Are you rushing to get back to normal with work?
States are starting to terminate the extended PUA benefits because they claim there’s a labor shortage. The recent national jobs report show that estimates were WAY off the mark. They expected over a million and the tally stopped at 227k. I also got into a conversation that I had to pull away from when the tone was “people need to go back to work” from someone who’s been getting a steady check and doing absolutely nada for their dedicated employer.
I’m writing this from an outside cafe while noshing on coffee, an almond croissant, listening to my friend’s podcast, and looking into the void wondering WTF is wrong with people?!
In my 20s I was a crush it hustler before crush it was a thing. I remember holding down a soul sucking full-time job in social services while freelancing on the side to pay for the side hustle of producing indie projects because those video shoots didn’t pay for themselves. I also bartered A LOT.
I was “living the dream” y’all. I averaged about 15-20 hours of sleep a week…like for the WHOLE week and weekend. This is not an exaggeration. My typical schedule looked like this:
Monday – Friday
9-5ish: counseling job
5ish-11pm: rehearsals, meetings
11-3am: networking, freelancing work
3-7ish: sleep
Saturday – Sunday
10am: I slept in on non-production days
4am: finally go to bed except on Sundays which were all-nighters in preparation for the week
This was BEFORE I quit the FT job to pursue all the side hustles which shifted my schedule into wacky-ville.
One morning, I woke up but couldn’t move my body. For 30 minutes I laid in bed afraid that I was paralyzed. The body will fuck with you if you fuck with it. This was also a major breakthrough for me. This was the experience that got me thinking about quitting my FT job.
I’ve got a ton of stories from the entrepreneurial trenches. My 20s were interesting to say the least. In hindsight, I realize that in my 20s I formed a toxic perspective on work, worth, and success – the kind that’s taken me about 20 years to unravel.
Yet, here we are in 2021 and I’m seeing those same unsustainable views on what it means to work and how we tie self-worth to output.
As the country starts to demand that individuals accept exploitation so we can “get back to normal,” what exactly is that normal we’re rushing to resume?
Are you rushing to resume a relentless work ethic that often trades flow for fatigue?
This panini gave most of us an opportunity to take a beat. You don’t have to enable a workflow that is inconsistent with how you want to thrive. You don’t have to pursue a business that is not in alignment with your passion + purpose.
It’s as if we’re rushing to do “work” that we neglect to do “the work” which is usually the opposite of what we’re comfortable doing.
Imagine a world without hustle culture. What would your day look like if you could align your light with a sustainable profit opportunities?
We still need money to live. Those manifestation candles won’t manifest themselves. You still need to buy them.
Those cute bracelets and yummy vegan dish cost $$.
Money, wealth, income, profit = these are not evil words.
Entrepreneurship IS financial empowerment when you allow it to be.
The issue is when people weaponize entrepreneurship because it’s not in THEIR best interest for you to do what you love, on YOUR own terms and at YOUR pace.
I stopped treating myself like a machine…because I’m not.
I am an unapologetic nap enthusiast. Not because my body needs rest but just because. If you have to justify taking a break then you’re asking for permission to honor your body’s rhythm.
Take a nap, go for coffee, meet up with a friend, and do nothing without needing to explain yourself.
A lot of people didn’t survive this panini. The fact that you did is enough of a reason to celebrate.