Hustle Case Study #1: Identify and Extend Your Thresholds

Hustle Case Study = learning from other’s situations – good, bad and ugly.

Hustle Case Study #1 is about identifying the thresholds that handicap our ability to reach our full potential.

This case study comes from a reader’s (Tryin’ to Hustle) comment left on Gain the Advantage: Set Your Own Expectations, Pt. 2 .  The comment reads:

“…I just found out that I’m not getting my work contract renewed come December. I am a part-time instructor which is my only source of income and my contract for this semester is not being renewed because of budget cuts. Life’s been hard the past 18 months, I have just taken work where I found it. I have some education, but I can’t translate it into anything worthwhile. I believe I do work hard, at least, I think I do. I put hours and hours of work into everyday. I’ve begun to doubt my own abilities, and it’s really started to take a toll on me emotionally. I took a job about 16 months ago that involved a lot of computer programming knowledge I didn’t have, and I left that company thinking there would be another opportunity elsewhere, in something I’d be better at – but I haven’t gotten a single offer since…300-400 applications later… I’ve taken my own initiative to start my own opportunities, and work hard every day on my newest venture, real estate – I’ve also got a side passion that I do in sports, but that hasn’t made me any money, and neither has real estate yet. I’m not looking so much for career advice, I realize each person must find their niche, but rather…how to keep my spirits up during these times? How to keep my energy high enough to get that first sale? I am trying to fight the feeling of professional defeat every day, and some days it just flat out hurts. Any advice?”

Summary of My Notes

• Mental state: frustrated, stressed
• Educated
• Job fluctuation
• New venture in real estate
• Request: how to keep spirit and energy high?

This frustrating, stressful situation is more than repairable; it’s an opportunity within itself to grow from.  Before diving into the depths, I’d like to make mention that we all go through points of frustration and it’s a natural part of the process for everyone. Anytime we’re in one of these downward spirals we doubt ourselves; further diminishing our confidence – leading us further from our goals.

These are the situations that make or break us. Being broken isn’t a consideration for a hustler; hence these are the situations that make us.

Threshold. When I speak of threshold, I’m referring to our subconscious processing that creates boundaries holding us to minimum effort, or worst, inaction altogether.  For instance, a new sales person struggles with cold calling. It’s not necessarily a lack of skill that they have, but more likely their inability to endure the struggles of being declined more often than accepted. This makes them uncomfortable, lack confidence…and a threshold builds. Now add the stress of monetary need – and the young sales person digs himself deeper.

We all have thresholds; they’re a part of our internal defensive mechanism. We also have the power to extend and eventually eliminate them.

Identify Your Thresholds

Be honest with yourself and identify the personal variables that hold you back.  For the thresholds – limitations within your control – simply knowing what they are, positions power in your favor. Acknowledgement of your limitations gives you the choice to either dispose of your limits or allow them to reside.

Extend Your Thresholds

Let the fuel that drives you be bigger than money. Regardless of the outcome, in business we are rewarded monetarily, so money will always be one of the end results.  The fuel should be on a personal, not professional level. Take a step back and view yourself at a macro level and find the reason why you do it all. For instance, I have 3 kids and a wife who depend on me. For me, business is a tool to honor that responsibility. With this in mind, each move I make MUST have direct contribution to my main goal in business.

Finding the fuel that drives you is the very aspect that will energize you to extend the boundaries that you subconsciously created for yourself – the thresholds. The reason I don’t use the word “eliminate” in replacement for “extend” is because our thresholds are deeply embedded within us, making it difficult to shake in a short amount of time.  However, extending thresholds can be done in a short time span with immediate results. Moreover, after overcoming boundaries, mentally we can release the mental fortresses completely.

The most difficult part is being honest in identifying that there’s a threshold in the first place and then tapping into the fuel that drives you to gain the energy to overcome.

Having a direct, tangible, meaningful, and personal drive keeps your focus on the big picture.

Closing Comments from a Hustle’s Perspective

To: Tryin’ to Hustle →

If you’re trying to find a job that you love…wake up and smell the coffee.  It’s a rarity that people love what they do – even when they say they do, especially when they are not self employed. Do what you have to do, and do it the best – then love the rewards. I’ve been on that mission before; trying to find what I love to do on a career level…I never came close. But I realized that I do love putting myself in the best position, out thinking the competition and creating my own professional roadmap; being my own business, no matter the industry or title – and the rewards are lucrative.

Don’t doubt yourself. People can sense when confidence is lacked and it makes them uncomfortable and lack confidence in you as well. Be realistic with yourself; don’t expect perfection. Think about the obstacles you’ve overcome to make it where you are now; the thresholds you’ve already extended and eliminated. Now think how low life could be if you didn’t endure those things.

Dress and act like a king, and you shall be treated like a king.

In your real estate hustle, identify the successful people at the firm that you work for. At this stage you aren’t a threat so their likelihood of sharing their keys to success is high. Mimic what works for them; even add your own twist. Don’t leave out the weaklings…make sure to identify their deficiencies, and then stay clear.

Support your self-brand. Even though you’re in a slump, promote positivity and show your eagerness and aptitude to learn. Be likable, which will make your co-workers want to see you succeed. When you can tap into that zone, you’re golden.

I’ve been in situations where I just didn’t feel like exerting an A-effort because I wasn’t in the right place mentally…I expected something to magically fall in my hands. I confess that those situations left me result-less…every…single…time. I’ve also been in situations where I thought I was under a bad luck spell. But then I realized that the harder I work, magically, the luckier I get.

We are all guilty of being the culprit for most of our own limitations. Until we see the truth in this, we’re paralyzed.

Operate with a hustler’s intensity: establish a personal brand, develop a network of allies, drive results, be your own business, see problems as opportunities, and set the standard for all others…basically follow The 6 Core Values of a Hustler. Then love the rewards.

Now put on your hustler hat, pop your collar, and go get whatever you want.

Referenced Articles:
Gain the Advantage: Set Your Own Expectations, Pt. 2
The 6 Core Values of a Hustler