Stop Hustling

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I heard my pastor say this in church yesterday, and I can’t shake it:

“Hustle culture is fear masquerading as ambition.”

That line hit me hard.

Because if I’m honest, most of my “busy” weeks aren’t rooted in purpose—they’re rooted in fear. Fear of falling behind. Fear that if I’m not in motion, I’m losing ground.

So I sprint from task to task, notification to notification… and still end the week asking:
“Did I really make progress?”

If you’re leading a team, building a business, or running a side hustle after your 9-to-5, you’ve felt this. Your week disappears into what’s urgent but not what really moves the needle for you.

Here’s how to change that:

Define the Win Before the Week Begins

Before Monday runs away from you, ask:
“If I accomplish just one thing this week, what would make it a win?”

That’s your anchor task—the single outcome that, if done, makes this week matter.

• Founder? Book your first sales call instead of polishing the deck all week.

• Team leader? Prioritize the one discussion that clears the bottleneck and accelerates progress.

• Side-hustler? Launch the landing page so you can start collecting emails instead of tweaking the logo again.

• Personal brand builder? Publish one LinkedIn post that positions you as the go-to, rather than just scrolling.

Once you’ve defined it:

1. Block two focused sessions on your calendar this week for that task, preferably this Remarkable Monday morning.

2. Guard that block like a meeting with your most important client—your future self.

3. Let the rest of the week orbit around that win.

Because here’s the truth:
Life will interrupt you.
Your inbox will explode.
But if you define the win and commit to it first, you’ll finish the week with real momentum instead of empty hustle.

Hustle looks busy.
Clarity moves you forward.

So take 60 seconds right now.
Define your win.
And build your week around it.

If you’re reading this far…

I hope this message finds you well. I’m sharing from my heart in hopes that you will be inspired to unearth and live out your God-given purpose. Hopefully, something I said resonated. I would love to hear from you if so. Please feel free to reach out to me on social media. FYI: I’m mostly active on Instagram these days. If you were forwarded this message, you can subscribe here to receive thoughts like this directly in your inbox. And don’t forget to check out the latest episode of my podcast, ConvoRoom with Mark Allen Patterson.

See you next week,