this edition of the [no hustle] huddle went out on Mon 22nd January 2024

Want to know why most people slip into “the hustle”?

… why it creeps up on us?

… why life seems to *just* take over?

I’ll share, although before I do, I’d like to admit that I too slip into this; have indeed slipped into it recently. Because even though I’m always conscious of my relationship with Hustle Culture, I remain a human bag of meat 🥩

Imperfectly perfect like you and everyone else 👍

You see, I’ve been trying to KEEP UP; with work, with my personal health and well-being, my new foray into husbanding, being a parent and trying my best not to ruin my kids’ lives 🫨

I wake up, get to work (in its various forms), and crack on until, before I know it, it’s time for sleep. another day passes me by like a sneaky whisper in the ear 🌬️

Is it because I’ve taken too much on? Is it due to my standards and expectations? Is it because I’m in a busy chapter and still adjusting? Does it come down to my inner demons, insecurities, and self-doubt?

In my experience, it is never just one thing 👆👆

It’s a factor of several, each one playing a small role and planting tiny seeds 🌱

at first, all is well; you can keep up.

But as the days bleed into each other, it gets harder.

and once you fall behind, that’s when you throw yourself into The Hustle 😞

Is there a solution to this? Well, kinda… and more on that soon 😉

First, a few pieces that may interest you before we venture deeper into your soul 

👇👇

from the [no hustle] community

Sleep and Mental Health — just how strong is the link between SLEEP and your MENTAL HEALTH 🤔

Why Can’t I Sleep? — a sneak peek into my recent world 🤯

3 actions to take this week

🔖 bookmark this → ROUTINE: the secret to escaping burnout or the very thing that plunges you into it❓❓❓

📺 watch this → the perfectly imperfect pursuit of perfection and trying to ensure what you do hits “a certain standard” may be what holds you back…

💪 DO THIS → Create a DO List — take a little time to reflect and come up with three items you would like to DO this week that does nothing but fuel your soul … 

it could be a lonesome something (a walk, maybe) or something with your family (a long overdue family day out) … Big or small, add three items to your list, and then, sometime this week, DO them!

this week’s featured book

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle — reading this book taught me one VERY important lesson → that the only moment we ever experience is *this* one.

We are only ever in the PRESENT, yet we spend much of our time thinking about the past and future. I literally cannot NOT do this; it feels like a disease.

Yet knowing this — that the PRESENT is all we have — is something I remind myself often as it helps ground me in what matters.

🎙️ pass the mic

I recently came across Kariza Santos (aka Life of Riza) and she’s simply a wonderful filmmaker, and if her videos don’t feed your soul in some way… well, I don’t know what to tell ya 😆

🎤 drop the mic

So … how do you KEEP UP?

• How do you stay on top?
• How do you prevent it from pushing you into *the hustle*?

Simple answer → You Don’t❗

There is no keeping up or staying on top because this world we are a part of has evolved beyond something a simple human like ourselves can fathom.

We are the same as we were ten thousand years ago (in terms of hardware).

Yet the abundance of opportunities we now have access to… well, it’s A LOT 😲

So, we feel like we’re missing out. We feel like we should do this, that, and the other. Indeed, we often have to juggle more balls than we can because it isn’t as simple as NOT do the work or NOT be there for your kids or NOT be a present husband or NOT [fill in your blank].

We cannot change the world.

all we can do is change our relationship with the world 🌍

Yet this isn’t easy and we’ll always get drawn back into the chaos from time to time. This is okay; more so, this is to be expected.

All you need to do is remind yourself that…

1. You are *just* a human bag of meat 🥩
2. You will never complete or even keep up with your endless “to-do” list 📝

Because every time you get close to finishing it, something or someone (and yes, at times, that someone is YOU 🫵) adds to it.

I’m not saying any of this keeps you out of the hustle, because once again, I have found myself struggling with this and *this* is something I think about OFTEN 🧠

But what it does help you achieve is a sense of Grounding Peace … a simple reminder that “keeping up” is impossible and all you owe anyone (including yourself) is your Best Self.

and although I have no idea what your Best Self looks like, the one thing we all have in common is that we only come close to reaching it when we give ourselves a break and allow ourselves to be that imperfect human bag of meat we are 🥩

Thanks for reading today… if you have any questions or thoughts you’d like to share, hit me up with a reply 👇👇

Here’s to YOU 🤲

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