explain why. Another option is to identify a project or path that you have interest in and navigate toward that goal. Leverage your review time for these conversations. If you want to make changes NOW, try to use a regular scheduled touch base for this discussion.
If this request or growth path is denied, it may be time to start looking outside your current path. Are there opportunities within your current company that you may be able to pursue that you are passionate about? If not, then try looking outside your company. Create a profile on a job resource site such as monster, careerbuilder, linkedin jobs, or ziprecruiter. You can delegate the amount and types of positions they send you. As one of my mentor's once said, "you should always be looking for your next role."
Ready to be an Entrepreneur?
If you are looking to become your own boss and to create a business, there is no time like the present. As you most likely know, this is no easy feat, but can have its advantages.
The first step before pursuing the operations activities is to narrow in on your niche. Determine the, "what" you would like to do. The next step is to narrow in on the "who," the audience you would like to target. Once these have been identified...GET MY FREE WORKBOOK HERE, then you can begin to take the next step and create a business plan. For more on creating a business plan click here.
Ways to be more productive
So how do you get more done in a shorter amount of time? How do you reinvent your hustle...start with small changes and make them habits!!!
- Touch it once!
- That means if you have to get back to someone, do it right away.
- If you need to create an email, don't begin it and save to drafts; finish it.
- Organize, Organize, Organize
- You need to create a level of organization in your life. That means get rid of the clutter in your work space.
- Make a routine of cleaning before you wrap up your work day. Create a to do list each afternoon before you wrap up your day.
- Organize your email inbox; create folders, get rid of the junk mail and reduce clutter.
- Create a Goal List
- Curate high level goals over a period of time. Within those goals you need milestones to achieving those goals (these are achievable milestones, but will take work).
- Then use your to do lists to get to those notable milestones.
- Stop answering emails at all hours of the day
- Set times through out the day that you will check your email instead of the constant interruption.
- Block yourself in 2 hour increments for thought activity.
- Set up auto-responder so that individuals know your strategy
- Time - Management
- Make sure when setting up meetings you make the most of your time:
- Rule of Thumb: If the meeting does not have an agenda and an objective, it is not worth your time or theirs.
- Be sure to capture all decisions and action items so that all parties can walk away with their designated tasks.
- Make sure when setting up meetings you make the most of your time:
All in all, being productive and hustling is a state of mind. It requires constant focus and dedication. One key takeaway for you is that productivity is a means to a happier life. This means that being more productive in your career, side hustle or business will allow for you to have less distractions when you are off the clock. Work is an ever continuous battle, but doing it in a way that is fulfilling and meaningful will provide you some peace when you are at home.
