There is No Accidental Hustle

I had a moment this week that stuck with me. Honestly, I don’t love the way I handled it, but you be the judge.

I asked a young woman I’ve never trained a simple question: “What do I need to know about you?”Orthopedic history. Perceived fitness level. You. I care about motives. I care about what’s driving the person in front of me. So I followed it up with, “What’s your relationship with fitness?” She laughed and said it’s evolving. Developing. A situationship if you will. Fair enough. Then I asked the question that really matters: “What do you actually want to accomplish?” Why did you wake up at 5:30 in the morning to be here today?

She said, “I guess I want to get stronger.”

Cool. Peace and respect.

“So, What’s your plan?” I asked

She paused. “I don’t know… I guess sign up for some more classes.”

And that’s where it hit me. Not just for her, but for a lot of people.

That’s leaving your life up to chance.

I wasn’t trying to be harsh, but I felt it was important to express loudly. There is no accidental hustle. Things don’t just happen. You make them happen. You don’t stumble into success. You create opportunity by how you use today. Today is the tool. Today is the lever. What are you doing today that puts you in position to win tomorrow?

It has to be intentional. Thought out. It starts with a real why. Not a surface-level why. Not “I want to look good for a wedding.” That has an end date. That expires. What’s the bigger picture? What does this allow you to do long-term? Who does this help you become?

Look at the people older than you who inspire you. What do they have in common? They take care of themselves. They move well. They’re strong. They have energy. Now look at the people who don’t inspire you. We all have examples. What traits show up there? That contrast matters. There are lessons everywhere if you’re willing to look honestly.

Once that becomes clear, then you build the process.

If the goal is strength, the process is obvious. Strength train three days a week. That’s it. No magic. For me, that might look like Monday, Wednesday and Friday being non-negotiables. Those days are tools. They’re scheduled. They’re protected. And then it comes down to discipline and self-love, which is really the same thing. Holding yourself accountable. Showing up even when you don’t feel like it.

Left to willpower alone, most people fail. But when the reason is bigger than you, and the process is defined by small, repeatable wins, now you’ve got a real shot.

Big picture, you don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. That line from Atomic Habits sticks for a reason. Systems decide outcomes.

So the real question is simple: What can you do today that puts you in position to be successful tomorrow?

Answer that honestly. Then act on it.