Is "Rise and Grind" Still the a Viable Mantra?

For years, I practiced the common belief that "rise and grind" is the key to getting things done. If it took 10 hours in a day, I'd do it. If it took 12 hours, I'd do it. If it took 18 hours, I'd do it. I'd do whatever it takes to get the job done! I'd grind my way through it. Just like I did in my ol' ice hockey playing days. And people marveled at my effort and durability. Most things I read back then, encouraged this type of mindset to be successful and advance your business. I was all-in on it.

During the pandemic, I did some deep thinking to discover my true purpose and this work with Terri Maxwell led me to identify my "WHY?": to INSPIRE CREATION. Having this level of clarity in my mindset was so enlightening. It led me to abandon a B2B SaaS product that I was developing and pivot to freelancing full-time. With the help of the Upwork platform, I was committed to rising and grinding my way to finding clients in my new world. I had the skillset and work ethic to make this happen.

It didn't work. And not by a little, I failed miserably!

But I failed fast, so at least I got that part right. I needed a mindset shift and it was very clear the path I should take. With the proliferation of founders, soloprenuers, influencers, curators, and content producers - it is a creator's world. Doubling-down on my purpose to inspire creation, my mantra became "rise and create".

I rise and create my day, my opportunities, my impact.

I treat every day as a new canvas and design my day to meet my priorities for that day. There is no demarcation between work and life as a freelancer. All activities are integrated as I shift between mind/body activities, family activities and career activities. This requires a creative mindset to navigate it all. Sure, I still have my "systems" on how to get specific repeatable tasks done, but my approach is now to think more creatively when problem-solving.

I pay very close attention to the way I feel.

Rise and create feels better than rise and grind. There is less overwhelm and more satisfaction. And it has provided better results. I am eager every morning to get started. Every day feels new. Now the trick is to identify when I slip out of this zone and go back to grinding. When I do, I quiet things down with meditation and use my "systems" to get back into alignment with my purpose.

I have not forgotten my early lessons about discipline and drive. They're still in my toolkit, but my new mindset is now driving my approach. And it feels so good.