Here’s the deal:
The Problem With Hustle Culture
The issue I find with the grind, hustle culture, and famous slogans like Nike’s “Just Do It” is that there is a failure to recognise that, sometimes, on some days, we’re going to be a little under the weather, a little bit more tired, and lack the motivation to do the thing, whatever the thing is.
Now, that’s not to say not to do the thing, whether it’s a 5k run, going to the gym, or simply getting out of bed to go to work and crack on with our day.
But it is to say that disregarding how we feel, like it just doesn’t matter, is naive at best.
Because how we feel, our overall energy level, and where we are mentally and emotionally all matter.
They are often our felt experience of this thing called life.
The “Do It Anyway” Mindset
That’s where “do it anyway” comes in and can be very helpful…
This slight play on Nike’s famous slogan, and alternative message to the grind and hustle culture, which often encourages us to disregard our emotions and feelings, is one that I have found can be extremely helpful in getting us to do the thing without the guilt for feeling tired, unmotivated, or just not wanting to do whatever the thing is, like we’re some sort of immortal creature who should never experience those feelings.
That’s what I’ve at least found the grind and hustle culture can portray.
Whereas “do it anyway” recognises and honours our felt experience, and the fact that at times we’re going to be under the weather, feel tired, or just lack that bit of drive and motivation to get up and do the thing…
And to do it anyway.
To go on that 5k run tired, to go to the gym when we don’t want to, to get up and crack on with the day anyway when we’d rather stay in bed.
It encourages us to still do all of those things and crack on with life, while accepting and recognising how we feel, and honouring our felt experience in a way that doesn’t stop us from living life.
This concept, learned from Chris Williamson’s Modern Wisdom podcast, has helped me to continue to show up despite a lack of motivation to do the thing, whatever the thing is, and not disregard my emotions, feelings, where I am mentally, and my overall energetic state.
Why Grinding Through Everything Doesn’t Work
Also, it’s interesting that I find this mindset requires overall less brutal force to push through the days we’re slightly off it, which is often associated with, and required when, we’re in the grind or hustle mindset.
When operating from this place, the grind, hustle, push-through mindset, we disregard the fact that actually we do feel slightly low or tired, or are unmotivated to do the thing, and that this doesn’t matter because our feelings don’t matter, so we’re going to grind through with pure brute force.
I don’t know about you, but when we continue to operate from this mindset and live in this way, it not only becomes tiring but also draining and soaks up more of our energy.
In the short term, this is doable, manageable, okay, even, and can be helpful in small bursts to get things done and make progress.
However, over the long term, it’s just not sustainable. While many talk about this leading to burnout, which it will do, for me, the more pressing issue is that it will simply make life less enjoyable.
It will suck the joy and vitality out of life so much to the extent that we become numb to the essence of life and end up missing it, never taking a moment to just enjoy ourselves.
Surely this is at least partly what life is about…?
The Middle Path Between Emotions and Action
On the flip side, “do it anyway” is an acceptance and recognition of how we feel, with the understanding that life still unfolds and we still have things to do while experiencing those feelings anyway.
If we were purely to act and live based on how we feel, our lives would be chaotic, and we wouldn’t get anything done.
We would end up reacting emotionally to everything in each micro-moment, more than responding consciously to life’s events.
We would be victims of our own emotions.
Remember:
Our emotions and feelings don’t last as often as we think they do. They are fluid and can change relatively quickly, just like the wind.
This, clearly, isn’t the answer.
Neither is disregarding them like they don’t exist.
At the end of the day, our emotions and feelings are feedback tools that we can learn and grow from.
For example, if we wake up days or weeks in a row feeling drained, tired, and lethargic, then that’s a red flag.
We can’t continue to grind, hustle, or push our way through that.
Or we could, but the outcomes won’t be very pleasant.
That’s our body telling us that something is awry, and continuing to push through it is naive at best.
A Simpler Way to Approach Life
“Do it anyway” is the best mantra and memorable mindset shift that I’ve found to date that helps us to navigate this whole dichotomy by recognising, accepting, and honouring how we feel while continuing to get the things we need and even want to do.
It’s an acceptance of: okay, I’m feeling tired today, and I’m going to do the thing anyway.
To go on the 5k run, to go to the gym, to go to work, feeling how I’m feeling anyway.
Brute force, grind, and hustle might work.
But for how long?
This alternative isn’t only more sustainable.
It changes our felt experience to one that is more enjoyable, peaceful, harmonious, and accepting of all that is.
Give it a try the next time you’re feeling slightly under the weather, tired, or unmotivated to do the thing, whatever the thing is.
Do it anyway.
It could be your new best friend.
Reminders
1. Our emotions don’t last as long as we think they do.
Our emotions feel permanent in the moment, but most of them pass surprisingly quickly when we truly feel and then allow them to.
Recognising their temporary nature helps us avoid making decisions based on temporary states.
Often, if we truly feel, accept, and then let go, the feeling changes, and we can move on with the rest of our day rather than being a victim of our own emotions.
2. Emotions are feedback tools to learn and grow from.
Our emotions and feelings are signals about what might need attention.
They can highlight stress, misalignment, fatigue, or unmet needs.
When listened to consciously, they become tools for growth rather than obstacles.
3. Do it anyway.
We’ve all heard the message that motivation is unreliable, but that doesn’t stop us from experiencing it.
Do it anyway, helps us to acknowledge and accept how we feel, and move forward regardless with less brutal force.
Progress often comes not from feeling perfect, but from showing up imperfectly, accepting how we feel during the process.