How to balance a side hustle with a full time job
In this post, you’ll learn how to balance a side hustle with a full time job.
If you’re reading this post, you’re probably juggling multiple jobs and interested in learning how the heck you can balance them. Well, you’re in the right place! For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a job “on the side” of whatever I was doing – whether it was while working full-time, or studying as a full-time student. I’ve picked up some strategies & tips along the way that I want to share with you to help you balance it all!
This post is all about how to balance a side hustle with a full time job.
Schedule Your Time Efficiently
It’s no surprise that you will be busy juggling a full-time job and side hustle. Time management is one of the most important skills to master! I wrote a whole blog post that breaks down my best tips to maximize your time (Read: How to Schedule Your Time Wisely).
If you’re working full-time, you may already have 40 hours of your week accounted for. So, focus on the other time in your schedule and determine how you can use the remaining time effectively to achieve your goals.
Think About the Long-Term
It can be really challenging to keep up day-to-day motivation when you’re balancing multiple jobs. But, there must be an overarching reason why you’re pursuing a side hustle.
Are you hoping to replace your full-time job with your side hustle someday? Are you trying to pay off your debt with income from your side hustle? Are you seeking more flexibility and autonomy by being your own boss? Think about the benefits of a side hustle, and keep these long-term goals on your mind during the day-to-day challenges.
Pick a Side Hustle You Love
Although I love my full-time “day” job, I know not everyone is fortunate to be in the same situation. You may dislike your full-time job, and are only staying in it because you need to pay your bills.
BUT when it comes to your side hustle, why not pick something you love doing? Why not turn your hobby into a source of income? When you come home from a full day of work, it will be hard to convince yourself to get going on your side hustle if it’s not something you’re passionate about.
Automate Your Tasks
One of the biggest game changers for me has been to automate as many tasks as possible. This helps drastically cut down on my to-do list. I automate my Pinterest using Tailwind. Tailwind allows me to schedule pins for the entire week or even month and then never think about it again! (NOTE: If you sign up for Tailwind Plus using my referral link, you’ll get $15 in credits!). Similarly, for my consulting business, I use Hootsuite to schedule social media posts for my clients.
There’s lots of ways to automate tasks outside your business too. For example, I have my savings automated by setting up automatic deductions into my investment accounts each month.
Focus on Tasks With Biggest ROI
When you have limited time available, it’s super important to focus your time on tasks that will give you the best ROI (return on investment). That means you should focus your limited time on areas that are most likely to earn you money.
Examine your business and think about what’s working for you. In blogging, are you stretching yourself too thin by posting on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest? Consider which one is driving the most website traffic for you, and invest your time on that platform. Of course, eventually it may be worthwhile to build out on multiple platforms. But, focus on where you get the biggest ROI first (and build from there if you have extra time).
Outsource Tasks
Depending on the stage you’re at in your career, you may want to evaluate whether there’s something you can outsource. Your time is your most precious resource. So, if you can delegate tasks to someone else, this frees up more precious time for you to work on your business!
You can consider outsourcing tasks related to your business (ex. hiring a graphic designer to help with your web design), or to your personal life (ex. hiring someone to do your laundry). Of course, this need to make financial sense. If it costs $20/hr to hire someone to do a task for you, and during that time you can earn $80/hr on your business, that’s a pretty good use of your time and money.
Involve Your Support System
It’s inevitable that working multiple jobs can interfere with your personal life. There may be times when you have to miss out on some social events because of work, or when your stress levels are high and you need help. That’s why getting your support system involved is so important.
While you may be working on your business alone, having a strong support system who understands your goals will help you get there. I am very fortunate to have a boyfriend and family who are incredibly supportive of my goals. My support team motivate me when I want to throw in the towel, cheer me on with all the small successes, and help me when I’m overwhelmed.
This post was all about how to balance a side hustle with a full time job!
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