Three U.S.-centric workplace culture things to eliminate from your own business.
Our workforce and work culture has permanently changed.
The advent of the internet started this trend a long time ago, and now it is has accelerated and solidified as the pandemic forced many to work from home, adopt and use new technology. Many were let go. Or maybe just decided, enough, and used the opportunity to find different work.
Those with more of a cushion and industrial spirit pivoted to starting their own gig.
As The Pandemic Recedes, Millions Of Workers Are Saying 'I Quit'
As many take the step, here are three U.S.-centric (ahem, capitalistic) work culture things to reconsider carrying over into your own gigs.
(1) Hustling.
I purposely don't use "side-hustle" or say "your hustle" when chatting with entrepreneurs-to-be. Hustling implies 365 X 24 X 7 working and availability to be successful.
The U.S. glorifies hustling. It's how our country was built.
But really - what has hustling got us? High rates of burnout? High rates of depression and anxiety? The devaluation of sleep and rest? Constant comparing? Sacrificing time with friends and loved ones?
The need to hustle is a myth. I used to hustle ALL THE TIME. When I asked myself, "why am I hustling?" I didn't have a good answer. So I stopped.
And now I'm happier, I'm making more money, and I'm sleeping much better.
(2) The enthusiastic YES.
I see a lot of first-time freelancers say Yes to everything that comes their way. Resist. This is auto-programming spillover from employment days when saying no was not an option, or if it was, it came with a lot of baggage.
As your own boss, No, is the most important word you will ever learn.
Get clear about what is important to you and what you want out of your life.
Get super sharp at saying no to the things that don't fit with your life criteria enough.
Align the world around you to you. Go with the enthusiastic, "No, thank you!"
And for what it's worth. I still have a hard time with this concept, mainly because so many wonderful projects have come my way, and they are hard for me to say no to.
(3) Urgency.
This goes hand-in-hand with hustling.
In U.S. work cultures, something is always urgent --
"Stop what you're doing. This is important."
"This needed to happen yesterday."
"Cancel X. I need this now."
"We need a meeting, stat."
Like, for real, what is urgent, and why? Who is rewarded for urgency? Hint: it is rarely you.
Adopt slowness and spaciousness into your work (planning and calendar) to allow your product or service to come into full fruition. The experience is better for you and your clients.
And the experience is part of the product.
If this is speaking to you, follow the Nap Ministry.
Re-posted on Medium.com