This article was last updated on September 5, 2017
The 5 Hustle Habits That Really Matter
I follow a few hustle habits religiously, one of them being this morning routine:
- Morning. 5 AM. Up and at em’
- Cold Shower – Come up with a noun for each letter of the alphabet
- Write down my top 3 Goals as if I had already accomplished them
- Meditate (sit and focus on my breathing and the present moment)
- Read a little bit
- Chug some caffeine
- Workout
- Chug some egg whites
- Write a blog post or two
All before 9 AM. Making well over six figures a year as a web design freelancer means you must be motivated to get up early and make stuff happen. My personal favorite is to think of myself as a super efficient and effective robot and powering through. But all this doesn’t mean shit. It’s just a current routine – one I like and would prefer to stick too, but nevertheless just a routine. I am sure that if I woke up at noon and worked till the wee hours of the morning I would still create insane content for my clients and make bank well. The hustle habits that have propelled me to the level of making 42k salary a year were these:
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Show the value you provide to clients or customers in a clear visual way on your website and social media
A good portfolio, or even a good set of products for sale, takes time. Steady hard work over a long period of time – patience. Patience is the key that unlocks genius. If patience and hard work are steadily applied in the same direction progress will be made. In the meantime, show your experience and try to get more real work you can share. Every case study, positive testimonials and happy client you can get will result in visible progress. This demonstration of effectiveness will be the key that unlocks all of your future opportunities. Such hustle habits are vital for sustaining client interest.
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Attend (and try to speak at) events in your industry
You’re an expert right? Start acting like one. Experts speak at meetups, industry events, and even things outside their industry and organization. Representing your niche and sharing value to people who haven’t had the privilege to study and experiment with the same types of things as you is vital to your success.
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Eat lunch with other well connected people as much as possible
Taking someone out to lunch, even when they might not return the favor and have no specific way to pay you back, will help in numerous ways. By asking them questions you will achieve real insight into your industry . The point is that by finding out what people need, and being highly intentional about listening when successful people share you will surely earn back those $50 you paid for lunch.
This might seem crazy – but as a person in sales,, if you don’t make connections and forge deeper relationships with people in your industry you’ll get stuck at a certain level of influence. Then your network will shrink. So many of the opportunities I’ve had have come by just putting myself out there a bit more than my colleagues. Over times those opportunities and results from them really start to add up.
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Blog like it’s your full time job and get on other people’s blogs
Putting out crazy amounts of content – or epic content that was super well-targeted and well throughout puts you into a new class of people. The creators, rather than just simple consumers. It doesn’t just have to be blogging – it can be video, Snapchat, etc. It’s just the idea that you’re focused on giving other people value and you do that relentlessly and systematically. Content creates and sustains connection with people. People who have a much more ‘warm’ relationship with you would more likely to become your customer down the line.
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Follow your personal energy and relentlessly do more of what motivates you
If you work for someone else, and they are the one who directly benefits from your hard work – it might be a little bit harder to see the return that you’re getting, not to say it’s not there. Your incentive is salary – personally I love the feeling that when I push myself to higher levels of productivity, I can hit way higher levels of revenue and that energizes me so now I work for myself.
Control is also extremely motivating for me – the ability to implement my style in my office, in the way I deal with clients, and with my finances. I like to wield control and I know that about myself so it helps me keep high energy, even if my body is a bit tired. It’s the simplest things that are the most true sometimes: If you love what you do, you’re going to be a lot more productive.
