Everyone is talking about side hustles. It seems like everyone (and their mother) has a side hustle. You might wonder, “how in the world do people have time for side hustles in their Calendar?” You may also ask yourself, “Do you really have time on your calendar for a side hustle?
Between full-time jobs, family responsibilities and taking care of yourself, it can seem like there is no time available to start a side hustle. Depending on your current situation, you might have more time available in your Calendar for a side hustle than you think. Sometimes you can tighten up your full-time workload to slip in a similar job right before or after your regular job.
If you head into work 15 to 30 minutes early and work your side hustle, then move right into your regular work day — you accomplish two things. You will never be late to work again in your life, and no one will come in and waste your time chatting; they see you are intense about your work and leave you to your job. Believe it or not — this action frees up immense amounts of time. However, you will need to look for extra time — and schedule for this additional job you’ll be doing.
If you are skeptical, that’s okay. I honestly did not believe I had enough time for a side hustle, but I found a way to make room in my Calendar for a side hustle. You can make room, also.
Take a closer look at your Calendar.
To get started you need to take a close look at your Calendar — then think about what’s on your Calendar. Take a very close look at every-single-thing that you have on your schedule.
First, look for things that you can remove from your Calendar.
Think about the tasks that take up your valuable time with almost no reward. You can search for anything in your schedule that should be outsourced or something that can be dropped altogether. For example, time-consuming and monotonous tasks that are not completely necessary should be cut-out completely.
Next, think of ways to use your time more efficiently.
By strategically arranging your Calendar, you may be able to create more time. For example, if you can schedule meetings closer together or all on the same day, then you will have more blocks of productive times available. You need to get creative to find efficient ways to accomplish the work that has to be done.
If you are a commuter, then you may even need to start using that commute time to contribute to your side hustle productively.
Also if something sounds odd, give it a try. You never know what time-saving trick will work best for you. Getting up 15 to 30 minutes earlier each morning may be your ticket to progress for a side job. For instance, if you’ve committed to reading a certain number of books or writing a certain number of articles, during a commute is a good time to get these things done. You can answer emails and get the social media done for work and touch base with your personal social sites at the same time, all on a commute.
What do you spend time on? Do your hobbies take too much time?
You may need to reprioritize your time. If you have a very time-consuming hobby, then it may be time to cut back on the luxury of this hobby until you have found more time. If you are serious about finding the time for a side hustle, then you will know what you need to cut out. It can be challenging to give up something that you enjoy, but at some point, you may need to prioritize your new side hustle over more optional activities.
Find the right side hustle.
Look around for the right side hustle. Not everyone is suited well to every kind of side hustle.
Think of what you want to gain from your side hustle. Of course, the most basic answer is extra income. However, you need to dig deeper than that. Think about the future and how your side hustle can fit into that new picture. One of the best ways to fit in a side hustle is to find something you have always wanted to do or something you have wanted to improve upon for greater career success.
Maybe you need a side hustle with the flexibility to work on your own time.
Some may need extra cash right now. Others may be more open to working on a side hustle with no immediate payout. Once you have a better idea about what you want/need out of a side hustle, you will have a better chance of finding the side hustle that is right for you and your Calendar.
Look at all of your side hustle options. The number of side hustles available today is almost limitless.
The actual limiting factor is how much time you have available to dedicate to a new job or side hustle. You may need to try out a few different side hustles before you find the right fit for your schedule. It is okay not like a new side hustle at first, that is the whole point of trying out a few different types of jobs. If you decide that you don’t like your new side hustle or that it takes up too much of your time, then you can move on to the next option.
Whatever side hustle you end up keeping — you’ll want to make sure you enjoy it or it’ll be hard to make it stick. It will be infinitely more challenging to find time for your new side hustle if you are not excited about the prospect. You can find time for anything that is a joy. Even if it just the extra money that gets your excited, that’s okay. You need a draw that will push you to find time in your busy day to make your side hustle work out for you. Otherwise, it will always fall to the bottom of your list.
Make time in your Calendar
Once you have found the side hustle that works for you, remember that life has a bad habit of getting in the way of most things we want to accomplish. It is easy to ignore your side hustle or run out of time in the day — but putting your Calendar into high gear — appropriately –, and you’ll have success. You may have to keep rearranging for a little while, but you can do this.
Sometimes a side hustle is a never-ending stream of work that eats-up all of your free time.
However, if you make a schedule and stick to it, then the overwhelming feeling won’t last long. Side hustles are great, but you need to make sure that it does not mess-up your Calendar. You should set healthy boundaries on your Calendar for your new side hustle. That way you have the time set aside, and you do not burn yourself out.
It is essential to schedule side hustle time while leaving some maneuverability spots on the Calendar — so it doesn’t take over your life. You’ll want to make sure that every minute of your day isn’t used up. Do not commit every spare minute to a side hustle — it might suck-up your long-term productivity.
Start hustling.
Find yourself the right fit and start hustling, consistently setting aside time on your Calendar.
It may not be easy to find the time, but you need to make the most of it. Some side hustles can turn into full-time jobs, leading to financial freedom, and more. No matter what your side hustle goals are, make the most of your time because it is your most valuable resource.
Sarah Sharkey