It’s easy to be caught up in the frenzy of the start-up hustle. At events and conferences you see people pitching to everyone else, trying to outdo the previous one. There is the notion that one has to work the room and maximise every opportunity to talk about your agenda. I got tired just thinking that I would be doing this for a couple of weeks and that I must keep doing so for months to come. Then got more exhausted when I remembered that my husband has been at it more actively, out on the road for months now. I’m surprised we still have a lot of energy for each other. It really is a choice to make sure our cups full for those who matter the most.

Whenever I feel the pressure to hustle bear down on my shoulders I try to go back to why I am doing what I chose to do in the first place. It eases up and I am reminded once again that I don’t have to follow everyone else’s way of hustling. If I replace hustle with the following mantra I observe marked difference in energy:

• Your presence
• Your genuine interest in the other
• Your authentic voice
• Your listening ear
• Your attention
• Your compassion for another