There is a whole category of blog and social media posts blasting the rise of what has become known as “hustle porn”. Hustle Porn is those motivational posts and videos that show people working out, waking up very early and doing work and not ending their day until they are exhausted.

The reality in life is if you want to achieve greatness — and there’s nothing wrong in that — you are going to have to do the work. You are going to have to be better than everyone else and you are going to have to work long hours. There are no shortcuts and no magic formula that allows you to stay in bed until lunchtime on weekends. You have to be focused and you have to do the work.

Now, not everyone wants to do that and that is perfectly fine. We live in a wonderful world that allows us to live our lives the way we want to. To criticise a genre of books, videos and blog posts because they tell us what it takes to become successful is really missing the point. These videos, books and blog posts tell it as it is. To imply that you don’t have to work hard to build a successful business or to become a better person is just plain wrong.

I’ve met dozens of people who pay $100 a week to go to the latest new fitness classes that promise you will get fit and lose weight and all you have to do for an hour a week is stretch out your legs and arms with a group of other like-minded people and you will lose those ten pounds you’ve been wanting to lose for the last three years in no time at all. Sorry, it won’t happen. To lose those pounds requires you to push yourself, get out of breath and sweat. Laying on the floor stretching your arms and legs in a hot room will not do that for you.

If you want to lose weight, build a successful business or become an Olympic champion you have to do the work. There are no shortcuts. The work involves a lot of hours. It’s the hours you put in and the consistency of the work you do that will get you there. Nothing else will.

However, where criticism of hustle porn is correct is where you are told you have to work eighteen hours a day seven days a week. working eighteen hours a day seven days a week and trying to survive on three or four hours sleep is not sustainable. Sure you have to do the work, but you also need the rest. As with all advice (and motivational content particularly), you do need to take it with a pinch of salt. When you begin to feel tired mentally or physically stop and rest. Go for a walk, take a nap or just turn on the TV and watch something. Being aware of your physical and mental state and acting accordingly is important if you want to maintain your physical and mental health. You do not have to do it all in one day, one week or one month. Success takes time, it takes patience, a lot of action and plenty of time. Mix those four ingredients into the mix and you have a sustainable pathway.

We live in a fast-changing world. A world where it is predicted 80% or more of the jobs available today will disappear within the next 20 years. Schools and universities do not prepare us for the future, they are teaching nineteenth-century principles in a twenty-first-century world. The best way to learn about what is required to survive this future is from the people who are thriving in today’s world — many of who did not have a great formal education — the people who are doing the work that matters to build a career and a life for themselves that so many people admire. Is that wrong?

I believe it is far more dangerous to not do the work. To sit around and live a sedentary lifestyle, that involves going out with friends for a few drinks complaining about your boss or how much work you have to do and sitting at home scrolling through the thousands of lifestyle images on Instagram or Facebook. Dreaming and doing nothing. That is what leads to depression, misery and stress. getting up early and doing the work to build a life and a career of success that gives you purpose and with purpose comes fulfilment.

Is there a happy medium? Of course, there is. Doing the work, being strict about resting, getting enough sleep and taking care of your health should always be at the top of your to-do list. Spending hours on social media, complaining to your friends about how hard your life is and binge-watching episodes of your favourite drama is not going to get you very far in life. You will end up miserable and depressed. Finding your purpose, having a goal, wanting to better yourself, these are the building blocks to a fulfilled, happy life. When you find your purpose and a clear set of goals, that’s where you will find your happiness and if you need a little motivation from a video of “The Rock”, Gary Vaynerchuk or Will Smith then great! If it motivates you, watch it.

As with all things in life, too much of something is not necessarily good for you. If you are spending hours every day watching and reading hustle porn, then it’s going to be counterproductive. You are watching videos instead of doing the work. If you spend too much time thinking about doing something you are not taking any action. Results come from your actions, not your thoughts.

The best advice I could give you is choose your own life’s course, work hard, rest well and don’t listen to the naysayers who tell you-you are wrong to wake up early and work long hours, because that’s where life’s true value is.

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My purpose is to help 1 million people by 2020 to live the lives they desire. To help people find happiness and become better organised and more productive so they can do more of the important things in life.

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