I'm back with another eye-opening discussion with one of my favorite humans, Chris Carolan, about The Superhuman Framework. Today, we’re talking about something I know a lot of you out there feel deep in your bones—hunger. No, not the kind of hunger that makes you raid the fridge at 2 a.m. I'm talking about that exciting, burning desire to achieve more, grow more, and push yourself further.
However, hunger by itself isn’t enough.
You can have all the drive in the world, but without a plan, without direction, that hunger can burn you out instead of fueling sustainable growth. So, let’s talk about how to channel that hunger the right way, so you’re not just working harder but also working smarter. And trust me, once you learn how to harness that hunger, it’ll not only help you achieve your goals but keep you moving forward without crashing.
☝️ Watch our entire conversation! ☝️
In this conversation, Chris and I cover:
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Hunger vs. Hustle: We’ll break down why hunger is different from hustle—and why hunger, when managed well, can lead to sustainable growth instead of burnout.
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Turning Short-Term Hunger Into Long-Term Success: I’ll explain how to take that initial fire you feel and turn it into a long-term strategy that keeps you moving forward, without losing steam.
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Staying Grounded While Fueling Your Hunger: We’ll explore how you can stay rooted in your values, so your hunger for success leads to fulfillment, not just achievement.
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Aligning Your Drive with Your Goals: I’ll give you practical tips for making sure your hunger is pushing you toward the right goals—ones that matter to you on a deep, personal level.
Guaranteed, by the time you're done exploring our conversation, you’ll not only understand the true power of hunger in your own life, you'll also have actionable steps to turn that internal drive into something that fuels you for the long haul.
☀️ Go Deeper: What Is The Superhuman Framework?
Hunger vs. Hustle: What's the Difference?
I see it all the time: people confuse hustle with hunger like they’re interchangeable. But they’re far from the same thing. Hustle tends to be about doing more—squeezing every ounce out of your time and glorifying the grind. It’s all about those quick hits of achievement, but what people don’t realize is that it’s often fleeting.
Hustle is a sprint. You might get a lot done in a short burst, but if you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself worn out and wondering what it was all for.
☀️ Go Deeper: Redefining Hustle in an Era of Glorifying Burnout + Overworking
Hunger, on the other hand, is a marathon.
It’s a deeper, more sustainable force. Hunger doesn’t just drive you to do more—it pushes you to grow, to become better, to go after the things that really matter. It’s the difference between being busy and being intentional. And when you focus on feeding your hunger, you stop chasing meaningless tasks and start fueling yourself for long-term success. The question is: are you hustling, or are you hungry?
Put It Into Action
How do you make sure you’re feeding your hunger instead of just hustling? You can start by asking yourself these three questions:
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Am I working harder just for the sake of it, or am I pushing myself in a meaningful way that’s connected to my bigger goals?
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Does today’s work bring me closer to where I want to be a year from now, or am I just checking boxes that won’t matter later?
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Is my hunger for growth something I can sustain over time, or am I constantly running on empty trying to keep up with all of my commitments?
Remember, hustling is reactive, but hunger is proactive.
Hustle is about keeping up, while hunger is about pushing forward in a way that aligns with your purpose. When you focus on feeding that deeper hunger, you’re not just grinding yourself down. You’re building something that fuels you for the long haul. The grind becomes less about exhaustion and more about growth.
Turning Short-Term Hunger Into Long-Term Growth
We’ve all had those moments when we’re fired up. Maybe you’ve just set a new goal, landed a new project, or gotten excited about a new opportunity. But here’s the problem—if that fire is just based on short-term excitement, it fizzles out. That initial rush is great, but it won’t sustain you when things get tough, and let’s not kid ourselves—life happens to all of us, which means things always get tough eventually.
☀️ Go Deeper: Helpfulness as a Superpower for Teams + Leaders (Superhuman Framework)
The key to turning short-term hunger into long-term, sustainable growth is in understanding why you’re hungry in the first place. It’s not enough to want the next win or the next goal; you need to see the bigger picture. What is it that you’re really working toward? How do today’s actions contribute to the overall vision?
When you start thinking about hunger as part of a long game, you’ll stop burning yourself out chasing the next shiny thing and instead start building momentum that lasts.
Put It Into Action
Want to turn your short-term hunger into long-term growth? Here’s how to make it happen:
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Reflect on the big picture: Ask yourself, "Why am I doing this? How does this project or task fit into my bigger goals?"
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Don’t get distracted by quick wins: Sure, it feels good to check something off the list, but make sure those wins are contributing to long-term success, not just giving you a temporary boost.
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Create systems, not just goals: Goals are great, but they’re fleeting. Systems are what keep you moving forward, even when motivation dips. Set up daily or weekly habits that keep you consistently moving toward your larger objectives.
