Hustle: What Does It Mean?

The other day, I asked a question to the people who follow me on Twitter. The question was, " How do you define hustle?" I asked this question because in the past few job applications I had completed, one of the traits they were looking for was "hustle."

While doing my little poll, I got different answers. Some people referenced Jay-Z, others said it was all about the end goal. But all of the responses had a common theme: "Getting it done. Period."

After ruminating on it a little bit, I thought about my own definition of what it means to hustle and be a hustler. For me, hustle is all about doing (within reason and law) whatever it takes to get to where you're trying to go. It's nonlinear and usually not pretty. It requires patience, creativity and stretching every bit of yourself. It's no easy feat and is a skill that is built up over time. My parents are two of the biggest hustlers I know, and I say that proudly. I'll be honest, I never thought of myself as a hustler. And yet, I was reminded today that I am. I guess I get it from my mama (and my Daddy).

That's the thing about hustle. It takes on many forms and no two hustlers are the same. What we do have in common is the grit and the resilience to see our goals and dreams to the end. The road isn't easy, but we always eventually get there. So here's to the hustlers. Long may we reign.