I know it might seem a bit late in the day to be discussing themes of the year. But then, it would not be so surprising if you understood my contrarian nature. Funny enough, the other day someone on LinkedIn gave me a rather interesting interpretation of what that actually means.

To give this some context, they were sharing screenshots of a man who quite literally found pleasure in critiquing her posts, telling her how she should conduct herself. They described this as contrarian behaviour. I called it what it was, troll-like. Especially as he was actively seeking out her posts to do so. There was a little bit of confuseddotcom on my end, but we are all entitled to our own viewpoints. Perhaps they truly believed that was what contrarian meant. Or perhaps they were simply throwing the word out as a filler. Throwing words around for effect is not new. Lawyers used to be paid by the word. Hence the gift of forthwith and hereinafter. Now we have social media, where controversy has become its own currency. Driving traffic, keeping people scrolling, staying on the platform longer. These platforms are very much a money making business, and outrage, it turns out, is excellent for engagement. But I digress.

Right. Where was I. Yes, themes

I am a theme of the year type of person. A word feels limiting, a theme feels so much more expansive. My theme this year is really about approaching life and work in a non-hustle manner. An approach that feels more true to my nature, and to my Projector Human Design. You may be thinking I am reaching for labels here. And in a world that seems intent on putting people in boxes, rather than accepting that we are individuals with our own quirks and idiosyncrasies, I understand why you might think that.

For too long, working hard was a badge of honour. The hustle was something to be proud of. To be known as the hardest working person in the room felt like an achievement. I know, because that was me in another lifetime. Overdelivering, working evenings, sometimes weekends, pouring everything in, not always because it was asked of me, but because somewhere along the way I had absorbed the idea that my value was measured by my output.

And so, in that other life, I would take a month or sometimes two off in between contracts. Not as a luxury. As a necessity. Because my body and my mind demanded it. They were simply reclaiming what had been spent.

And then my body forced the conversation I had been avoiding. There was a moment when I found myself on the phone to medical professionals, convinced I was having heart issues. It was scary. I genuinely thought I might be dying.

And in that moment I said to myself, this is not the way I am going out. Not like this. Not allowing work to get to me in this way.

So I took some time out and prioritised my health. And the good news I can declare is that perfect health is mine. I am grateful. Thankful that I had the opportunity to realise what does not work for me. The hustle culture, where you are expected to do the impossible, to just get things done, no matter the cost to yourself.

That cost was too high for me.

And burnout does not care which trend you are following. I wrote about it recently. About how there will always be a new narrative telling women what they should be doing. Lean in. Build the empire. Soft life. Rest and disengage. The pendulum keeps swinging. But your life is not a trend cycle.

The hustle was never really about empowering individuals. It was about keeping the machine running.

And I can see it in others too. The people who have decided to break away from the lie we were sold, that the only way is to hustle. I find channels like Liveration genuinely aspirational. People choosing to live alternatively, off-grid, van life, tiny homes. On the surface, it might seem like a lifestyle choice. But look a little closer, and it is a quiet rebellion. A deliberate decision to opt out of a system that was never really designed with your wellbeing in mind.

Last year was also the birth of a new business I have been developing. Part of building this has been reaching out to people, some I know and some who are new. For some, outbound is a numbers game. I know someone who talks about having 50 conversations a day, which feels at odds with everything I believe about human connection. Because connections to me are energy.

I am no longer interested in building anything that requires me to abandon myself in the process.

Work should not cost you your health.

Are you done with the hustle, too?

Until the next entry….