Hustle Culture vs. Slow Living: How to Make $1 Million Working Part-Time
Sep 18
In today’s entrepreneurial world, hustle culture reigns supreme. Many business owners feel the relentless pressure to push harder, work longer hours, and sacrifice personal time just to reach their goals. But what if there’s a different approach—one that leads to success without burnout? Enter slow living, a lifestyle that embraces balance, rest, and intentional action. In this post, I’ll share how I, Moriah Riona, am working toward building a million-dollar business while working part-time and adopting slow living practices.
Ready to learn how to scale your business without the constant grind? Let’s dive in!
What Exactly Is Hustle Culture?
The Hustle Mentality
First of all, let’s define hustle culture. Hustle culture is the belief that constant hard work and long hours are the only way to achieve success. As entrepreneurs, we’re often told that if we’re not hustling, we’re not serious about our goals. For years, I bought into this mentality, thinking that more hours and more effort would equal more success.
However, hustle culture often leads to burnout, and the feeling of always being “on” becomes exhausting. Although this approach may produce short-term results, it’s rarely sustainable in the long run. In fact, many business owners who operate this way eventually burn out, losing both their passion and their health along the way.
The Downside of Always Hustling
What many don’t realize is that hustle culture can lead to more than just exhaustion—it can also stifle creativity, hinder personal growth, and prevent you from enjoying the life you’re working so hard to build. Ironically, the very thing that drives you to achieve can hold you back from reaching your full potential.
Now, let’s explore a different path—slow living.
Slow Living: A Refreshing Alternative
What Is Slow Living?
In stark contrast to hustle culture, slow living encourages us to be more intentional with our time and energy. Instead of doing more, it’s about doing what truly matters. This approach not only allows for a healthier lifestyle but also enables us to grow our businesses in a sustainable and balanced way. Moreover, slow living doesn’t mean you’re not working hard. Instead, it means you’re being strategic, focused, and mindful of how you allocate your time.
How Slow Living Can Improve Your Business
Surprisingly, slow living can help you grow your business more effectively than hustle culture ever could. By prioritizing rest, balance, and strategic work, you create space for creativity to flow and for opportunities to arise. When you’re not constantly exhausted or overwhelmed, you’re able to make better decisions, connect more deeply with your clients, and ultimately, achieve more success.
So, how do you actually apply this concept to your business? Here are the five key strategies I’ve been using to build my million-dollar business while working part-time and embracing slow living.
5 Key Steps to Achieving Business Success Through Slow Living
1. Prioritize Rest: Make Time for Recharge
First and foremost, let’s talk about rest. For years, I didn’t make rest a priority in my life. I saw rest as something I had to “earn” after checking off everything on my to-do list—spoiler alert: that list never ends! Hustle culture conditioned me to believe that rest was a luxury, not a necessity.
However, rest is vital for long-term success. Without proper rest, we can’t perform at our best, nor can we sustain the energy needed to grow our businesses. This realization hit me when I hired my coach, Kim Showers, and she pointed out that I was on the path to burnout. She encouraged me to start scheduling rest into my day, not as an afterthought but as a core part of my routine.
How I Prioritize Rest:
- I schedule rest breaks before scheduling work tasks.
- I block time for naps or creative stillness in the afternoons.
- I’m working on improving my sleep schedule, aiming for 8-9 hours a night.
When we prioritize rest, we recharge both mentally and physically, allowing us to show up in our businesses more creatively and energetically.
2. Work Fewer Days: The Power of a 3-Day Workweek
Next, I made a significant shift in how I structure my workweek. Instead of hustling five or six days a week, I decided to work just three days—yes, you read that right! After balancing four-day workweeks for years, I finally made the leap to trim it down even further. I now work Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This structure gives me time to rest, recharge, and focus on my personal life while still making meaningful progress in my business.
What’s more, working fewer days forces me to be highly strategic and efficient with my time. I’m able to focus intensely on high-priority tasks, which means I accomplish more in less time.
