Being passionate about your side hustle helps you burn the midnight oil without breaking down. Read on to find out how to balance your main job and side hustle.
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Today, having a side hustle is the little black dress of the working class; it’s becoming essential. You’ll find that most people today, particularly millennials and gen z, have one or two in addition to their main jobs. It can be a hobby that allows you to get the creative juices flowing or a small business to help you get some extra money on the side. Whatever flavor you choose is up to you.
Most people usually shy away from side hustles, especially if they are already working a 9-5, for fear that it will be overwhelming and challenging to balance the two. You are right to worry-trying to balance a side hustle with your main job can be difficult. If you don’t do it right, you may end up losing money, time, and energy from both sides.
Before embarking on this forked path, you need to think about your goals, what you’re interested in doing, and how much time you can dedicate to your side hustle. The aim is to achieve some semblance of happiness by doing something we love but not at the risk of burning out.
Here are 10 practical tips to help you easily manage your side hustle and main job.
1. Make sure you’re passionate about your side hustle
This has to be the most crucial point of this article. Think about it. How can you dedicate your extra time to something you hate doing? It won’t make sense, and eventually, your lack of motivation will start to show in the results and the money you make, whether it’s in your main job or side gig.
Your side hustle should be something you have always had a genuine interest in pursuing. Write down a list of your current interests and passions and try to see which ones have side gig potential.
Also, keep your why in mind; why do you want to pursue this side hustle? Is it for money or self-fulfillment and happiness? This will keep you going on those days when you lose morale.
2. Establish boundaries
When you have a full-time job and a side hustle, this means your time is limited. You have to be clear about what you’re willing to sacrifice. Things like sleep and social life might suffer because you need boundaries with others and yourself to balance both gigs successfully.
Also, if you want to grow your side hustle, then give it the time and energy necessary to do so. For example, if you’ve set aside a specific time during your day or week to prioritize your side hustle, then you need to follow through and show up the same way you would to your main job. However, if you’re doing your side hustle for fun to make some extra “just-in-case” money, then you can give yourself some leeway.
3. Develop a schedule
Another vital tip for balancing your full-time job and a side hustle is establishing a weekly and monthly routine for each one. You can use the time in the morning before work and during your commute to do some side gig work so it doesn’t eat into your main job. This also allows you to maximize productivity with any time you have.
You can use a planner or Google Calendar to create your schedule so you know what to do and when. Only you know what your itinerary looks like, so you can customize your day to cater to both gigs.
4. Tap into your time-management skills
It also helps to manage your time more effectively when you have a full-time job and a side hustle. Use a time log to find out how much downtime and off-hours you have each day, and use that time to work on your side hustle. Weekends also give you prime working hours since you’ll have more time off from work. If you’re walking the entrepreneurial route for your side hustle, you may need to work long weekends, early mornings, and late nights to get things off the ground.
The best way to maximize any small pockets of time you have is to have a to-do list for each day, even if it is just for 30 minutes of work. This will help you prioritize what tasks to focus on beforehand.
5. Eliminate distractions
When you only have so little time to work on your side hustle, you can’t waste any of it on irrelevant things, especially if this gig is important to you. Get rid of any distractions during your working time, such as the TV or your phone, and use productivity apps to keep you on task. Turn off notifications on your devices to help you stay focused and finish your work effectively.
6. Keep your health in check
Balancing a side gig and a full-time role is a job in itself because of all the hours you’ll have to put in. You can easily become overwhelmed by all the work and neglect your self-care, ending up burned out. If you are exhausted or sleep-deprived, you won’t be as productive at your day job, which could put you at risk of being fired.
Learn to read your body and listen to what it tells you. Prioritize your self-care by allowing yourself quality relaxing time and a good night’s sleep. This will help you relieve stress to bring your best self to work on both sides.
7. Automate your work
As much as we all fear the day when robots finally take over, we can still use them to our advantage while we still have the upper hand.
Most times, you will not be able to do everything yourself when balancing your day job and your side gig. Using technology to automate your work can help you address multiple priorities and meet deadlines without missing a beat.
Scheduling tools can help with emails and social media campaigns, while automated accounting tools can help with payments and invoices. Use spreadsheets and calendar apps to keep track of deadlines and important tasks so you can focus on other work assignments.
8. Mind your money
Getting ahead of your tax situation is essential if you are earning money from your side hustle. Even though you are self-employed, you can still get into sticky tax scenarios, so it is always good to plan for this.
You need to report any income you receive from side hustles as it is still deemed taxable. Record any deductions such as business expenses and pay your taxes just as you do with your day job. You can use accounting software to balance your books so the taxman doesn’t end up at your door.
9. Get a business partner
You can always benefit from some extra help if you are trying to balance a side gig and a 9 to 5, which is where a business partner comes in. Someone reliable who shares your goals and values and is willing to take on some work from your side gig is the perfect candidate for a business partner. You can bounce ideas off each other and keep each other accountable and focused. You never know, this business partnership could be the start of something long-lasting and successful.
10. Know when to say “no"
Sometimes you’ll have to know your limits both at your side gig and your day job. When you stretch yourself too thin with too many responsibilities, then your output will be questionable, and you could jeopardize yourself.
Learn to recognize whether you have the bandwidth to take on extra responsibilities at work or your side hustle, regardless of how exciting the opportunity seems. Taking on too much could affect your performance if you don’t have the energy or time to handle it.
Lastly…
Above all, put your sanity and health first. There will be days when everything syncs up perfectly and days when you wonder why you’re even doing it in the first place. Your passion will be what fuels you. If balancing your side gig and day job becomes too much for you, then you can take a break from your side gig and come back to it when the time is right. Remember, a side hustle doesn’t have to be permanent; you’re allowed to switch gears if it becomes too overwhelming.
