Solo Hustle: Why So Hard? 🤔

Quick announcement before I launch into this week’s post — Deadline Hollywood is doing a series of reports about the challenges facing the media & entertainment industry. I had an opportunity to speak with Lynette Rice about my observations coaching clients who have experienced career setbacks including job loss and how they may actually be grieving. It's important for folx to know they have permission to mourn not only their jobs, but how their industry has changed. Read the article here.

“I'd love for Laverne to share about grief around entrepreneurship, creative life, and just that solo hustle way of working that can feel lonely because we do not mourn what we think we're losing in order to do this … “ 

  — Anonymous Reader 

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the word "hustle" meant a person dancing with abandon, enjoying the music and the movement of their own body? When I first became an entrepreneur, I felt like I was a dancing queen. I was having the time of my life and loved being in control of my time, running with my ideas, and building my business. I believed the only thing I needed to succeed was hard work and a bit of luck. 

Photo by Lance Matthew Pahang on Unsplash

The hard truth is that it takes a significant amount of time (like years) to launch a career as a creative or for a business to succeed. So how do you keep going when the isolation, shrinking bank account, and ticking clock weigh so heavily that you find it hard to breathe and you no longer feel like you can dance?

Today, I identify four steps to navigating the solo hustle, including grieving the losses that come with pursuing your moonshot. 

Four Steps

1. Identify Needs: Recognize and address the parts of yourself that require support and motivation to achieve your goals.

2. Define Success: Visualize and detail your desired outcome. 

3. Know When to Quit: Understand and accept when it's appropriate to pivot or let go of certain goals.

4. Process Losses: Acknowledge and grieve any losses encountered on your journey to maintain emotional well-being.

Let’s unpack each of these four steps. 

Identify Needs

Back in the day, I took a computer programming class. It was a horrible experience, and I barely scraped by with a “C.” The one key learning I was able to salvage is the concept of “garbage in, garbage out.” I’ve taken this expression and used it as a way to analyze how I’m taking care of my needs.

Some recent "fuel."

Each of us requires fuel in different ways. If you're not fueling yourself properly, and according to your own unique needs, you will not be able to go the distance. For example, and stating the obvious, if I don’t eat healthy foods consistently (see above), I am not taking care of my basic physical needs.  When I eat Greek yogurt, granola and blueberries for breakfast,  my physical energy stays consistent through the morning. When I get too caught up and forget to eat lunch, my energy plummets and my cognitive ability diminishes. If I eat too late at night, then it’s very difficult to get up in the morning. 

What do you need physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, financially and socially to continue the solo hustle? I encourage you to push the pause button right now and take a few minutes to write down what you need. Taking it out of your head and putting it down on paper solidifies what will set you up for the side hustle marathon. 

Here are my needs to give you some further guidance and structure: 

• Physically: In addition to the above examples, I need to eat five colorful fruits and vegetables every day, avoid processed sugar and deep fried foods and get 8 hours of sleep. I also need to do some form of exercise every day, even if it’s just an easy walk to release stress and anxiety. 

• Emotionally: I need to journal and meditate on a consistent basis. I also need weekly therapy and regular dinners with my family to feel their love and support. 

• Mentally: I need to be learning and challenged so I seek out books and online classes. I also need downtime every night to watch tv and let my mind rest and wander freely. 

• Spiritually: I need to be in nature (walks serve more than one purpose!) and to connect with others through deep conversation. 

• Financially: I need sufficiency rather than abundance. The quest for abundance puts me in a scarcity mindset. 

• Socially: I actually need more alone time, but when I’m with friends, I prefer one-on-ones or small groups. 

You may have different or additional categories than the ones I’ve listed. Make it your own. Know yourself and get clear on your needs so you can get them met. 

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