The Hustler’s Playbook: Hustlers Are Defiant

Hustlers are by their very nature defiant.

The hustler defies being average. The average person doesn’t work as hard as the hustler, or as long. The average person doesn’t take the risks that a hustler takes. The hustler is, on a lot of scales, way out on the end of the bell curve, far away from the average. They are out there intentionally.
Hustlers defy the odds. The odds are stacked against you. Most business endeavors fail. Many who fail give in to the overwhelming forces that push you away from your goal, but the hustler puts her shoulder down and pushes through that resistance, defying the odds. Non-hustlers believe that their failures define them. But the hustler defies their failure, never allowing it to define them, never allowing it to steal their enthusiasm, and never allowing a failure to cause them to give up. They defy failure by starting over and trying again.
Hustlers defy complacency and comfort. Most people seek comfort. They are complacent, allowing the world to act on them. The hustler seeks discomfort, putting himself in places where he is forced to stretch and grow. The hustler isn’t complacent when it comes to their growth.
The hustler defies limits. Limits are for those who believe in them. The hustler doesn’t. The hustler doesn’t color outside the lines because they don’t even see the lines. They don’t believe that anything can’t be done, only that it hasn’t been done yet, and the only reason it hasn’t been done is because a hustler hasn’t yet gotten around to knocking it off the list. Hustlers defy limits.
The hustler defies the status quo and seeks to do something exceptional. The status quo is for the average, the non-hustler. They push themselves to produce exceptional results, to build an exceptional business, and to build an exceptional life. By doing so, they defy the status quo. For the hustler, good enough isn’t good enough.
Hustlers defy stereo types. A few of them might be totally self-absorbed, self-oriented, and covered in bling. But most of them hustle quietly, waking up early, staying up late, cramming work in between, and spending as much time as they can with their families. From all outward appearances, you can’t see the hustle. The hustler is every color, every race, every shape, every size, and every background. The only thing all hustlers have in common is the hustle.