Alright, alright, alright. Hold up a sec with this whole “hustle culture” thing. It’s starting to feel less “work hard, play hard” and more like a hamster wheel of endless grinding with little to show. I mean, have you seen these videos lately? “Make $80,000 on Instagram!” they scream. Yeah, right. Probably by selling ebooks on how to make $80,000 on Instagram. No seriously….
Let’s dissect the hustle hustle:
- The Clickbait Caper: You see a video promising “From Zero to Hero: Making $$$ Weekly!” Next thing you know, you’re enrolled in a course that teaches you… nothing. You just got played.
- The Side Hustle Sucker Punch: Everyone’s got a side hustle these days, but no one talks about the time and skill it takes to actually make money from them. Dropshipping is not magic, folks. How many people made a name for themselves doing that vs how many have abandoned it?
- The Free Website Fiasco: Building a website is like building a house — it ain’t free. Domains, hosting, SEO (search engine optimization, for the newbies) — all cost cash (or years of your life learning). And don’t even get me started on marketing!
I know the workplace toxicity has been exposed, especially post pandemic and we have people telling us to quit our 9–5 and stop wasting our time. 50% of Gen Z wants to quit their jobs to become entrepreneurs. Of course, when we are bombarded with images, videos about “making it” , and all we need is to hustle and grit. No wonder many venture out to start something.
Hustle Culture’s Favorite Go To’s (Sound familiar):
- “Comfort is the enemy of growth!” Yeah, well, so is burnout.
- “Failing is just learning!” Sure, but “learning” shouldn’t cost you your savings on questionable courses.
- “Only a few make it to the end” More like only the lucky and the well-funded survive.
Look, there’s a place for hustle. But let’s be smart about it. Do your research, avoid the grifters, and remember: success rarely happens overnight.
Building those skills takes time. Time most of these “gurus” conveniently forget to mention. Suddenly, that “free” side hustle starts looking a whole lot more expensive (and time-consuming). I still believe in starting small but being realistic about the expectations, and finding gratitude.
So ditch the hustle culture and find a sustainable path to your goals. Your future self (and bank account) will thank you.