7 Ways to Hustle Harder and Improve Your Grind
May 19, 2021 8:00 AM EST | 7 min read
Hustle hard.
You’ve heard that expression used many times, right?
I often hear it used by hungry and driven professionals, who clearly possess an undeniable belief that their dream is absolutely attainable – but not without doing the hard work.
Consequently, they hustle hard.
However, is it possible to hustle harder and thereby, accelerate your results?
I think so.
Let’s get into it:
How To Hustle and Improve Your Grind
1. Get clear on what you want, and NOT just what you think you can have.
Take a moment to consider whether the goal you’re chasing is what means the most to you, OR if it’s the goal that just seems less scary.
There’s a difference.
When you consider your goals, are you thinking, “Why not me?“
If so, then you’re going the right way.
However, you must give pause if you don’t believe your dream can happen for you.
So, which is true?
Do your goals represent what YOU want, OR are you afraid to dream bigger because of the unknown or past failures?
I don’t want you to attend another costly seminar until you have clarity, because there’s no reason to invest in a dream that doesn’t inspire you.
Maybe you’ve taken “the leap” once or twice.
Maybe you’ve tried many times to go after what you want and have failed.
As a result, leaping again seems exhausting.
So, you’ve resolved to stop going after something that, at this point, seems unattainable.
I completely understand if that’s how you feel.
However, I’m compelled to urge you to put those negative feelings aside and get motivated by the possibilities.
Instead of settling, decide to get clear on what you want and design a practical plan to go after it.
Again?
Yes, again.
This is the way on how to hustle and win.
2. Define your “WHY”.
Answer this question: Why is this venture or career you’re pursuing so important to you?
While pondering, consider the bigger solutions that you’re providing to others and to yourself.
This is to help you gain a sense of connection to what you’re doing on a deeper level.
A clear understanding of WHY you’re hustling so hard will give you a reason to keep your head down and focus on the difficult days, instead of giving up.
3. Create a solid, measurable, action plan to track your process.
Working hard is meaningless if you’re NOT tracking your progress.
Therefore, it’s important to create a list of specific goals, immediate next steps, and deadlines.
When you’ve determined what your next course of action is, I urge you to see it through.
Do NOT give consideration to another idea until you see the previous one all the way to the end.
I recently heard an expression that said, “A creative person’s mind is like a computer with 287 tabs open.”
It’s true!
I certainly have many tabs open, and often.
However, finishing what you’ve started is an important discipline that offers many rewards when fully embraced.
So, I want you to determine how often you will do certain tasks to support your goals.
How much time and money will you invest into achieving a specific goal?
Take a comprehensive look at the outcomes or your process.
Doing so will help you keep a healthy perspective, offer insight into real progress, and inform you about the next steps needed to hustle and win.
4. Spend consistent time training your mind, body and spirit.
Working hard requires mental, spiritual, and physical fitness.
Putting off your gym workouts, time with friends and family, or even consistent, timely meals can be tempting.
There’s an endless task list to finish.
Who has time for happiness and food?
YOU do – or your journey is going to include a large dose of misery.
Yes, we are responsible for our work and must prioritize our time accordingly.
Even so, have you noticed that no matter how productive you are today, tomorrow awaits with MORE to do?
As a working professional, there will always be another task waiting for you.
Therefore, I encourage you to look up and enjoy your life, holistically.
Otherwise, depression, burnout, and unhappiness will be visiting you soon.
Understanding how to hustle and win can wear you out if you’re not intentional about focusing on the inner work.
So consider doing enjoyable activities that refresh you consistently on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
Maybe that means that your day begins with prayer, meditation, yoga or cardio exercise.
Perhaps you allow an extra 20 minutes in your morning to enjoy a light breakfast while reading something inspirational to set the tone for the day.
Whatever it is, it should energize you.
Just don’t work hard and neglect yourself in the process.
You deserve to enjoy the benefits of your labor.
5. Build relationships with people who are doing what you want to do, and find ways to add value.
Developing and building relationships with those who are brilliantly doing what you want to do, and then finding ways add value is highly significant on how to hustle and win.
Those who hustle harder understand the significance of their relationships, along with the opportunity to learn from peers and mentors.
As a result, they are intentional about being helpful, thoughtful, and resourceful whenever the need arises.
When you help others solve problems, they will usually be eager to return the favor.
When you’re hustling harder, you want to be able to reach out to someone you know would be delighted to help you out.
Nonetheless, it starts with YOU.
How will you first add value to them?
The relationship must be mutually beneficial.
Otherwise, it’s likely that your call will go straight to voice mail when you call again.
6. Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up!
If you reach out to someone who you’re interested in working with and they don’t respond within a few days, follow-up.
DON’T stalk the person.
However, sending a cordial note to gently remind him/her of your earlier correspondence is considered to be normal business conduct.
Resist the urge to take it personally when someone doesn’t respond to your email right away.
Instead, just simply follow up.
There will be times when you will NOT get a response.
That’s fine, too.
But generally, people respond and are extremely grateful for the follow-up.
7. Work towards your main goal every day!
Taking consistent and intentional, action steps towards your goals is a key strategy to building momentum and success in your business or career.
Therefore, every day, take a moment to write down at least 1-3 high-yield, must-do’s that will move you towards your big goal.
Put the busy work aside.
Get down to business and focus on completing high-yield tasks such as:
- writing another 10 pages of your book,
- scheduling new speaking opportunities,
- creating new classes, or
- making cold calls to potential clients
You are bound to win when you approach your business and career every single day with that level of focus and tenacity.
Now that you have seven new strategies to consider on how to hustle and win, pick ONE and apply it immediately.
Continue to bet on yourself.
Approach every day with a sense of purpose, grit, and unapologetic determination to build the life you most desire.
YOU got this.
I’m rooting for you!
Go be great.