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What it means to be a true “Hustler”.

Let’s be honest. Working 9 to 5 can be some of the easiest work. You clock in, doing just enough work to keep your job and go home. Then use the rest of your day to contemplate life or whatever it is people do when they have loads of free time!

I will be honest. I have never been a 9 to 5 kinda girl. My mind just never thought that way. Even when I worked as a waitress years ago my mind was on management! How can we make things better, cut costs, the best way to train employees. That was in between going to school and remodeling a house too! I didn’t know it back then but I wasn’t your typical worker. I thought everyone’s lives were like that. It was years later that I realized not everyone does think like that or lives like that. Not everyone wants to be better at what they do. Many are just in it for the paycheck and that’s it. No growth, no goals.

I am assuming that if you are reading this you aren’t like everyone else either. You not only want to be better but you want to be the best. Do you have dreams? What is it that you want in life? Right now things may not look like they are going to where you need to be but I promise if you keep investing in yourself, and working hard you will get there!

What many people won’t tell you about being successful is that it isn’t easy. It’s down right hard sometimes! I decided to stop teaching and start my own concierge business and to be honest I have had to swallow more than my portion of humble pie. I have had so many people say to me “why in the heck would you want to do what you are doing?” “I mean basically you’re a maid!” I just smile and say “in a sense”. I know at that moment that there is no point in trying to tell them exactly what a concierge business is and what I am doing is actually just a stepping stone into everything I am building my company and brand to be in the future. They don’t see that I just passed my real estate exam and plan on getting back into selling real estate like I had done over 14 years ago. They don’t see that I am launching a life coaching business which will be hosting women’s retreats. They don’t see I am not only cleaning toilets and managing homes but I am also managing and training other employees to be the best in the industry at what we do. They can only see what is right in front of them and not what is in the works.

The vision I have isn’t anyone else’s. I don’t need to explain myself or try to win anyone over. You are either with me or you’re not. Don’t get me wrong there are a handful of people that I have let in on what I am passionate about and where I plan on letting that passion lead me. You need those people to be on board or at least understand why you are up in the middle of the night like a crazy person brainstorming, scheduling, planning, making adjustments etc.

For everyone else just smile when you hear little put downs, or negative feedback. You aren’t doing it for them. For me I am doing it not only for myself but for my son. I want him to understand that his mother is willing to do whatever it takes to support him and make a better life for the both of us doing something I love.

I can handle the put downs. I will keep doing what I am doing. Scrubbing toilets, managing homes and taking those little paychecks all the way to the bank. Each client I have is a stepping stone to the multimillion dollar business that is just around the corner.

I can’t wait till I can play that song “started from the bottom now we’re here” and people can see the vision I had for my life in action.

So keep washing dishes, serving customers, sweeping floors or what ever it is you do and politely smile ignoring whatever rudeness someone pukes on you. Remember don’t break a plate over that idiot’s head! You may need to keep that job as a stepping stone to where you want to be. It isn’t who you are. It’s a job period. It’s about putting in the time and doing what needs to be done to get you where you want to be. That is what makes you a true “hustler”.

My biggest fear for the majority of my life was failing. As I type this now I laugh thinking how silly that was. I was afraid to follow several of my dreams, to step out in faith and really go for it. It wasn’t that I didn’t have faith in God but I didn’t have faith in myself. I can’t say that I haven’t been successful, for by the grace of God I have been blessed beyond measure despite my unwillingness to push beyond my own limited vision. For years I sat with visions and ideas that I kept buried away. I picked the paths that were “safe”. I wanted to desperately to be “normal”, I wanted to be fulfilled with a nine to five job, with the community volunteer work, the Saturday night get togethers with friends. It just wasn’t enough.

I don’t know why I am restless. Why I feel like I have so much in me that is just bursting to get out, to learn, to teach, to create! I often wondered if I was the only one who felt like this until I came across this quote in a self help book “Cemeteries are full of unfulfilled dreams… countless echoes of “could have” and “should have”… Don’t choose to walk the well-worn path to regret.” – Steve Maraboli

That quote shook me to my core. I was normal! I was trying, like so many people, to drown out that inner voice by keeping busy in day to day life, but suddenly it occurred to me..how long would that inner voice keep pushing to the surface before it finally gave up? Was that the real normalcy? This life is so so so short. Would I die with all these things pent up inside me?

