Hot take: grinding is good (but not their version of it)

Hustle culture is a recipe for disaster. Here’s how I think of “the grind.”  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Issue #50 | August 8th, 2023 Hi, it's Pat! This is the 50th Unstuck newsletter that we’ve sent out (yay! 🎉), and I’m super proud of what it has become. Over 130,000 people like you receive this newsletter every week, and as the author behind it, I want to share the biggest insight I’ve learned from the weekly “grind” of putting this together for you. I highlight the word grind because that’s often how we feel we must approach things to get ahead, isn’t it? “Grind it out” they say. But what is “it”? I have the answer, and I’d love to share it with you and expand on the thought. As always, no matter what part of the journey you’re on, I’m here to help you get unstuck. Let’s do it. QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Work smarter, not harder.” – Allen F. Morgenstern THE STORY Hustle culture ruined a lot of things for a lot of people and I must admit, I was caught up in it for a while, too. The idea of “Work more, work harder, and you’ll see the results” is, in my opinion, a true recipe for disaster. It’s something that almost burned me out several years ago and caused a lot of stress in my home life, which I’ve talked about on the podcast before. The grind shouldn’t mean staying up until 2am to get things done. It shouldn’t mean endless amounts of work and sacrificing the things you love or want to do just to try to get what you want. To me, I like to think of “the grind” like this: It’s the process of grinding away the rough edges of your “thing” so that it can run more smoothly. It’s sort of like a ball with a bunch of rough edges and bumps. Roll it, and it’s not going to go too far. However, when you spend some time grinding away those rough edges and bumps, it eventually becomes smoother and you can roll it much further. The secret is to know when to stop grinding, because if you grind for too long, not only do the rough edges disappear, but so does everything else. You can grind things away until the entire thing no longer exists, and that’s bad. So what’s the goal? How do you know when to stop the pressure of the grind? It’s accomplished through building a system — purposefully working on your business until you’ve eliminated as much friction as possible to get the thing done. It’s asking yourself “what would make this easier?” and then answering that question again and again until you’ve reached a point of “as smooth as possible”. This is how I knew that adding a newsletter into the mix 50 issues ago would not be a problem, despite having to commit to a new broadcast every single week. After 6 or 7 issues, it became as close to automatic as possible: - I created a template to standardize the structure of each newsletter, making the process of starting an issue as easy as opening a Google Doc from a bookmark. - I keep an organized storybank for various events and happenings in my life and business that could potentially be expanded upon in future newsletters. - I have an editor on the team who holds me accountable for drafts and edits the newsletters. - Another team member creates the section at the bottom of the newsletter that points you to the latest events happening in and around the SPI universe. I’ve built a system to grind the rough edges out of the ball — now we’re rolling! CALL TO ACTION What are the repetitive tasks in your business? Write down everything related to creating and managing your business, and all the steps in between. Pick one task to start and then ask yourself, “how can I make this just a little bit easier?” You don’t have to overhaul everything overnight, but by applying a bit of pressure you can help grind the rough edges out and smooth your creation process or operations almost instantly. For example, if you need guests to appear on your podcast, you might find that scheduling the interview is troublesome because of all the back and forth required to align schedules. Ask around, find tools, and do some digging to find out how others simplify this part of the process. Remember, “if this were easy, what would it look like?” If you practice asking yourself that question, you’ll find that more efficiency and ultimately more time opens up in your life. Give it a try! SPONSORED BY VISTAPRINT Make Your Mark with Unique Branding Your business is one-of-a-kind and your logo should be too. Whether you know exactly what you want or could use help refining your vision, there’s a VistaPrint logo design service for you. - Logomaker by VistaprintⓇ: This is a do-it-yourself, free tool that you can use to create a logo in minutes by providing a few simple details like your business name and industry. - Hire a designer: Alternatively, for just US$149, you can connect 1-to-1 with a professional designer to create a custom logo. - Start a design contest: Unsure what style of logo you're looking for? Start a design contest and a global community of professional freelance designers will submit unique, custom concepts to your brief. You just pick your favorite. Your logo is just the beginning! From designing a new website to printing head-turning merch, VistaPrint will be there to help you and your business stand out. [Get your new logo today!]() SPI NEWS AND EVENTS We work hard at SPI to remain unstuck and consistently provide you with the best ways to support your business. Check it out: Elevate your network! Join us tomorrow from 11 – 12 PT / 2 – 3 PM ET for an immersive virtual networking event. This is a great opportunity to connect with vibrant members of the SPI communities and our dedicated team. Learn about exciting businesses, create valuable connections, and find fresh inspiration. [Sign up now and get ready to expand your professional circle!](​ Creating digital tools to serve your audience is easier than you think! Spencer Haws runs an incredible blog at NichePursuits.com and has built and sold several thriving software businesses with no coding experience. [In this episode of the SPI podcast](), we hear about Spencer’s niche sites, his take on interviewing potential customers, and selling a business for massive profit! How can you make the most of your email list? On August 10th from 10 – 11 PT / 1 – 2 ET, join us for an exclusive Ask a Pro event inside the All-Access Pass, featuring Charley Mann. Uncover the secrets to cultivating positive, high-profit relationships with your email list, no matter its size. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from a seasoned pro who has scaled his own business and helped others thrive. Not a member yet? [Join now](=) to attend all events inside the All-Access Pass! DAD JOKE OF THE WEEK What color is the wind? Blew. Did a cool person forward you this email? [Sign up here for free](. Want to reach over 125,000 entrepreneurs? [Become a sponsor](. [Link to SPI's Website](=) [Link to SPI's Twitter Account]( [Link to SPI's LinkedIn Account]( [Link to Pat Flynn's YouTube Account]() You are receiving this because you signed up for Pat Flynn’s newsletter at [smartpassiveincome.com](=). If you'd like to adjust which emails you receive or update your name and email address, click here: . If you'd like to stop receiving all emails from SPI, click here: . No hard feelings. 10531 4S Commons Drive, Suite 524, San Diego, CA 92127