Hustle & Grind

I hate busyness.

Yet for some ridiculous reason I continuously find myself being busy over productive. It’s probably one of the most frustrating things I have encountered in adulthood.

My time is often determined by someone else’s priorities and my personal mission and vision can fall by the wayside if I’m not careful. But that is not the fault of others. It is my responsibility alone. If I determine my future direction by my present actions then I can’t shift the blame to anyone else but myself. I can’t expect to do great and be greater if I consistently cut myself at the knees with my bad decisions.

I think it’s fair to say that most people fall into the same category as me. We know what we want, but for different reasons, we come across obstacles that stop us from doing what we want (or need) to do which in turn prevents us from becoming the people we want to become.

We all want to be known for how we hustle and grind. The question is, do you really hustle and grind?

When we think of the words hustle and grind, most people only think about work. I would venture to say that those two words don’t just represent our attitude and ethic towards work, but to everything we do in life. My faith, my marriage, my relationships, my parenting, my work, my health, my personal projects…everything I do should be affected positively by my ability to hustle and grind.

Why is this important?

So often I hear people claim that they are on their hustle and grind only to see them spend ridiculous hours on busy work, see no progress and see every other area in their lives falling apart.

People hustle and grind at work, but come home to a failing marriage. Their relationships are falling apart because their is no investment. Their health has taken such a backseat that they wear the damage they do to their bodies as a badge of honor. They parent their kids out of authority instead of influence because their hustle and grind has caused them to never be mentally present with their children even when they are physically present.

Personally, I am tired of seeing people attempting to wear this hustle and grind badge while their lives are falling apart. It’s not good for anyone. And for myself? I’ve come to the realization that those words mean way more than just the work I put in my vocation.

My definition has changed.

If anything in my life lacks, then I’m not hustling and I’m not grinding.

What made me think about this? I was listening to a interview Pastor Steven Furtick from Elevation Church did with Bishop TD Jakes. You can watch that interview Here. Bishop Jakes at one point during the interview says that “there is an old person deep inside of you depending on you to make the right decisions now when you are at your youngest and strongest.”

Yikes.

I will be the first to say that I have let this old person down plenty of times. I cannot continue to trend in the same direction, claim hustle and grind and expect to live a fully satisfied life in the future.

My hustle and grind means nothing without a strong marriage.

My hustle and grind means nothing without strong friendships.

My hustle and grind means nothing if I can’t influence my kids.

My hustle and grind means nothing if I don’t take care of my health.

My hustle and grind means nothing if I can’t develop my faith.

My hustle and grind means nothing if I succeed at work and destroy my life in the process.

Can you imagine what a REAL hustle and grind looks like if all of those things are covered? Strive for that. I know I will.