Creating Without Guilt: The Middle Ground Between Hustle & Balance
Episode 941: Show Notes
We've been conditioned to believe that work falls into one of two extremes: either you're grinding non-stop, pushing yourself to exhaustion, or you've mastered the elusive work-life balance. But what if that’s a false choice? As a creator, I’ve realized that some of my work doesn’t feel like work at all. It can be play, it can be art, and it can feel deeply satisfying. Yet, there’s pressure to justify how we spend our time, as if every choice determines our worth.
In today’s episode, I challenge these ideas. What if we stopped obsessing over whether we’re working “the right way” and embraced creativity for what it is? Something that brings us joy. How would we show up differently without judgment from others or ourselves? Let’s explore how letting go of these pressures can transform the way we work and live!
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What if Hustling isn’t Always Bad?
When I first started my business, I worked constantly. The moment my husband left for work, I was at my computer, and I often stayed up past midnight. Everyone said working that much should feel exhausting, but I didn’t feel that way. Still, I couldn’t shake the belief that if I was working all the time, it had to be bad. Was I out of balance?
As life changed, so did my approach to work. A major health challenge forced me to slow down, making me question the hustle narrative. I started believing hustle was “bad” and balance was “good.” But why do we judge these choices at all? Lately, I’ve been reconsidering: maybe hustle isn’t inherently good or bad. Instead, we need to check in with ourselves and assess how we feel, what brings us joy, and how we can balance that with what our businesses need to thrive.
Reclaiming Joy in Your Work
Some work is going to be transactional. It's going to be the things that have to get done. I don’t love email, project management, or administrative upkeep. But somewhere along the way, in my effort to create “balance,” I cut out so many of the fulfilling parts of my business that I actually felt worse, despite working less. It sounds counterintuitive, but the work that once energized me was suddenly missing.
If a full-time artist paints for fun, no one questions it. But in online business, when we do something we love and then monetize it, it's seen as working “too much.” Why? So many of the judgments we place on ourselves aren’t even ours, they’ve been planted by external expectations. It’s time to challenge that thinking. Work that feels like play is still valuable. It fuels our creativity, gives us energy, and makes us excited to show up. Instead of rejecting it, we should embrace it.
Getting Intentional with Your Time
I went into this year with a mantra of sorts: I wanted to create more and consume less. A big part of it was that I was embarrassed by my phone usage and how much time I was giving to the void. But more importantly, I wasn't being intentional with how I spent my time, and I wanted to change that. So, I decided to get more intentional with my free time: I started working on puzzles, building Legos, and doing things that were really good for my brain. And I felt better than I had in years!
It was like my brain mapped together a missed connection from the brain injury rather, and when it clicked together, it was like a whole world opened up to me. I had more capacity, creativity, and excitement.
So I asked myself “What happens if I'm more intentional with my work?” And that's when I made some pretty big changes. For instance, I adapted my work structure so that I only take outside meetings on Mondays and became super intentional about how I spend my time. And honestly, this has been such a game-changer!
Stop Judging How You Spend Your Time
There was a time when I thought working too much meant I wasn’t prioritizing myself. But after everything I’ve been through over the past few months, from watching my dad go in and out of the hospital to facing a terrifying cancer scare to suddenly caring for my husband post-surgery, I see things differently. Work isn’t just a responsibility; it’s a source of joy, creativity, and stability. Even in chaos, I wanted to show up for it, not because I had to, but because I chose to.
This realization has changed everything. I still maintain structure, but I’ve stopped feeling guilty about how I spend my time. There is so much power in letting go of shame. Some days, I work because it fuels me. Other days, I step away because that’s what I need. The difference is that I’m not letting time happen to me, I’m being intentional with how I spend it.
Give Your Mindset a Tune-Up
It’s easy to let life pull us in every direction, but we deserve to make choices that serve us. Ask yourself, what if I focused less on how things “should” look and more on what actually feels right? If your mindset could use some attention, check out our Mindset Reboot Workshop Trio today!
Quote This
You deserve to be treated with love and respect, and that starts with treating yourself that way.
Highlights
What if Hustling isn’t Always Bad? [0:01:39]
Reclaiming Joy in Your Work [0:05:16]
Getting Intentional with Your Time [0:12:33]
Stop Judging How You Spend Your Time [0:18:51]
Key Topics:
Work-life balance, Hustle culture, Creativity
