I talk a lot about having a diversified financial situation and for most of us, that means having a side hustle. Your side hustle can be anything from taking on a part-time delivery gig doing some personal shopping, or even starting an Onlyfans account if you’re looking to do something a little different (plus, you can get ideas by exploring the free accounts on the platform for ideas). Personally, mine tend to be more clearly business oriented, but there’s something out there that will suit everyone, it’s just a matter of finding yours.
But starting a business is incredibly time consuming. From laying the foundation and designing the plan to getting yourself up and running, and creating great content that attracts clients and customers. And it all takes A LOT of time. So, where do you find it?
Throw it on the Calendar
Let’s be honest, if it’s not in the calendar it doesn’t get done. If you want to make the time (and keep it), you’ll need to put it in the calendar and truly follow through. You can add this time in the calendar on a daily or weekly basis, but whatever you choose it needs to be official.
Set Up Real Goals
When it comes to running a little side hustle, goal planning is incredibly important. However, a lot of the time we tend to get a little lofty with our goals instead of focusing on the here and now, and what we can actually achieve.
If you want to carve out time for your side hustle, you need to know that the time is productive and you’re achieving your goals. Otherwise, it will be a waste that you’ll end up writing off. And they key to that is planning realistic goals that you can continuously achieve so you feel productive.
Start Small
When it comes to setting aside some time for your side hustle, you need to start small. Don’t say you’re going to dedicate a full 20-hours of time to a side hustle during your first week—that’s unrealistic. Set a little bit of time aside for your side hustle then grow it.
It’s OK to start with a few hours a week, you don’t have to become someone who works all day every day. I started by blocking off an hour a day and going from there. But if you only have 30 minutes, that works too. Work with whatever you have!
If you need ideas for starting small, the savvycouple has a good list of the fifty best side hustle ideas, and online proofreading jobs. Another option would be starting an Amazon FBA retail arbitrage business, which is doable and can be profitable.
Reclaim Pockets of Time
Most people working with a side hustle need to find a way to reclaim some time from their schedule. The truth is, you probably have more time than you think you do. Kids, job, hobby, whatever you have going for you, chances are you have some time somewhere to dedicate to your new side hustle. A good example is television or spending time surfing the internet.
Maybe you could read emails for 15-minutes while you sip coffee in the morning, or brainstorm blog post ideas while you’re out for a walk. I am no advocate for spending all of your time working (despite the fact that it tends to be my MO) but there are probably some ways that you can dig out the time that you need to succeed.
Focus on Product NOT Time
Finally, at the end of the day, it’s not about the time that you spend on your side hustle. It’s about the results that you get. So at the end of the day, whether you work for an hour or six, if you get what you need to get done, that’s what counts. So, instead of focusing on time focus on output.
Do you have tips and tricks for carving out time for your side hustle? Share them in the tips below.
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Tae started out as a journalist before following the money into the corporate world. But it turns out that the grass isn’t always greener and now you can find her spending most of her time writing about all the things she loves. Namely, money, travel and business with a hefty dose of self-deprecating humor. She is a podcast fanatic, blogging aficionado and loves to find new ways to turn passions into cold hard cash!