It sounds cliché but its practice is everything useful and pragmatic.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Hope isn’t a strategy” and although there is so much truth to that statement, you’re left with the feeling of asking, “Ok so what is a strategy and more importantly, what is my strategy?“
So that I can be as inclusive as possible, let’s call the strategy: HUSTLE.
And the reason is because no matter what strategy you take or action you do, without the hustle to the mental muscle you’ll be in trouble (yes I purposefully tried to make that rhyme!).
I’m the first in line over the importance of the power of positive feelings and emotions, specifically how empowering they are over your physical and emotional states. Yet for many of us, all too often, motivational talks between ourselves dissipate even when we know that change is the only way forward. From self help videos, award winning books, degrees and badges convincing you that you’re on your way to do something different this time…something superb that is surely going to change things for the better…and then…?
And well, let’s also be fair. Many of times these activities truly just might be enough to get you on a path of the greatness that you are…
…but for all too many of us and all too often, it passes and dissolves to the recesses of our beautiful minds.
Books, Kindles, Audiobooks, PDF’s, Bookmarks, etc. galore give you the sensation that you possess something at a short arms length or click away but you’re really much further than you think. That is, if you don’t take the step to bridge the HUSTLE to all that mental muscle.
Ok. I want to hustle Ramy, but where do I start? I can’t just grab a shovel or some bricks and start building and working, I’ve got a lot going on.
Precisely the right question to ask!
It starts with just a small shift in your actions – your thinking has already been done for you and for so many of us, we’re thinking way too much even as we sleep!
There is so much to work with once you decide that you’re leaving hope at home.
Work with me here in making that clear: Leave hope at home.
By mentally separating your hope from your hustle, you are taking the very first step to do things different this next time around.
Congratulations if you’ve wrapped your head around that and feel a little edgy in your seat…that’s a good thing! Wobble around a bit or standup and take a look out the window to let that sink in a little more. DO NOT go to the break room and get coffee or go outside for a smoke…inertia will take over…keep reading!
Useful Use Cases:
Want a new job? Work on reaching out to those people in the company you’re targeting.
Want to get noticed by strong recruiters? Find me the job you’re dreaming of FIRST or create one yourself to communicate with the world.
Need extra cash? What are you so good at that people would pay you for it?
What’s an unfair advantage you have over your peers?
How do you feel about testing a new idea or service you have with your network to validate its worth?
Define goals that require action (the A in your present SMART objectives if you will) which require a HUSTLE.
Next…
Start shooting darts until something sticks…but you’ve got to start shooting the darts.
Hustling in my world is trying by action, and it should be in your world too! Not because it sounds good, not because it even feels good many of times, it’s mainly because it’s necessary…perhaps like your mother’s smashed broccoli and beets spoon fed to you as a child…You certainly don’t regret that now do you? Too late anyways…! 🙂
Yes strategy is critical but without the will to execute you’re only prolonging the inevitable stalemate between you and yourself…and that is indeed quite stale.
Inaction inhibits your inability to iterate what works.
So if you think you’ve got what it takes to make that change and shift for the better, consider acting just as much as thinking…if your intentions are good and your idea is even half baked, you’ll soon realize that the action itself brought with it the hope you’ve left at home before you hustle all over again!
Afraid of rejection? Nah. Don’t be.
You who dare do different shall at the very least reap the rewards of a feeling of a realistic hope that intimately knows reward from the exemplary efforts exhibited in the hustle.
Yours sincerely,
Ramy Ballout
Founder at AirLinked & Unconventional Coach and Confidant to Amazing People