Now Reading
You Can’t Hustle Your Way to Fulfillment

You Can’t Hustle Your Way to Fulfillment

Somewhere between your third attempt at waking up before sunrise and yet another productivity hack that promises to change your life, you start to wonder: Is this really it? Is the secret to happiness just drinking more water and using a $40 planner? Because, if so, why does it still feel like something’s missing?

Self-improvement is big business. Every year, people throw ridiculous amounts of money at books, planners, fitness subscriptions and whatever new wellness trend is being pushed by influencers who somehow have endless time for hot yoga and homemade green juice. The message? If you just hustle hard enough, you’ll finally achieve peace, fulfillment and that effortlessly put-together vibe you see on Instagram.

But here’s the thing: no amount of journaling or meal prepping is going to fix what’s actually making you feel empty. External self-improvement has its place (seriously, go to the gym if you want to), but it can’t fill the deeper void. Because fulfillment isn’t something you achieve—it’s something only Jesus can give.

The Limits of Self-Improvement

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be better. If you want to run a marathon, you need to train. If you want to lose 30 pounds, you need to go to the gym. Those are external goals and discipline helps achieve them. But when we start treating self-improvement as the path to deep, lasting contentment, we run into problems.

Ruth Chou Simons, author and speaker, puts it plainly: “Biblical self-improvement is ultimately not self-improvement at all. It’s improvement achieved by God. It’s called sanctification.”

In other words, the issue isn’t that we want to improve. It’s that we expect external achievements to provide internal peace. And they won’t. Because fulfillment isn’t something we can hustle our way into—it’s something only Jesus can give.

Why You’ll Never “Hack” Fulfillment

Let’s be honest: a huge part of the self-improvement obsession is fueled by comparison. Someone else has a more aesthetic workout routine. Someone else is meal-prepping like a pro. Someone else is waking up at 5 a.m. and journaling their deep thoughts while sipping organic matcha.

And the self-help industry knows it. It thrives on convincing you that if you just master the right habits, you’ll finally feel whole. But that’s not how wholeness works. Fulfillment isn’t a system you unlock. It’s a person—Jesus.

Paul Knew What Was Up

If anyone knew the trap of striving, it was Paul. Before his whole dramatic encounter with Jesus, Paul had everything—status, success, discipline. But after meeting Christ, he realized none of it satisfied the way he thought it would.

That’s why every time Paul writes about how we should live—be more patient, be kind, practice self-control—he always starts with what God has already done. Because the Christian life isn’t about striving for fulfillment. It’s about receiving it from Christ and then living differently as a result.

When Church Feels Like Another Self-Help Seminar

Unfortunately, the self-improvement mindset isn’t just a secular problem. It’s alive and well in the church, too. Too often, we turn faith into another list of things to accomplish: read your Bible more, pray more, serve more. And while those are good things, they won’t make us feel more whole unless we understand why we’re doing them.

“There are a lot of believers walking around who know what it looks like to be a Christian, but they may not know at the core why there’s freedom,” Simons points out. “What’s the change? What’s the power by which they can change?”

If faith feels like another self-improvement plan, we’ve missed the point. Jesus didn’t come to give us a better productivity system. He came to give us life.

So, What Do We Do Instead?

First, recognize that external achievements can only do so much. Go to the gym. Get organized. Improve your habits. But don’t expect them to bring you lasting peace.

Second, remind yourself daily of the gospel. Simons gets it: “I wake up every morning thinking, ‘Oh my goodness. This all depends on me.’” Sound familiar? Instead of spiraling, she stops and resets: “I have to remind myself, ‘OK, I am not my own. The grace of God has purchased freedom for me.’”

Third, shift your focus. Are you chasing achievement to feel whole? Or are you living from a place of already being whole in Christ?

Self-improvement has its place. But fulfillment? That’s only found in Jesus. And the best part? You don’t have to hustle for it. He’s already given it to you.

© 2023 RELEVANT Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Scroll To Top

You’re reading our ad-supported experience

For our premium ad-free experience, including exclusive podcasts, issues and more, subscribe to

Plans start as low as $2.50/mo