Hustle culture optimizes for input (work), not output (impact).
It is okay to put in long hours. It is okay to sacrifice things for your goal. But do not waste effort optimizing theatrics. Put your effort into things that actually matter, things that move you closer to what you really want.
If you do not know what you want, get that clarity first. Your goals cannot be a copy-paste of someone else’s goals.
You succeed only when you put effort in the right direction, at the right time, on something you genuinely care about. If you are seeing a dead end, switch.
You cannot and should not be perpetually delusional.