Tips for a 3-Day Workweek:
- Batch tasks into focused workdays.
- Use productivity techniques like time-blocking to maintain focus.
- Reserve specific days for personal and family time.
By creating more time for rest and reflection, I’ve found that I am actually more productive on the days I do work. The key is being intentional with your time.
3. Growing Your Team: You Don’t Have to Do It All
In addition to working fewer days, I’ve also learned the importance of building a team. Early on in my business, I was the classic solopreneur—doing everything myself and believing that no one else could do it as well as I could. However, if you want to scale your business, it’s essential to delegate tasks and trust others to help.
Over the past six months, I’ve focused on growing my team. I’ve trained my assistant to handle client communications, project management, and social media scheduling. Additionally, I’ve brought on a designer to take over some internal projects. While it wasn’t easy at first, letting go of tasks has been crucial to scaling my business.
Steps to Start Growing Your Team:
- Begin by outsourcing small tasks, like social media or bookkeeping.
- Look for team members whose skills complement yours.
- Trust your team to handle tasks that don’t require your personal touch.
The truth is, you can’t do it all alone. By growing your team, you free yourself up to focus on the big-picture strategy that will drive your business forward.
4. Outsourcing: Buy Back Your Time
Now, let’s talk about outsourcing. While building a team is essential for internal tasks, outsourcing allows you to delegate personal and professional tasks to experts. Outsourcing has been a game-changer for me, both in my business and my personal life.
For example, I’ve outsourced bookkeeping—an area that always caused me stress and frustration. By hiring a professional, I no longer have to spend hours trying to manage my finances. Instead, I can focus on the tasks that bring in revenue.
But outsourcing doesn’t stop at business tasks. I’ve also started outsourcing personal responsibilities like house cleaning and grocery shopping. This has freed up even more time for me to rest, spend time with my family, and focus on what truly matters.
How to Start Outsourcing:
- Identify tasks that you dread or that drain your energy.
- Find professionals or services that specialize in those areas.
- Focus on high-impact tasks that you enjoy and excel at, while outsourcing the rest.
By outsourcing, you essentially buy back your time, allowing you to invest that time into growing your business—or simply enjoying your life!
5. Building Systems for Scale: Streamline Your Operations
Lastly, to truly scale your business while embracing slow living, you need systems in place. Systems, also known as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), ensure that your business runs smoothly—even when you’re not directly involved. These workflows allow your team to manage projects and tasks efficiently, freeing you up to focus on higher-level strategy.
Over the past few months, I’ve been developing detailed systems for my Luxury Brand Leader program. From client onboarding to project completion, every step is mapped out, ensuring that no task falls through the cracks. As a result, my team knows exactly what needs to be done at each stage of the process.
Why Systems Are Essential for Scaling:
- They provide consistency in how tasks are completed.
- Systems enable your team to manage projects without your constant oversight.
- Well-structured workflows allow you to focus on growth and innovation.
With systems in place, I can step away from the day-to-day operations and concentrate on the areas of my business that truly move the needle.
Embrace Slow Living for Long-Term Success
Ultimately, slow living offers a refreshing alternative to the hustle culture that so many entrepreneurs are trapped in. By intentionally focusing on rest, balance, and high-impact work, you can build a successful business without burning out.
The key takeaway here? You don’t have to sacrifice your health or happiness to reach your goals. By embracing slow living, you create space for creativity, growth, and meaningful success.
Ready to build a business that serves you—without the hustle? If you found this post helpful, be sure to connect with me on Instagram. I’d love to hear how you’re adopting slow living in your business and life.
Until next time, here’s to building a business that allows you to thrive—without burning out!
Want More?
If you found value in this post, be sure to check out my free course: Five-Figure Clients: The Secret to Attracting High-Ticket Coaching Clients. Over four days, you’ll learn how to position yourself as a luxury brand leader and start attracting clients who understand your value. Sign up now at moriahriona.com/free-course.
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