There was a time when I thought working harder was always the answer.
If something wasn’t working, the solution was simple: do more. Sleep less. Push through. Stay busy. Stay productive. Stay “on the grind.”
That message is everywhere. It’s praised, rewarded, and romanticized. If you’re tired, that means you’re doing it right. If you’re burned out, you just haven’t optimized your system enough.
I don’t believe that anymore.
The Promise vs. The Reality
Hustle culture promises freedom, success, and happiness—eventually. Just not today. Today you grind. Tomorrow you live.
The problem is tomorrow never actually comes.
There’s always another goalpost. Another bill. Another obligation. Another thing you’re supposed to want. And somehow, the harder you work, the more trapped you feel.
I’ve lived that cycle. Not in a flashy way, but in the quiet, grinding way that wears you down over years. The kind where life becomes a checklist and joy gets postponed indefinitely.
Busy Isn’t the Same as Meaningful
We confuse motion with progress.
Our days are full, but they’re hollow. We’re “productive,” yet disconnected. Always reacting, rarely present. Always planning the next thing, never fully in the one we’re in.
Hustle culture doesn’t leave room for stillness. And without stillness, you lose perspective. You forget what actually matters to you versus what you’ve been told should matter.
I don’t want a life that looks impressive from the outside but feels empty on the inside.
Slowing Down Changed Everything
When I started stepping away from the constant push, something surprising happened: life didn’t fall apart.
The world didn’t collapse because I wasn’t maximizing every hour. Bills still got paid. Kids still grew. Seasons still changed.
What did change was how I experienced my days.
I noticed things again. The garden in peak season. The quiet moments outside. The satisfaction of fixing something with my own hands. Conversations that weren’t rushed. Time that wasn’t scheduled down to the minute.
I realized I wasn’t lazy. I was just exhausted from chasing things that didn’t align with who I am.
Choosing Enough Over More
Hustle culture is rooted in one dangerous idea: there is never enough.
Enough money. Enough success. Enough achievement. Enough proof that you’re doing life “right.”
I’m learning to choose enough.
Enough food on the table. Enough time outside. Enough work to feel capable, not crushed. Enough presence to actually enjoy the people around me.
That doesn’t mean doing nothing. I like being busy. I like working hard. But there’s a difference between meaningful work and endless striving.
One builds you. The other consumes you.
A Different Measure of Success
Success used to mean keeping up. Now it means something quieter.
It means knowing how to fix things. Growing some of our food. Teaching my kids by example instead of speeches. Being tired from physical effort, not mental overload.
It means days where nothing “important” happens, and that’s perfectly fine.
I don’t want to win a race I never wanted to run.
Stepping Off the Treadmill
I’m not rejecting modern life entirely. I still use tools, technology, and convenience where they make sense. But I refuse to let them dictate my pace or my values.
Hustle culture thrives on distraction and dissatisfaction. Simpler living requires intention and honesty.
For me, stepping away from hustle culture wasn’t about doing less—it was about doing what actually matters.
And letting the rest go.
– Just a note from the yard.