How To Successfully Practice Both

By Solomon Thimothy, CEO of OneIMS, a sales and marketing guru who has built a number of successful companies over the last decade. Read more at Thimothy.com.

I’m a fan of Gary Vaynerchuk. He first earned his professional chops while filming wine tastings for his family’s business, and now he’s an established digital marketing and social media maverick. He’s consistently creating, producing and investing in new products. He’s also an established speaker in the industry.

What does he attribute his success to? You probably guessed it: pure hustle. He didn’t start out as the head of Facebook, but rather began his career earning minimum wage while working at his parents’ company. He’s also been quoted giving thanks for this kind of bootstraps mindset, saying that kids who’ve been “given it all” by their parents are often at a disadvantage if they haven’t been tasked with working hard for what they want.

Now, there are two sides to every coin. Along with being labeled a hustler, Vaynerchuk has been referenced by some as the “patience guy.” In adopting this type of mindset, one does not worry if they are behind the curve on achieving their goal, but rather has patience in navigating the process. Whether it’s an 18-year-old launching their first gig or a 45-year-old shifting careers, the message is to accept what you have and perhaps not work yourself so hard that your work becomes the only thing in your life.

Which philosophy and work approach resonates for you? Can you find good in both, preach both and know yourself well enough to successfully toggle between the two? 

Here are some ways to improve your hustle:

Good Things Come To Those Who Hustle

It doesn’t matter who you ask, you’ll rarely meet a self-made man who says they sat in the passenger seat and let someone else drive their whole life. Every day you should get out of bed like you only have the next 86,400 seconds to achieve your goals. Use focused intent in each moment to go after the things you want. 

Opportunities Are Endless

Most hustlers know all too well just how hard it is to say no to the things they want, because they want so many things. The world is a skyscraper to climb for ambitious folk who want to experience it all. Sometimes a random lunch meeting can do wonders for your career. Or maybe what will set you apart is putting in the extra hours on the weekend to pursue a promising or lucrative side project. Always keep an eye out for opportunities, no matter what they look like. 

Nothing Beats Earning It

What’s more rewarding than putting in the sweat, the long hours and overcoming the setbacks than finally attaining your goal? Set clear goals and steps to achieve what you want. 

On the flip side, let’s look at some ways to boost your levels of patience:

Busyness Does Not Always Equal Productivity

We live in a world where there are often two common responses to “How are you?” Those are either “good” or “busy.” The truth is that finding things to do, just for the sake of doing them, doesn’t get you any closer to your goals. It usually only makes you feel tired. Instead, clarify the most important things you need to execute and save your energy. 

Allow Yourself To Enjoy The Process

When everything is a race, it becomes extremely hard to slow down and really enjoy your day-to-day tasks. When you have the mindset that you will eventually reach your destination, as all good things take time, you start enjoying the little things more. 

Find Ways To Put Yourself At Ease

Believe it or not, a moment is going to happen whether you’re in the midst of the action or you’re just standing still. Too much hustle can cause anxiety. Knowing you’re on the right path is more important than going 70 mph down it. 

Create Your Own Core Belief And Reasoning

We all have our idols and people whom we admire. They share messages with us that resonate so deeply, we can use their words as a guide to motivate us on our journey.

Whether you plan to hustle until your dreams come true or take a mapped-out and patient approach, achieving goals often comes about in different ways.

The important thing to remember is when you need to push on the gas pedal and when to ease up. Figure out what mantra or lifestyle is going to work best for you. Or, what combination of hustle and patience fits your personality and your goals. And understand that this could possibly change from day to day or even week to week. It’s important to remember that life is full of ebbs and flows, and understanding your approach to achieving your goals can often mean adapting and tweaking what works for you. Sometimes you have to approach life with both patience and hustle.