Stop Hustling, Start Thriving: The 2 Secrets to Sustaining Success in Your Career

Word Count: 1,650

Read Time: 6.5 to 8 minutes

by Shamelle Reveter

Are you running on pure hustle? The “I gotta do this, I gotta do that, I gotta get here” mentality can feel empowering for a minute.

It sounds familiar, right? The constant grind, the constant movement, the feeling of checking off those never-ending to-do lists.

But here’s the thing: that hustle mentality? It might just be setting you up for failure.

Let’s talk about why.

The Hustle Myth: “Do More, Get More”

We’ve all seen it, the entrepreneur who’s always on the go, scrambling from one thing to the next, following every “guru,” signing up for every webinar, and working until the burnout is real.

But here’s what no one will tell you: this kind of mentality is not sustainable.

You see, while hustling can help you make some quick moves and land opportunities, without a clear plan or strategy, it’s easy to fall into a cycle of chasing after the next thing, without ever reaching your true goals.

The hustle mentality is reactive, while the CEO mentality is proactive. You need to shift from doing everything to doing the right things.

I learned this lesson the hard way.

When I first started my business in the entertainment industry, it was all hustle. I was servicing clients, barely marketing myself, and making money, but something kept happening: I’d earn money only to lose it. Fast.

I remember pulling in $70K in just four months through contracts, only to lose every single one of them later that year because I didn’t plan. I had contracts, but no team.

I had money, but no strategy. I had hustle, but no real vision.

What did I miss? Two critical things, which are what I found to be the secrets to success: Personal Assessment and Strategic Planning.

The cost of not understanding yourself and not planning ahead can be devastating.

The truth is, I didn’t stop to assess why I was constantly working myself into the ground.

I didn’t acknowledge the fact that I was prone to burnout, especially at certain times of the year. And guess what? I was the only one handling those contracts. Only me! When I got sick, everything collapsed.

So, what does this experience teach us?

The hustle mentality isn’t a sustainable strategy, unless it’s truly a part of your personality, and let’s be honest, for most of us, it’s not.

To thrive, you need to truly understand yourself, be ready to ask tough questions, plan strategically, and build systems that support your growth.

I learned this through self-assessment.

The hustle wasn’t working for me at all, it led to burnout, fatigue, and depression.

But when I shifted to planning strategically, setting clear goals, and building the right systems and support around me, that’s when I truly started to thrive.

Side note: I had to figure out the kind of support I actually needed to stay on track.

Are you a hustler? What’s driving your hustle? What type of support do you need to stay on track?

The basis of my hustle was that I had a crazy drive to help as many artists as I could. That was the foundation of my determination.

I did not want to ask anyone for help, because honestly, I did not have the money to pay anyone. Nor, did I actually think anyone would want to help or adopt my vision as passionately as I did. I was OVERLY out of balance.

And I was definitely exhausted. To be honest, I experienced this exhaustion repeaditly. I still have to balance the drive for compassion.

I often catch myself when I get “out of balance”.

But sometimes, our hustle comes from a place of fear or desperation.

Fear of failure, fear of not making enough, fear of being judged, or fear of not being successful or seen as “good enough.”

Here’s the problem, though: hustling from a place of fear doesn’t lead to true success. It only brings exhaustion and missed opportunities. It’s like running fast but never reaching your final destination.

But, you have to assess to know if it is fear that’s driving the hustle.

How do you find out? Ask yourself: Why am I hustling?

• Is it because I want to make more money, or is it because I’m afraid of losing what I’ve built?

• Do I truly have a vision for my life and business, or am I just reacting to external pressures? Meaning, adopting the PERSONALITY and success story of someone else.

You cannot be someone else. Stop trying to be a clone of every other entrepreneur out there.

Don’t allow what everyone else is doing dictate how you will make your business work. Know who you are, embrace your strengths, and work around your weaknesses.

One good thing I adopted from initially doing everything on my own, was the ignorance of how everyone else was doing it.

Although, I felt very challenged during this period, I was not looking to clone anyone. I had a passion and I was moving full force to see it manifest. I had no idea at the time that this was a super power.

Please don’t misconstrue my words here. I’m not saying to disregard a mentor or business advisor. You need to adopt our advice if it resonates with you.

I am simply stating, do not allow your insecurities to adopt something you don’t even like, just to win.

Learn yourself. Be yourself. Be known for your uniqueness.

Maya Angelou once said, “Many years ago, I decided to invent myself. I had obviously been invented by someone else – a whole society – and I didn’t like their inventions.”

If you want to succeed, you need to do the same. Create your own vision. Set your own standards.

Own your identity. If you don’t, you’ll be running a business that isn’t yours, it’ll be someone else’s idea of success. And that’s a recipe for disaster.

The Power of Vision

If you want to thrive in business, you need more than hustle; you need a vision. It’s that simple.

And in order to know your vision, you need to know yourself and what you really want. So, gettah’ writing yo’ business plan!

Did you know businesses with written plans grow 30% faster than those without? And around 70% of businesses that survive past five years have a solid business plan.

Imagine being one of the 2% of leaders who are confident they’ll achieve 80-100% of their strategic objectives!

Whether you use the business plan or not, the strategic plannig around it builds the momentum, clarity, direction, and accountability.

How do you get there?

You slow down. You assess. You plan. You take the time to answer hard questions:

• What do I really want? How do I want to show up in this world?

• Who do I want to be known as?

• What type of person am I?

• How do I handle stress?

• Do I have a tendency to get distracted?

• Am I putting people before profits?

These aren’t easy questions, but they’re essential to understanding how you think and how thinking in a certain way influences your business.

It’s time to get honest. Get real. Drop the ego and do the work of self-discovery.

The Takeaway

The hustle mentality might get you started, but it won’t sustain you.

Success comes when you know who you are, set clear goals, and build systems to support them.

You have the power to create your own path, don’t let fear, desperation, or external expectations dictate your journey.

If you want to dive deeper into creating the right mindset and business strategy, I’ve put together a free Trainlet™ (ebook) with exercises that’ll help assist you to align your goals with your true identity. Click here to request a copy.

It’s time to shift from hustle to sustainable growth.

The Backstage CFO, Shamelle Reveter

President, GYSIO Business & Bookkeeping, Inc.

Empowering Creatives with Business Mastery in the Entertainment Industry and out.

For personalized business and bookkeeping advice, visit gysio.org or reach out directly at info@gysio.org.