The End Of The Hustle Culture
The hustle culture prevailed during the second decade of the twenty-first century. Largely driven by the vigorous growth of Silicon Valley companies and personified by some figures in this field who became genuine pop idols, this approach to work (and life in general) in which the idea of always wanting more, and striving to be the best every day in all aspects of our lives, is promoted, became the ideal model for navigating the wild world of work during that period.
When we read interviews or biographies of some of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time, we often see glorified strategies that may not always be the healthiest to reach the top. Television fiction elevated risk fund managers to successful series’ protagonists who would do anything to achieve their desired profit. The examples are numerous, and while many of these characters have undeniable charisma and appeal, and even though they are often criticized, their prominent role in our society reflects the strength of this way of life.
Just as the yuppie generation, famously captured by Oliver Stone through the character of Michael Douglas in "Wall Street," was a product of a decade of rampant capitalism promoted worldwide from Reagan's America, the current generation of leaders brought this aggressive approach to the world of work with a new look, introducing and promoting some healthier habits in their daily routines, such as mindfulness. These aspects coexist with long daily work hours and the pursuit of constant growth.
Obviously, there are always positive aspects to take from some of these examples. If approached positively, we can draw motivation from them to achieve our personal projects and learn techniques to increase our productivity.
However, if we are immersed in a work culture where our goals converge on always being the best of the best, this can bring frustration and constantly high levels of anxiety due to the feeling of always being close, but never reaching our ideal (which often can be unattainable); harm our family life due to the lack of time we have to dedicate to it; or lead to a state of chronic exhaustion caused by the long working hours that we easily subtract from our sleep hours. One of the most common consequences is burnout.
Nevertheless, there have been signs that this culture may be fading.
The turning point may have been the COVID-19 pandemic. Time spent at home with family; the adaptation of regular work to remote work; or even the sense of finitude, among other factors, made many reflect on their career paths up to that point and change their approach to work. Fortunately, this trend seems to be permeating the generation that is now entering the job market. In the Western world, the perspectives of these young people, often expressed on social media by themselves, prioritize personal well-being over the desire to reach the top. It is common to read articles about the preference of this age group for having fewer actual working hours and, for example, being able to dedicate more time to other projects of interest.
In this way, it is important to pursue our goals, and if we are willing, there is nothing wrong with making occasional sacrifices to achieve them. However, we must always remember that work is not everything, and we can be among the best without always having to be the absolute best. Learning to set priorities; striving for realistic goals; managing our time; taking breaks; taking care of ourselves; and seeking a balance between our professional and personal lives, are some of the things we should keep in mind to achieve our goals, but not at any cost, especially at the expense of our mental and physical health.
The hustle culture has gained some perspective.
