Oh the good ol’ side hustle. It’s on the tip of everyone’s tongue, yet no one seems to know how to keep the flame burning once life throws them a curveball. I’ll tell you one thing, you’ll never learn how to maintain a side hustle without a little elbow grease.
“Life” is going to happen and not everything is going to be balanced at all times but the key is to counterbalance – to prioritize what needs your attention right here, right now. Your side hustle doesn’t have to take 5 hours a day, it can be as little as 1 hour a day. It’s the small steps that allow you to make big gains, day in and day out. I didn’t go to school for business and I never know how to do something until I do it, but I learn along the way and if I can do it, so can you.
what is a “side hustle”?
So a side hustle is anything you work your… butt off for in addition to your full-time job. The people with side hustles are known as aspiring entrepreneurs or multi-passionate creatives, which are fancier names for people who haven’t quite figured it out yet but they’re getting there, (I can say that because I’m one of them!).
Side hustles can vary from an Etsy shop, blog, niche service, or freelancing. You have a side hustle because you strive to be the #GIRLBOSS that you know you are and you want to create the life of your dreams aka you want to get paid just to live. And don’t try to tell me that’s not your dream job…
the secret to staying afloat
There aren’t many secrets in life but there is a secret for how to maintain a side hustle and it is sacrifice and hard work. The reason people fail at anything is because the moment things get tough, they jump ship. Then things calm down and they pick up where they left off only to find their “loyal” audience has left.
The issue is inconsistency and lack of communication.
The second there is a struggle, it’s over and #ontothenextone. Ever wonder why there’s such a small percent of “masters” and “experts” out there? Well, now you know. Facing adversity is inevitable – that’s just life. It’s how you deal with it that sets you apart from the rest. Say you’re going through a hard time, why not express your concerns (to a degree) to your followers? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, people love learning about a good journey because odds are, they’ve experienced the same thing in some way or another.
Say you’re going through a hard time, why not express your concerns (to a degree) to your followers?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, people love learning about a good journey because odds are, they’ve experienced the same thing in some way or another. When you jump ship and let your side hustle fall to the wayside people will be confused and forget about you sooner or later. You’ll essentially have to rebuild your entire brand if this happens.
But before that even happens let’s go over what you can do to maintain a side hustle even when times get tough.
step 1: prioritize & counterbalance
Whatever area of your life is taking a hit is the area you need to focus on. If you’re unhealthy, start making time to workout and eat better. If your Instagram followers are dropping like flies, spend more time creating quality photos. If your relationships are suffering, schedule some nights out with friends. The hardest part about prioritizing and counterbalancing is actually doing it.
We know what areas are lacking but the key is finding the will to knuckle down and really focus on it. Once you nail the art of counterbalance, you will maintain your side hustle no problem.
step 2: time block
Time blocking is such a great, underutilized technique. You take 4-5 hours of uninterrupted time and focus on the task at hand. That means cell phones off and no browsing the web, just pure focus on your side hustle. You’ll get much more accomplished when you time block than if you give yourself all day to do something because you’re likely to procrastinate. There’s a saying “the more time you have to do something, the longer it’ll take you to do it“. #truth
step 3: stay consistent
If there’s one thing all people who have turned their side hustles into full-time jobs have in common, it’s consistency. Slow and steady progress wins the race. People like consistency because it’s predictable and valuable. Once you nail a consistent schedule for your side hustle, you won’t fall behind and be left scrambling to put something together, (like I did when I got back from Costa Rica). You’ll also feel a strong commitment to yourself and your followers to keep the momentum going.
Key takeaways: Like I said, if I can maintain a side hustle, so can you. It’s not easy, but nothing in life worth achieving ever is. It’s balance, consistency, and value that make a side hustle survive.
What is your side hustle and how do you maintain it? Tell me below!
xx
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