So I sat down and starting writing out some of my dreams, visions. I discussed them with some of my closest friends and family. That, I learned, is something you have to be very careful with. When you start discussing ideas with people, you have to remember those dreams were not given to them. Not only will they not get as excited as you but will probably try and talk you out of doing whatever is in your heart to do! Remember people don’t do this out of malice, but they are given a limited view of what you have been entrusted with. You can’t pass your passion for something on to another person, that is something that burns inside you.

After years of self doubt, and hesitation I decided to go for it! I don’t know what finally gave me confidence. I couldn’t tell you the moment when I quit letting fear paralyze me. I just remember being so overwhelmed with ideas, and visions for my future. That I was so taken over by this feeling that if I didn’t start letting these things inside me come to life that I too was going to go to my grave with things that were meant to be shared with the world. If one person finds hope to live the life they were called to because of my ramblings is that not worth it? I love the parable in Luke 15:4 where Jesus talks about the shepherd leaving the 100 sheep to go find the 1 that was lost. If all I do and say in this world is able to help 1 person than I will not have lived in vain.

I don’t know what your calling is. What your dream is. What I do know is, you don’t need to be afraid of failing. The truth is I fail a lot! Each time I get a little better and a little smarter and just keep trying to get it right. You are going to fail. If you never try you have failed already. If you are doing something you have never done, you can’t expect to do everything right the first time! Give yourself permission to mess up, but give yourself permission to keep trying till you meet your goals. Whatever it is that you are passionate about GO FOR IT! Do your research, go learn from the best, go read books, go to seminars whatever you need to do to start turning those dreams to reality.

There is something to be said about beginning again, starting fresh. Jumping out of the shower this morning with my hair wrapped in a towel and without makeup on I look at myself in the mirror. In that moment I felt it, it was my fresh start. I wasn’t planning on making some grand new venture or some life altering decision. The hot shower after a long day of putting out fires and catastrophes just helped remind me that each day no matter what time of day, we have the opportunity to start again. To let the past be in the past, make better choices, make amends, try again, to be a better person. It all just starts in one small moment.

To get what you want in life you have to identify what you want and be passionate.
So for you my friend, my reader if this applies to you and you have a desire stirring I have homework for you. The first part of the assignment is to get quiet today. Seriously. Our world is so loud! Turn off the phone, the television, maybe even the lights and focus on your breathing. No other sounds, no outside distractions just you alone in your thoughts.

The second part of the assignment is you need to get a calendar or planner (one you can write in) and some type of notebook for journaling. I know exactly what your are thinking…journaling (insert eye roll). It may sound silly but it is very important to be able to write things down and go back months from now to not only look at your progress but hold yourself accountable.

Once you have your journal I want you to write this question down :

What do I WANT?

Really, what do you want in life? Not what is expected of you, not what you think you are supposed to want but what do YOU want right now in your life? List it out. Right now! Come on if you don’t do the assignments you won’t see the results. Go make a list no matter how trivial you think it is I want you to list out what it is you want in this life personally, and professionally or both. Be very specific! If you want to be happy that is great but that is to vague. What will make you happy? When will you know if you are happy? The more specific you are the better.
Then after you make your list I want you to write this question down:

Why?

I know this may sound silly and simple but for each thing above that you wrote down I want you to write why do you want it? There are really two reasons it is important to write down the whys. Mainly it is to identify your needs. We will get into those later but each of us has fundamental needs that need to be met. Sometimes asking the why you want something helps identify what needs are not being met in your life so you can not only realize that but learn to adjust your life so you can meet those needs and be a happier, healthier you. The second reason to write down the whys is so you can build determination and passion. Let’s be honest if you don’t know why you want something then there will be no reason to do what it takes to get it. Your hunger, your passion for why you want something is going to help carry you through to meet your goals and dreams on the days when you can’t get outta bed. On the days when you want to give up, when everyone tells you it’s to hard. You need to look back on this why list so you can remind yourself why you are pushing yourself, why you are getting up and trying again.

We will later come back to this journal entry and start figuring out what it will take to make what you want a reality!

One of my dearest friends shared a comic strip with me one day at work. It was a man asking the question : How do you eat an elephant?

Answer: One bite at a time.

Congratulations and Thank you for joining me on this journey! Now in your your planner I want you to mark today’s date in it. There is no better time then right now to start moving towards your goals!