Hello lovelies!
Do you ever look around and see how come people are able to juggle two jobs while you get overwhelmed by doing just one?
Trust me, I was in your place, a couple of years back and I can truly understand how you feel. But fast forward, 3 years from that mindset, my perception has changed.
We are in a day and age where we millennials, have a lot going on, both in private and professional life and it was we, who invented the hustle and grind culture. Don’t get me wrong here. I am not against this, since I am following the exact formula in my life as well. But what I am trying to say is that, today that trend has morphed into a burn out culture
I mean… Think about it!
On the other hand, if you’re someone who is alien to the concept of doing two jobs (aka) a side hustle, then let me explain that in detail
What is a side hustle?
According to Wonolo, A side hustle is any type of employment undertaken in addition to one’s full-time job. A side hustle is generally freelance or piecework in nature, providing a supplemental income. Side hustles are often things a person is passionate about, rather day a typical day job worked in order to make ends meet.
A side hustle is not the same as a part-time job. While a part-time job still entails someone else (your employer) calling most of the shots (including hours worked and what you’ll be paid), a side hustle gives you the freedom to decide how much you want to work and earn. The best examples are the folks who are freelancers. Be it Youtubers, Bloggers, Social Media managers, so on and so forth. A side hustle is work completed outside of one’s day job, and therefore the work tends to take place during evenings, on weekends, or during vacation breaks. It provides additional income while offering the flexibility to complete work outside of the traditional 9-to-5 hours.
Why is having a side hustle really important?
You’ve probably heard of this term before. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a complete side-business, or even make that much money. A side hustle is all about your personal growth, development, and entrepreneurial creativity. Think about what you would supplement your current work with if you had the chance. If I have to make it even more clear, nobody would have thought in the wildest dreams that because of the COVID -19 pandemic, our job market and economy would be in a dwindling state. It is still like that 2 years from then. Countless people lost their jobs and livelihood while living their entire life off just a day job.
I am not saying or insulting you that a 9 to 5 job is cheap. Of course not! Because I myself am a corporate employee and also an entrepreneur. And I can touch my heart and say that, it is from my 9 to 5 salary that my basic needs are covered. There is nothing to be ashamed about it. But in a world of uncertainty where tomorrow is not guaranteed (be it life or career), what better time to experiment with something new than today?
On the other hand, if you’re someone who has already commenced with a side gig and are struggling to manage both a full-time career and this one…. Then keep on reading the following.
7 SMART WAYS TO MANAGE A FULL TIME JOB AND A SIDE HUSTLE
(i) Accept. Accept. Accept – Of course, I had to put this at the top of the list. We tend to forget that, it is the mindset that needs alteration right from the start. And if you try to fix this right away, then I can guarantee that the rest will be a cakewalk. As I as saying, you need to accept the fact that your life is busy and it is YOU who has taken a conscious decision of having a gig at the side. The faster you accept this, the less overwhelmed you will be. Never push yourself too hard to be or do something that you’re not. Acknowledge that your life is busy and that you have chosen to do this and not being forced in to.
(ii) Micromanaging your time – As the name implies, you need to be strategic of how and where your time is invested. By this time, you would be aware that even 20 to 30 minutes of spare time, feels a lot like a huge present. And as side hustlers, your first inkling would be, to spend it productively. Make a list of all things that you do in your day normally. Let’s say that you are held up from 9am to 5pm.But if you look closer, there are actually 4 hours hidden in between. Let’s say that you go to bed at 10pm and you are good to wake up at 5am and after doing the prerequisites, you can start working on your gig from 6am to 9am.Voila! its as simple as that. Now now…. I know, its easier said than done, particularly, if you’re a new mamma, this would only make you burnt out and tensed.
(iii) Delegation to the rescue – Now, this is where, the game changes. If you’re an uber busy person with so much going on your family life or even in your full-time job, the best thing that you can do, is to direct your energy that deserves your most attention. Let’s assume you’re a Youtuber for an example, you can hire a videographer who can edit your video, create thumbnails etc.
You can also have a social media manager if you need help in taking care of your socials. In case you’re not ready to hire a team, you can at least hire 1 team member who can be your right hand to you. In that way, you can delegate some of your important tasks to them. Additionally, if you feel that there is anything that can be automated, I’d say do it! Automate whatever it is that you can.
(iv) Essence of Prioritization - This is applicable to all readers of my post, irrespective if you’re a student, employee, employer, a parent who is managing 2 things at once. This comes from a space of my personal experience too. Firstly, analyze as to what are your fixed and flexible priorities. In my case, my fixed priorities are my health and my full-time job. My journey of a blogging coach actually revolves around my full-time job. Mainly because I don’t have the luxury to stretch it equally. Likewise, check what is it for you as well. Once you’ve figured out that out, then create a routine that suits your lifestyle.
(v) Learn the art of letting go - Let’s face it! When you’re passing through your gig journey, there comes a lot of jealousy, animosity, expectations, social pressure etc. Be it from friends or family. I had lost a lot of my so called “fickle circle”, when I plunged deep into blogging. In retrospect, when I think about it, I am glad that I let go of them, because now I am in a point where I am able to appreciate my dreams and I have a super positive circle of folks who stick with me through thick and thin. In the same way, don’t be surprised, if many people walk out of your life. Just be in a space, where you are in a position to let go of them. The ones who understand you and your dreams will be with you till the end. It does take a lot of explanations from your end, because, you may have to miss parties, fun weekends and some leisure time too. But that’s exactly the price that you pay for building an empire of your own.
(vi) Get used to weird routines – This needs to be said right away! Its never easy to juggle multiple things. But if you have taken that leap, then you have to prepare to adjust your body clock accordingly. Way before the pandemic, I thought I was a productive early bird. But its post 2020, did I realize that I am productive even at late nights. And this happened, because I was in a creative work and it demanded lot of intellectual work rather than physical work.
(vii) Find an accountable community - It’s one thing to be motivated and another thing to be disciplined. Given the fact that your lifestyle is busy, might sometimes make you feel a bit stressed out. And that is why, it is always to join in niche groups or a community to make you feel like you’re on track with your goals. I personally am a part of HPA and its that community which sort of uplifts me when I feel like I am not doing great. You can get a great circle of peers whom you can taken in as your accountability partner and helps you to stay grounded.
So, there you have it guys!
This is definitely a hard pill to swallow and I can assure you that once you implement these strategies, you will have some down time to chip away. In addition to which, no matter what you try to pursue, remember if you don’t take care of your well-being, for all that you created will be turned to dust.
Be you and Do you!!!