Grace over Grind: Ditch the Hustle Mentality

How to develop a strategic mindset for business success

In my opinion, it’s time to ditch the hustle mentality and focus on a more sustainable approach to business success. I’ll take Grace over Grind any day! In all transparency, I used to subscribe to the mindset that success is only for those who forgo sleep, personal enjoyment, and well-being. After having my first child, I knew that life was not going to be sustainable. I’ve learned the importance of embracing my own journey and how to exemplify grace over grind.

Seasoned Mompreneur

This isn’t my first rodeo when it comes to entrepreneurship. Career Mom Community, LLC is not just a business, it’s my opportunity to purse purpose. However, I’ve had other business endeavors before. Prior to starting Career Mom Community, LLC, I ran a local not-for-profit organization empowering young girls to appropriately express themselves through art. It was a cheerleading and dance organization and our motto was “More Than Cheer”. After having my son (4th child), I decided to end the program as many of the girls ages out.

Towards the latter part of my MBA program, I decided to start a boutique consulting firm to help small business with strategy. I also wrote business plans for start up companies.

Neither one of these ventures reached the level of success that I desired. I do believe they accomplished the purpose intended for them during that season, but I always strived to reach more girls and to write more business plans. And let’s be honest, as a consultant I desired an additional stream of income.

After receiving the revelation to build a platform for working mothers, my initial thought was to go hard and don’t stop to build what I envisioned. I joined entrepreneur communities that promoted a hustle mentality and all the hype. Naturally, I felt that this was the way to success for entrepreneurs.

Mindset Shift

I’m thankful for new revelation. I started out with a workaholic mindset, but soon shifted my mentality to that of sustainable business practices. What led me to this shift was burnout.

This is the unfortunate reality for many moms who are multi-passionate. We feel pressured to grind and go hard for what we desire at the expense of our overall well-being.

Let’s be clear, I work with excellence to the best of my ability and I am intentional with my time and my commitments. The key is that it is not at the expense of all else.

Grace over Grind

When I founded Career Mom Community, LLC, the motto was one of the first things that came to mind. “Career Moms are ambitious women who rely on intentional (proper) planning, strategy and grace”. Grace is the ability to show and receive unmerited favor.

When I looked up the definition of grind it was a bit alarming:

def: Grind

• to become pulverized, polished, or sharpened by friction
• to move with difficulty or friction especially so as to make a grating noise
• dreary, monotonous, or difficult labor, study, or routine

Source – Grind Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster

Tell me in the comments if this type of life sounds appealing to you. It’s a no for me!

Strategic Mindset

What I have been able to tap into is a strategy mindset. I shifted my focus towards being intentional about my goals and creating plans and windows of opportunity to enable my success.

I am a huge advocate of planning holistically. For me, it is important that I consider my life (which includes my family), my career and other personal pursuits. From there I craft my strategy and set my goals with intention.

In my opinion, this it the best path to sustainable success. Yes, we can go hard all day for our goals and get things done. But at what expense. I prefer a more balances approach.

I encourage you to ditch the hustle mentality and to focus on intentional planning, strategy and grace.

— Debranetta, Founder of Career Mom Community, LLC

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