A grind culture problem, according to Rhenald Kasali, Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia, is likely to harm young people. He stated that these young people live in a fast-paced, instant world and are prone to rushing.
And, nowadays, millennials and zoomers work long hours to get an appreciation for “grinds.” This grind culture can be viewed as workaholism, and it eventually becomes a lifestyle of working too hard and pushing themselves past their limits, sometimes to the point where there is no time to live a personal life.
So, the question reappears: can grind culture be profited from in the long run? If you’re curious, especially if you’re into grind culture, read on as to why you might not necessarily profit from it.
Lack of income streams
We understand that you are enthusiastic about your work. But let us ask you a question: do the tasks you undertake at work line up with your income? Alright, Elon Musk readily touts the “100-hour work week.” Will those of you who stay up late at night, on the other hand, continue to be excited and earn money like Elon Musk? Unfortunately, no. Some of you even need to go to a legal money lender in Singapore just to make ends meet.
Instead of constantly going overtime, imagine having 4 to 5 hours after work to pursue your hobbies or self-improvement, which can give you ideas on how you can earn money. Unfortunately, because grind culture does not recognise work-life balance, it creates a linear and simplistic idea of the road to success that ignores the possibility of earning outside of work.
A healthy financial life is built on a range of sources of income, such as investing, doing gigs or jobs in your spare time, and so on. How will you have a ‘me time’ where you can explore other ways to make money if you follow grind culture?
Quality over quantity
We understand why you devote most of your time to it. But does investing in long hours guarantee good work quality?
Instead, make an effort to prioritise smart and focused work. This means focusing on one job that has a large impact but can only be completed during working hours, versus large-volume tasks that must be completed continually until late at night.
We feel that focused and thoroughly analysed work is more satisfying to your boss, so it’s important to balance working hard with working smart. Believe us when we say that efficient and productive work frequently adds more to financial success than long, exhausting work hours that might lead to burnout.
Easy to burnout
As previously said, burnout is the partner of grind culture. Think about it: you work so you can have a comfortable, worry-free, and balanced lifestyle wherein you can devote your time to developing meaningful relationships and maintaining healthy physical and mental well-being.
Burning out due to grind culture will not give you that, so avoid it.
No time to gain self-education
Grind culture frequently skips financial education and preparation and keeps its adherents work-oriented. Ironically, learning, which helps in financial and career growth, happens in one’s spare time. If someone embraces the grind culture, when will there be time?
Do you continue to believe that grind culture is your way to financial wealth?
Having a good work ethic is always admirable. However, the sad reality is that many millennials grinding their lives away are not guaranteed financial success. We hope that this article has helped you think twice about participating in grind culture, as well as reconsider a perspective on work and wealth that goes beyond persistent hard work.
