7 Steve Jobs Quotes That Will Help Your Inner Hustler
Use these to keep going when you want to quit
I’ve always been a hustler.
My earliest side hustle started when I was 10 years old. I downloaded songs via Napster with dial-up internet and burnt CD’s for my friends in middle school. Since then, I’ve been hooked on entrepreneurship.
After that I started selling golf clubs for old people from my country club on eBay. In college, I ran party buses — I love hustling.
I love having the ability to create money from thin air — to take an idea that lives in your head and get people to pay you money for it. That to me is the ultimate definition of “winning.”
In 2017, I went all-in on my dreams of turning my hustles into a full-time business. Somehow, it’s worked — but it hasn’t been easy, far from it.
But one guy has kept me inspired throughout it all — Steve Jobs. Random right?
It started in 2017 when I was hooked on motivational videos from guys like Tony Robbins and Eric Thomas. I stumbled upon Steve’s Harvard commencement speech and must’ve listened to it 100X or more. It helped me keep going when I wanted to quit.
Even though he sadly passed away in 2011, I think he will continue to impact hustlers and entrepreneurs for centuries to come.
“Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.”
It’s time to start giving yourself some credit. A lot of times we put everyone else up on a pedestal — — they’re smarter, more successful, more beautiful, etc.
But the truth is, you have everything you need inside of you to turn your dreams into a reality. I think humans do make everyone else appear to be something special to stay safe. Our mind tricks us into thinking we “can’t” do something so we don’t venture too far outside our comfort zone (and risk embarrassment, insecurity, and more).
This is where self-awareness comes in… you have to be able to notice when these negative, disempowering thoughts rise up to the surface. The more you practice mindfulness, the more you can catch these thoughts and dismiss them.
You can build whatever you want, but only when you understand that you are the creator of your destiny. No one else is — it’s time to own it!
“Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.”
Success in anything isn’t linear — especially as an entrepreneur. As soon as you take a leap and bet on yourself, strap in for a rocky ride.
When I quit my 9–5 in 2017, I had no idea what I was in for… which is good, because if I did, I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to do it.
The truth is, betting on yourself — whether it’s quitting a job, starting a side hustle, or chasing a dream is going to be the hardest thing you’ve ever done, for a few reasons.
First, you’ve never done what you want to do before, which means learning is essential. You have to learn all types of new skills, overcome many challenging situations, and keep pushing when you want to quit (and you will want to quit).
Second, your mind will make it hard on you. Remember, the supercomputer between your ears is a survival mechanism above all else. It’s always thinking about your safety.
You know what isn’t safe?
Chasing your wildest dreams and getting outside your comfort zone. Bricks will seemingly fall from the sky but you can’t give up… you can’t lose faith when things inevitably get tough.
Instead, stay focused on the goal and remember why you started in the beginning.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others drown out your own inner voice.”
According to best-selling author and nurse Bronnie Ware, the number one regret of the dying is not living a life true to yourself. Yet, most of us are living a life for everyone but ourselves. Most of us are living for our parents, family, friends, or even worse — for societal norms.
Very few people actually pursue their passion and live their dreams. I realized I was living a life that others created in 2015. I had zero passion for my job and was doing it only for the money — climbing the corporate ladder because that’s what I thought you’re supposed to do in life.
It wasn’t until I told myself I’m done living for others that everything started to change. Get quiet and listen to your inner voice. The more aligned you can become with what you really want, life can transform in a matter of months.
You only get one life — start acting like it.
“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”
The courage to relentlessly pursue your passion is one of the scariest things you will ever do. Those closest to you will think you’re crazy. Strangers will think you’ve lost it… but that’s okay.
In fact, I hate when I meet new people and they aren’t a little shocked by goals and ambitions. That means I’m not setting high enough goals.
Here’s the thing — when you chase your dreams, you can’t lose. You either win or you learn; that’s the attitude you need to succeed. The fact is, you can always go back to the real world and get a job if you absolutely had to put food on the table.
Don’t think about plan B though, instead only focus on plan A. Use your heart and intuition as a guiding light, your higher self knows what you want and will make it happen if you keep going. You have to learn to trust yourself, even when it feels like nothing is working.
Just keep going.
“Stay hungry, stay foolish.”
In the quest to create the life you’ve always wanted, you have to stay hungry. Complacency is a dream killer and will contaminate all areas of your life, if you let it.
So make sure that you stay foolish and naive when pursuing greatness. Here’s the thing, people will think you’re nuts. People will doubt you, mock you, and question your every move.
But chances are, these are the same people who, deep down, secretly wish they had the courage to do what you’re doing.
Ignore the naysayers and don’t be afraid to take the route less traveled. Trust me, it’ll be worth it.
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
It’s impossible to do great work if you’re only there for the paycheck. The sad truth is, if you died today, there would be a job ad up for you tomorrow.
Don’t waste the best years of your life working on someone else’s dream if you have a burning desire to chase your dreams. There is nothing wrong with working for someone else — as long as you aren’t giving up on your dreams in the process.
Final Thoughts
I truly think everyone was put on this planet for a reason.
It’s up to you to figure out what that reason is, even if it takes your whole life to figure it out. Sadly, most people never embark on the journey of their life and instead, play it safe.
You’re only one idea from changing your life, so act like it!
This is the best time ever to go all-in on your dreams.
Don’t forget, as Steve Jobs said,
“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
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