Hustlers do work that others won’t do.
A non-hustler doesn’t do work that is inherently difficult or unpleasant. The non-hustler does everything in the power to avoid difficult tasks, especially the things that involve long, hard, focused work. The non-hustler hates unpleasant tasks, and they will go out of their way to avoid difficult conversations.
The hustler looks at the difficult work as a challenge and a growth opportunity. She doesn’t try to avoid it. She tries to find it, knowing that if others won’t do it, there is value in her tackling it. The hustler doesn’t avoid the unpleasant tasks either, even when they mean she will be challenged with difficult human interactions.
Non-hustlers avoid responsibility for difficult outcomes. They prefer to instead allow someone else to put their neck–and their name–on the line. They don’t want to do what it takes to get things done, and they are deathly afraid of answering to someone when they fail.
The hustler doesn’t wait to be given responsibility for difficult outcomes. The hustler finds those things that need to be done and they grab the responsibility for seeing them through. The hustler isn’t afraid of failing because they are exceedingly confident in their abilities. When the hustler does fail, they resolve to learn what they need to do better and they do it.
The non-hustler wants more money. When a non-hustler sees an unpleasant, difficult task or one that requires responsibility, they say, “Yeah, I’ll do that when they pay me more money.” But the non-hustler doesn’t understand the law of the wood-burning stove: no heat comes out until the wood is put inside and a spark sets it on fire.
The hustler is continually given more money and more responsibility because they will do what others refuse to do and because they will take responsibility. The hustler is continuously feeding the wood burning stove, and because they are always putting more wood on the fire, they are always generating more heat. Money follows the hustler like it’s their shadow.
It isn’t that the non-hustler can’t do what the hustler does. The non-hustler is capable of just as much as the hustler. But the non-hustler is unwilling to what the hustler does. To the non-hustler, the hustler is a mystery. The non-hustler believes the hustler is either stupid or lucky.
The hustler is willing to get up early, work long hours, stay late, take on difficult tasks, take responsibility for big outcomes, and do more than they are presently being compensated to do. The hustler is willing to make the calls, have the difficult conversations, and make things happen. That’s why the hustler’s trajectory is so steep.
