“Hamster Wheel Hustling” Is A Loser’s Game — Here’s How To Get Off
All talk, no progress, leads to a dull life
In the era of hustle culture, there’s a persistent notion that you have to grind, crush it, and hustle nonstop to get ahead. But what if this mentality is actually holding you back?
Enter the theory of hamster wheel hustling — when you relentlessly follow hustle culture’s ideals, yet your life shows no real progress. You’re essentially sprinting in place.
Let’s use a guy named Thomas for example. Thomas constantly pulls all-nighters and takes on every client project in hopes of promotion. Yet his work is mediocre from lack of rest, and he remains stagnant in his job.
Or Pete, who endlessly tries new side hustles each week, but never finding one that sticks or makes real money.
The allures of hustle culture — like “rise and grind” and Gary Vee’s nonstop work ethic — make you feel like you have to be constantly doing to make progress. But this hyper-productivity often backfires.
Psychologist Adam Grant notes that excessive hustle leads to burnout, not brilliance. Rather than obsessing over how hard we work, he says we should focus on working deliberately: on the right things at the right times.
