As the end of 2018 approaches, we’ve already begun to reflect on the year we’ve had. We made resolutions in January to dedicate the following 365 days, 8670 hours towards our goals. Our enthusiasm oozed from our pores as the excitement of "the hustle" consumed our minds. We obsessively dissect and analyze "the hustle" of our favorite influencers, millionaires and entrepreneurs; and the one thing that most of them have in common is the fact that they’ve adopted today's cultural philosophy, “sleep when you're dead" and "don't stop until you're finished."
Insert "hustle porn" here – a term coined by Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit– which addresses the obsession we have with the idea that unless you are suffering, grinding, working every hour of every day, you’re not working hard enough. Which is true to some extent, but at what cost?
We've found a way to romanticize the destruction of our bodies and diminishing our quality of life– thus creating the perception of underachievement if we’re not incessantly “grinding” among a generation of sleepless entrepreneurs and creatives. Every panel we've attended or "get rich" podcast we've listened to push the narrative that the only way to be successful is to devote your entire life to your goals. What most never tell you is that even though tunnel-vision, dedication, and commitment are key components to achieving your goals, they can also be the same elements that impede your progress and keep you from achieving them.
Sleep deprivation can significantly raise your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, adversely affect your mental health, make you susceptible to weight gain, weaken your immune system, and is also linked to cancer of the bowel, prostate, and breast according to World Health Organization. This is the side we don't hear about often. Is it neglect? Is it intentional? Is it intentional neglect? Who knows? But it seems that quality of life and health & wellness are not provocative enough to be included in these larger conversations behind the hustle of success or "microwaveable entrepreneurship."
It is baffling that while fitness professionals have been working alongside the information technology community for the last decade developing tools, applications, and even tangible metrics to help us create balance in our daily lives, fitness professionals are often overlooked and not given a seat at the table to chime in on what healthy success looks like. These larger discussions and concepts surrounding success should be more inclusive of fitness and wellness professionals. Without a fully functioning healthy body and mind, will millions of dollars matter? Without our health how long will we be able to live to enjoy our earnings, success, or fame?
As we move forward into the new year, there is a responsibility for all influential platforms to highlight the importance of health and wellness as a part of success with the same enthusiasm they use for one-dimensional success and hard work. We have forgotten that our health is our wealth, and our wellness should never be overlooked for the sake of capitalism.
Many of us are standing by idly allowing ourselves to self-destruct by chasing this disastrous false narrative of what the "hustle" looks like. Instead, we should employ a sustainable routine that enables us to get a sufficient amount of sleep. Whether it’s using an app or setting a notification in our phones to remind us to get go to sleep, or even turning off and disconnecting from the world for periods of time during the day; we must do everything we can to create a better quality of life. Get a good night's rest, make the gym apart of your process, and create an eating pattern that promotes your mental and physical health. Until these become priorities in our visions of success, we will forever "chase the bag" and die trying.
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