Learn It 'Til You Nail It!
“Sustainable success requires hard work, dedication, and the willingness to adapt and learn from failures.”
Let's break down these two maxims.
Learn It 'Til You Nail It embodies the idea of dedicating time and effort to genuinely mastering a skill or concept. On the flip side, Fake It 'Til You Make It suggests projecting confidence even when we might not feel entirely equipped.
While both have their merits, in this episode we're going to dig into why the former approach tends to yield more sustainable and meaningful results.
No matter what your approach is in business, remember, change doesn't happen overnight. But with dedication, authenticity, and a thirst for growth, we can all journey towards mastery and lasting achievement.
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TDE Episode 17: Learn It 'Til You Nail It!
Anne: There are a lot of buzzwords thrown out nowadays about how a person’s work ethic should be. Because of the hustle culture or the idea that we have to work non-stop and grind ourselves to the bone to achieve success, more and more people subscribe to the notion that you have to ‘fake it ‘til you make it’.
Carl: While we're all about ambition and making things happen, we also believe it's important to explore the negative effects of this hustle culture and how it can impact individuals and the industry.
One of the major pitfalls of hustle culture is the burnout it can cause. It's like a never-ending race, and you're constantly chasing something, never taking a moment to catch your breath.
Anne: And let's not forget about the pressure to 'fake it til you make it.' Sure, it sounds motivational, but in reality, it can lead to a lack of authenticity and transparency, both with clients and within yourself.
Carl: For some people, this buzzword actually worked for them, provided that this serves as a guide to motivate them, do whatever they need to do and eventually becoming an expert in the process.
However, when you're trying to keep up appearances instead of being genuine, it can be a major drain on your mental and emotional energy.
Now, let's take a look at four examples of how hustle culture negatively impacts us on an individual level and as an industry.
Having Major FOMO
First up, we have the dreaded "Fear of Missing Out" or FOMO. When we see everyone around us hustling and boasting about their success, we can't help but feel like we're falling behind.
FOMO can lead to poor decision-making, overcommitting, and ultimately burning out because you're stretching yourself too thin. It’s difficult to achieve focus when fear is driving you in a general sense.
Anne: Especially when we compare ourselves to our peers or competitors, that’s where major FOMO sets in. We feel like we have to keep striving beyond the point of actual productivity and effectiveness because we equate not working with lagging behind. And it’s not to say that we shouldn’t work hard. But the ruthlessness of that 24/7 work cycle can wear you out fast especially if you’re a solopreneur, a small business or an independent content creator or professional practicing your field.
Carl: Yes, the wear and tear will get to you.
Pressure for Content
Next, let's talk about the pressure to constantly produce content. Sure, creating valuable content is essential, but when you're just pushing out content for the sake of it, quality takes a hit. Remember our episode about being a soulless content factory…
Anne: Yes, and we’ll link that in the show notes so you can go listen to that episode…
Carl: Exactly. Your audience craves authenticity and value, not just another post to fill their feeds.
Let's set our sights on creating content that truly enriches the world. Whether it's an eye-opening article, a captivating podcast, or a thought-provoking video, let's aim to forge meaningful connections with our audience. It's not about just adding to the endless online chatter; it's about crafting something purposeful that resonates with others on a deeper level.
Anne: So, let's make every piece of content count, leaving a lasting impact on those who experience it. Quality over quantity, folks!
Carl: I also want to tackle how hustle culture often discourages taking the time to learn and grow. People may feel pressured to act like they know everything already - "fake it til you make it" - which can be detrimental to their development. Their actual development
Anne: I agree with this but I also feel for freelancers since they’re always pressed for time. They always have to say yes to a project or task at hand, but the reality is they have no real legitimate or actual experience to their name. What often happens is the client gets abandoned or the freelancer gets frustrated because expectations weren’t met. It’s a recipe for disaster.
Carl: Which is why we at Team Dklutr often tell our clients that we don’t fake it ‘til we make it. Instead, we learn it ‘til we nail it.
Embracing Growth by Being Transparent
Anne: Let me say that again. We learn it ‘til we nail it. It’s a brilliant concept introduced by one of our partners, Vence.
Carl: And this business mantra revolves around embracing a growth mindset by being transparent about what you don't know, taking the time to learn new skills, and being proactive about improving your craft. That's how you become efficient and effective, without the weight of constant pretense holding you back.
Taking the time means less pressure..Less pressure translates developing your creativity and eventually mastery.
Anne: Oooh, I love that. Becoming efficient and effective, without the weight of constant pretense holding you back. The constant pretense part is what resonated with me the most. Because people often underestimate mental bandwidth. Physically, we can withstand long hours of work. But if we don’t have the mental bandwidth or have the proper mindset, we simply won’t get stuff done.
Carl: And that’s why at Team Dklutr we value flow, which starts with mindset.
Lastly, we can't forget how hustle culture impacts the industry as a whole.
Anne: Yes, it perpetuates the idea that success comes overnight and with minimal effort, which can be very misleading!
Carl: True, because in reality, sustainable success requires hard work, dedication, and the willingness to adapt and learn from failures.
Anne: It doesn’t happen overnight.
Carl: Anything that’s essential and valuable takes time to build, nourish, and grow. And this culture might lead to a "race to the bottom" mentality, where everyone is underpricing their services to out-hustle the competition, devaluing their expertise in the process.
Anne: It’s important to emphasize that we’re not against hard work and going the extra mile. In fact, we’re all about that. What we’re simply advocating against is how trying to out-hustle everyone else can be super disruptive for the industry as a whole.
Carl: We aspire to change the game in our little way. By promoting a culture of authenticity, transparency, and continuous growth, we can elevate the industry and foster long-lasting success.
Anne: That’s so true! Keep that passion burning, but don't forget to take a step back, learn, and grow along the way. You've got this!
Until next time, keep creating, keep hustling, but most importantly, keep it real!
And if you’re also looking for a team to light that creative fire in you and help you grow and hustle without burning yourself out and draining you of all that passion and creativity, feel free to reach out by shooting us an email or DM-ing us on Insta!
Outro: If you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to our podcast so you never miss an episode. This is Team Dklutr, signing off. Take care, stay curious, bye for now!
