Last week, we hosted our first-ever Bring Your Own Lunch (BYOL). More than 200 women from around the world got together to share concerns and offer support. 

Something we talked about and that I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about, is how to let go of the “hustle” mentality. What “hustling” meant before COVID (or as my mom says, BC) is not the same as it does now and comparing our output to the old paradigm is only going to cause us to constantly feel frustrated and disappointed. 

The world completely changed and so must we.

Here are some tips on how to let go of the “I’m not doing enough” and embrace the “I’m doing okay. And that’s okay.”
 

1. Don’t ignore your feelings. There is so much emotional energy we’re spending right now just trying to survive. Even if you’re not actively feeling it, chances are there’s a constant hum in the back of your brain. Or maybe it’s been manifesting slowly in your body. It’s better to address it now so you can manage it, otherwise, it’ll burn you out. 
    

2. Set smaller goals. A way to stay sane and feel good is to get back to the basics. Four hours of focused work? Success! Left your apartment? Success! Only checked the news once? Success! Trust that a new rhythm will emerge and as you adjust, you can set larger goals.
    

3. Let go of “doing” and embrace “being.” This is an opportunity to explore who you are without the hustle. Is it uncomfortable to simply sit? If it is, it might be an indicator that you have some work to do on how to separate your need to achieve from your self-esteem. (Therapy must be booming right now.)
    

4. Sleep. When I started Ladies Get Paid, I used to begin work at 6 am and hustle until 7 pm. Every single day, 7 days a week. It worked for a while. But then I realized I was really friggin’ tired and I felt terrible. So I decided that my health was more important than how fast my business grew. 
    

5. Surrender. Feeling guilty or putting pressure on yourself is going to make this a whole lot harder. Do the best you can and let it go when you can’t.
   My surrender recently happened when my favorite necklace broke. I’d bought it when I quit my job four years ago and have worn it pretty much every day since. I’m actually wearing it in the photo above. Do you know what it says? “Hustle.”
    

All of this is easier said than done. If your paycheck is on the line or your business is struggling to stay afloat, you may not have the luxury to just “be.”

Trust me, I’m feeling that. The majority of our revenue comes from in-person events and so we’re working hard to figure out how to stay in business. I can feel my habit to hustle starting to rise and all the agitation that comes with it. 

But then I remember that I can’t sacrifice myself. If I’m not okay, nothing will be okay. And so it’s one foot in front of the other. This is going to be a marathon and the only way to make it isn’t to hustle but to pace yourself. 

I want to hear from you so I hope you’ll join me at the next BYOL (every Friday)! In the meantime, stay strong, stay safe, and stay sane.

Now go get paid.

x Claire, Founder of Ladies Get Paid