“Just work hard, bro!”
I was disappointed when I asked a friend for advice and he told me to work hard. The truth it that most successful people are not good at giving specific advice because they’re so busy with their goals that they don’t have time to think about how they got there.
They also can’t relate to a rookie hustler because they’re so far on the other side of the spectrum. It also doesn’t help when you ask very vague questions.
This doesn’t mean that you have to give up. I just don’t want you to think that working hard is the only advice available out there. There’s so much useless advice out there when it comes to hustling and getting ahead. I’m here to expose it all. I want to help you get off to the right start. I don’t want to see you give up because it feels like all of the advice that you accepted isn’t working out for you.
Here are the most useless pieces of hustle advice, ever!
#1. Working hard is all that matters.
Working hard is expected. This is the minimum barrier to entry for anything that you want to do. The problem is that we already know that we need to be working hard. This isn’t exactly groundbreaking advice.
However, you also need to work smart. You also need to work hard on the right things. Just working hard alone can be pretty useless.
What’s more important than working hard?
- Making connections.
- Working on the right things.
- Staying focused.
- Making money.
- Getting your name out there.
- Not burning out. <— I’ve seen far too many bloggers burn out because they went too hard. It’s more important how you finish the race than how you start it.
Stop thinking that working hard will solve all of your problems. You need to work on the right things. You need to ensure that you’re getting ahead so that all of your work isn’t going towards nothing.
#2. You should be yourself.
This is absolutely useless advice. What does this even mean? Who were you planning on being? Does anyone plan on being someone else? Is this even a thing?
What’s the more practical advice here?
What you should do is focus on what matters to you most. Stick to what you know. You don’t have to work on every single weakness. You can embrace your strengths. You don’t have to hide your quirks. Let the world know exactly what you’re all about. Believe in your weirdness.
#3. You need to block out the haters.
I hate these quotes and memes about how you should ignore haters. These days you can’t be honest with anyone because they’re going to call you a hater. The reality is that you can’t always get praised by everyone. You need feedback and criticism to grow. Someone with a valid opinion is not a hater.
What should you really do?
Accept feedback from those that you would be willing to trade places with. You shouldn’t be afraid of criticism. You can’t just ignore a poor review or a negative comment. The goal should be to always be improving. You can’t improve if you’re always going around looking for praise and approval. Your goal should be to find friends who are ruthless to your face and kind behind your back.
#4. You should never quit.
“Quit the wrong stuff. Stick with the right stuff. Have the guts to do one or the other.” — Seth Godin
We did an entire episode on this. Quitting is the best thing for you sometimes. You can’t be wasting your energy on the wrong things. I’ve seen friends struggle while they try to turn the Titanic around. Your goal should be to work on what actually has a shot. I know that I’m never going to be the best writer. This is why I focus on writing with a voice and on taking advantage of other platforms (videos and podcasts).
What should you actually do?
Quit on the wrong things. Work on what you want to work on. Master a very specific skill and become the best in your pocket of the world.
These are the biggest lies that are shared with all hustlers. I don’t want you to get stuck following useless advice. I want to see you do three things:
- Create epic content daily. This can be videos, freelance articles, podcasts, quotes, art, etc. Keep on creating.
- Spread the word. Let the world know what you’re doing.
- Get feedback. Find mentors and friends. Keep on growing with freedback. Ask for harsh criticism and grow from it. Don’t whine about it.
Good luck with your hustling adventures!
“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” — Abraham Lincoln
