The hustle culture is everywhere. It’s in the late nights at the office, the skipping of lunch breaks, and the endless grind to meet deadlines — all too often, at the cost of our health and well-being.
At Pharmacy Connect 2025, I took to the stage with one simple mission: to disrupt this glorification of the hustle, especially in the pharmacy profession, where burnout is an all-too-common reality.
When we find the balance of knowing when to push and when to pull back, we find the sweet spot between taking enough action to create forward movement, but not so much that it becomes all-consuming and literally sucks the life out of us.
TEDx speaker, author, and leadership coach Nicky Miklós
In my session, Hustle to Happy: Rewrite the Script on Success, I invited participants to reconsider what true success looks like — and how we can achieve it without losing ourselves in the process.
The hidden cost of the hustle culture
Pharmacy professionals, like many in high-demand careers, often find themselves trapped in a cycle of relentless demands
Whether it’s staying late to fill prescriptions or managing a never-ending stream of patient needs, it’s easy to overlook personal boundaries.
The pressure to ‘do it all’ can leave you running on empty, physically and emotionally.
For years, I too was a member of the ‘hustle culture club’ — pushing myself beyond my limits, ignoring warning signs, and wearing exhaustion like a badge of honour. But there’s a problem with that.
The reality is, this kind of hustle is unsustainable.It can lead to burnout, health issues, and even moments of crisis. I’ve been there. I’ve experienced burnout, pneumonia from overworking, and even panic attacks.
My body hit ‘pause’ multiple times before I learned my drive to over-deliver and over-function was only sabotaging my health.
Reframing to a healthy hustle
In my presentation, I offered a new way to think about success: Healthy Hustle. This is about finding the sweet spot between action and rest, productivity and self-care.
Healthy hustle isn’t about slowing down completely — it’s about knowing when to push and when to pull back. As I put it during the talk:
“When we find the balance of knowing when to push and when to pull back, we find the sweet spot between taking enough action to create forward movement, but not so much that it becomes all-consuming and literally sucks the life out of us.”
This balance is key to a fulfilling career — one where you’re not constantly sacrificing your health, happiness, or time with loved ones in the name of success.
The hustle will always be there. But we have the power to change how we hustle.
Nicky Miklós
The power of beliefs
The first big idea I shared with the audience was about the power of beliefs. Many of us are unconsciously driven by beliefs that tell us success requires relentless effort.
Maybe you’ve been taught that working long hours is the only way to show commitment.
Maybe you learned that skipping meals or missing breaks is a sign of being serious about your job. But the truth is, these beliefs are often outdated and unhealthy.
By changing these beliefs, we can change the way we work and live.
Instead of seeing rest as a weakness, we can learn to view it as a necessary part of the equation for long-term success.
By reframing our mindset, we can build healthier habits that lead to greater fulfillment and achievement — without the burnout.
Protecting your energy
While time is fixed, energy is flexible. You only get 24 hours in a day, but how you use your energy is entirely within your control.
That’s why energy management is now more important than time management.
In today’s world, it’s easy to get distracted by a thousand things. But here’s the secret: staying focused on what truly matters will help you make meaningful progress.
TEDx speaker, author, and leadership coach Nicky Miklós
We all have certain activities or people who give us energy, and others who drain us.
Identifying these energy gainers and drainers is crucial for maintaining a healthy hustle. It’s not just about being productive; it’s about being intentional with how you allocate your energy.
When you bring in more of what energizes you and set boundaries to protect your energy from drainers, you will naturally move closer to optimal performance.
It’s about creating space for the things that uplift you, whether that’s time with loved ones, pursuing a passion, or simply taking a break to recharge.
Avoiding distractions
In today’s world, it’s easy to get distracted by a thousand things. But here’s the secret: staying focused on what truly matters will help you make meaningful progress.
A simple tool I shared with the audience to help them decide where to focus their attention is something I call the direction filter. It consists of three questions:
Does this directly move me toward my biggest current goal? If I say yes, what am I saying no to — and is it worth it? Is this keeping my hustle healthy?
The answers to these questions can help you filter out distractions and focus on the actions which truly matter, moving you closer to your goals without burning out in the process.
Make your next move conscious
As I concluded my session, I left the audience with a powerful thought: the average human lifespan is incredibly brief. If we’re lucky enough to live to 80 years of age, we have only about 4,000 weeks on this earth.
How are we spending them? Will we continue to live in a cycle of constant busyness, juggling responsibilities, and burning out? Or will we make conscious decisions about how we work, rest, and live?
The hustle will always be there. But we have the power to change how we hustle. My invitation to you is simple: be intentional with your energy and your effort. Take control of your hustle before the chaos takes control of you. The decision to rewrite your script on success is yours.