You see, growth isn’t about the peaks—it’s about what happens in between. It’s easy to get caught up in that initial excitement, but what will keep you moving forward is having a plan, a system that keeps your hunger alive long after the spark has faded. When you can sustain that hunger, the long-term payoff is worth far more than any short-lived victory.
Fueling Hunger While Staying True to Your Values
When you’re hungry for success, it’s easy to let that hunger take over everything. You’re so focused on hitting goals that you forget why you started chasing them in the first place. But if you’re not careful, that kind of tunnel vision can lead you away from what really matters. It’s like driving full-speed ahead without knowing where you’re going—you might get somewhere, but is it where you actually want to be?
☀️ Go Deeper: What Humility Looks Like in the Workplace (Superhuman Framework)
To make sure your hunger doesn’t steer you off course, you need to stay grounded in your values. You’ve got to keep checking in with yourself, making sure that your hunger for success is in line with your purpose. It’s not just about achieving more—it’s about achieving the right things, the things that align with who you are and what you believe in. When your hunger is connected to your values, you won’t just feel successful—you’ll feel fulfilled.
Put It Into Action
Want to keep your hunger fueled while staying true to what matters most? Here’s how to stay on track:
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Check in with your values regularly: Every week, ask yourself, “Am I still working toward the things that really matter to me, or have I gotten off track?”
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Avoid comparison traps: It’s easy to get caught up in what others are doing or what success looks like for them. Stay focused on your own path—your hunger should be driven by your goals, not someone else’s.
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Balance ambition with gratitude: Yes, it’s important to stay hungry, but don’t forget to appreciate how far you’ve already come. Gratitude keeps you grounded and gives you perspective, even as you push for more.
Hunger without values is like driving without a map—you might move fast, but you’ll end up lost. When you stay grounded in your values, you’ll find that your hunger leads to real, lasting fulfillment, not just short-term success. It’s about more than what you achieve; it’s about how those achievements align with the life you want to build.
Aligning Your Drive With Your Goals
It’s one thing to be hungry, but it’s another thing entirely to make sure your hunger is pointed in the right direction. Too many people are hungry, but they’re chasing the wrong things. They’re grinding, pushing, and hustling, but at the end of the day, they’re left feeling unfulfilled because they weren’t clear about what they truly wanted. And that’s the real trick—you need to make sure your drive is aligned with goals that actually mean something to you.
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This isn’t just about setting any goal—it’s about setting the right goals. It’s about being intentional with where your hunger takes you. When your drive is aligned with your long-term vision, you stop feeling like you’re running in circles. Every step you take feels purposeful.
You’re not just doing more—you’re doing the right things, for the right reasons.
Put It Into Action
Want to align your hunger with the goals that actually matter? Here’s how:
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Set goals that mean something: Don’t just chase after what looks impressive on paper. Make sure your goals are connected to what truly matters to you.
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Break big dreams into daily actions: It’s great to have big goals, but they don’t happen overnight. Break them down into smaller, actionable steps that keep you moving forward, one day at a time.
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Stay flexible: Life is unpredictable, and sometimes you have to adjust your course. Stay open to tweaking your goals as you grow and as your circumstances change.
Here’s the deal—if your hunger isn’t aligned with your true goals, you’ll end up feeling empty, no matter how much you achieve. But when you make sure your drive is connected to what really matters, every step forward feels intentional, and every achievement feels like part of a bigger, more fulfilling journey.
The Healthy Way to Harness Hunger
Hunger, when used right, can be the engine that drives long-term success. But it’s a delicate balance. Push too hard without direction, and you’ll burn out. Follow it without a purpose, and you’ll end up chasing things that don’t really matter. The key is to take that raw energy and channel it in a way that not only fuels you but also sustains you for the journey ahead.
This isn’t about hustling harder or constantly striving for more—it’s about making sure your hunger is aligned with your values and your goals. When you pair ambition with intention, you don’t just accomplish more; you grow in a way that feels meaningful and fulfilling.
☀️ Go Deeper: Addressing Burnout When You Really Love What You Do
So, ask yourself:
"Is my hunger leading me to the life I truly want?"
If the answer isn’t a resounding “yes,” it’s time to realign. Focus on what really matters, create habits that support your growth, and keep your values front and center. When you do that, your hunger stops being a fleeting force—it becomes the foundation for lasting success.
And that’s how you turn hunger into something more than just a drive for achievement. You turn it into a source of purpose and fulfillment that carries you forward, not just for the next goal, but for the long run. If you’re ready to take that step, then I’m here to help. Whether it’s through the Beyond Your Default community, the upcoming Superhuman Framework course, or just some good old-fashioned conversation, let’s make it happen.
George B. Thomas
