Why I Gave Up On Hustle Culture

For years, I was obsessed with productivity hacks, morning routines, and squeezing every drop of efficiency out of my day. I devoured books, podcasts, and articles from so-called "hustle culture" gurus promising that if I just woke up earlier, worked harder, and pushed through burnout, I’d achieve success. Spoiler alert: I didn’t.

Growing Up in the Girl Boss Era

I became an adult during the "girl boss" era around 2014-2015, a time when hustle culture was glorified and deeply influential on my mindset as I started my business. Sophia Amoruso, the founder of Nasty Gal and author of #GIRLBOSS, was my idol at the time. I admired her for creating the life of her dreams and building a business from the ground up. She, and the hustle mentality, promised that if you worked hard enough, you could achieve anything. I felt pulled into the capitalist trap of it all. I believed that success could only be earned through relentless effort and constant productivity. The idea of work-life balance wasn’t even on my radar. I didn’t question it because I was convinced that grinding was the only path to success.

This mentality followed me around for many years as I constantly looked for ways to optimize my life. I devoured books like Atomic Habits by James Clear, obsessing over the idea of hacking my daily routines to become more productive. As a Capricorn stellium in the 6th house, the idea of structuring my days for maximum efficiency deeply resonated with me. I loved the thought of creating systems and routines that would help me achieve more in less time. But instead of feeling empowered, I found myself trapped in a cycle of over-optimization, where productivity became the end goal rather than a means to live a fulfilling, balanced life.

The Cost of Hustle Culture

But this mindset didn’t empower me, it hindered me. It led to burnout and disconnected me from my values as a service provider. As a Latina designer, I wanted to be accessible and available to communities that normally wouldn’t be able to engage with designers. (This is a topic I'll cover in the future, there's so much to be said about it!) This desire, combined with hustle culture’s toxic messaging, led me to undercharge for my work, overwork to make ends meet, and ultimately burn out because I couldn’t find balance (I hate that word, but it fits here) in my business and life.

Hustle culture sells a seductive narrative: work harder, grind longer, and success will eventually find you. It glorifies busy schedules, late nights, and endless to-do lists as badges of honor. But here’s the truth: it’s unsustainable. Hustle culture thrives on scarcity mindsets, convincing us that if we’re not constantly producing, we’re not valuable.

What hustle culture doesn’t tell you is that productivity isn’t the same as purpose. Chasing endless tasks doesn’t necessarily lead to meaningful progress. It often distracts us from the work that truly matters—the work that feels authentic, resonant, and aligned with our values.

The Nuance of Hustle Culture

To a certain extent, hustle culture isn’t entirely bad. I mean, we all have to work to achieve our goals in the world. There’s value in dedication, ambition, and hard work. They’re essential parts of building a business and creating meaningful work. We can’t coddle ourselves into thinking that we don’t need to put in effort.

The difference lies in not letting capitalistic productivity become the only important thing in our businesses and lives. Life is about so much more than being productive. We are not machines. Our worth isn’t measured solely by output, and we don’t always need to be perfect at everything we do. It’s okay to slow down, to take breaks, to savor the simple moments. In fact, it’s extremely healthy. Slowing down allows us to reconnect with ourselves, recharge our creativity, and show up more authentically in both our work and personal lives.

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