A side hustle is called a side hustle for a reason: you have another full-time hustle on top of it. Whether your side hustle is being an Instagram influencer, selling home-made jewelry, making home-made skin care products, or baking cakes for birthday parties, doing what you love on the side can take up a lot of time and effort. Juggling your side hustle and a full-time job can be daunting and overwhelming. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be. You can be in property maintenance services by day and a t-shirt designer by night, or a construction worker by day and an online thrift shop owner by night — without burning out. Here’s how.
1. Don’t Let Your Side Hustle Consume Your Life
When you first get into your side hustle, you’re going to be excited about it. It’s natural to want to throw yourself into it and spend every waking moment tackling your projects and reaching for your goals. Don’t. It’s not healthy for anything to take over your life, and your side hustle should be no different. You should create a detailed schedule for yourself and stick to it, prioritizing the tasks you need to get done and saving the ones you don’t for another time. While you may love your side hustle, you should make time for self-care like exercising, reading a good book, and relaxing with friends or family.
2. Keep Your Day Job Separate
You may be tempted to knit the sweater you’re selling under your desk during your day job when you’re supposed to be making an Excel chart or writing up a summary report. Another no-no. Not only is working on your side hustle during company time unethical, but it blurs the lines between your main hustle and your side hustle. If you want to have success in both, don’t risk getting caught by your boss and letting your side hustle ruin your prospects for that big promotion.
3. Find a Side-Hustler Community
There are people all over the map who are undertaking the same feat you are: trying to balance a side hustle with a full-time job. It’s harder than it looks, and you’re not going to be all roses and butterflies; you’re going to be upset and frustrated every now and again. Having people to talk to for support will help you get past the roadblocks. There are Facebook groups, Reddit pages, and online chat rooms for entrepreneurs who want to commiserate, and perhaps you can even find someone who has the same side hustle you do to share niche tips and tricks. The bottom line is that while it can be hard, you don’t have to do it alone.
4. Be Careful With Your Spending
Yes, you’re likely going to need to spend money on supplies and software in order to kick-start your side hustle. You have to spend money to make money, but you don’t have to spend all your money to make money. Be selective with your spending; keep thorough records of your expenses and make sure that everything you purchase is absolutely necessary. Your side hustle will be an investment, but it doesn’t have to send you into bankruptcy.
5. Know When to Call It
If you carry on with your side hustle for a few months — or even years — and realize it’s not your passion, stop. Your side hustle should be something you love, especially if you’re pouring your heart and soul (and finances) into it. If you start to lose focus and realize that your side hustle is bringing you more stress than joy, forget it. It’s not a worthwhile return on investment, and another passion will come along soon enough.
Your side hustle is important, but remember there’s more to life than working and making money. These five tips will help you do what you love while also making time to spend with the people you love.
