How to Manage Your Side Hustle While Working a 9 to 5
Every time I get a new client in the Fashion Your Life Coaching Program, during our time management session, a client always asks, "Janelle, how are you doing it all?" I'm sure you're wondering what do they mean by the word "all." Well, before my recent move, I was working part-time as a marketing and influencer coordinator, working as a part-time grad assistant, completing work towards my master's degree on top of blogging (not to mention finding the time to workout, go to bible study and hang out with friends).
Now that I think about it, I was doing it all. While I would like to attribute my ability to juggle my schedule to my Type A planner personality, and my amazing time management skills, my mindset and routine allowed me to manage working on my blog while I was working and in school. If you're looking to achieve greater balance between your side hustle and 9 to 5, here's how you can do it.
"It's possible to manage your side hustle while working 9 to 5. Learn how you can do it."
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Realize what sEASOn of life you're in.
Based on your current season, ask yourself what can you handle. When I was working all of the those jobs and taking classes, I couldn't commit to churning out 4 to 5 blog posts a week. One to two posts were feasible though! The capacity that you can handle will vary from season to season. Make sure that you are counting the costs and then, move forward accordingly.
Be consistent.
You can't expect to get results and see progress if you're not being consistent. If you recall a few posts back, I mentioned that frequency + value = consistency, and one of the keys to consistency is commitment.
Develop a routine.
While I was working and in school, the best way I could get things done was by sticking to a routine, and I optimized that routine by saving blog and school work for my most productive hours. Here is a snapshot of what my schedule looked like back then.
- 5:00 am- 6:00 am -- Quiet time
- 6:00 am- 7:00 am -- Fearfully Fashioned
- 7:00 am- 8:30 am -- School
- 8:30 am- 9:30 am -- Get ready for work
- 10:00 am- 6:00 pm -- Work
- 6:30 pm- 7:30 pm -- Workout
- 7:00 pm- 9:00 pm -- Chat with bae/ Fearfully Fashioned
- 9:00 pm- 10:00 pm -- Wind down/ Prep for bed
- 10:30 pm -- Lights out
Learn how to master your time.
As you can see, each part of my day was scheduled so I could make time for the things that were important to me. If you have problems with managing your time, I would suggest that you conduct a time audit for a week. During this time audit, write out every moment of how you are spending your time. In my coaching sessions, I have my clients do a SWOT analysis of how they are spending their time for the audit. This SWOT analysis assesses their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of how they are using their time.
Find an accountability partner.
An accountability partner or business bestie is a great person to have on your team. Not only can they help keep you on track, they serve as a great backboard to bounce your ideas off of. They help keep you focused on the bigger picture. You can meet my business bestie here!
Remember to rest.
Resting is a time to reflect and restore. It's easy to fall into workaholic mode when you're trying to make sure your side hustle your full-time gig. Make sure that you don't start glorifying busy in the process. Oftentimes, periods of rest are when you get the greatest bouts of innovation and bursts of creativity.
Choose your focus.
The key to productivity and progress is choosing a focus. Beware of shiny object syndrome (a.k.a. hopping on the bandwagon for the newest, quickest fix). Don't get overwhelmed by information overload. There will always be new courses, email challenges, planners, and newsletters, and softwares. Pick your area of focus instead of spreading yourself too thin by trying to do and acquire every new thing.
Work towards a goal.
A great way to actually accomplish what you have set out to do is to set a 90 day goal. Then, break that goal into small actionable tasks that contribute to your overall objective. Setting goals allows you to make and see progress instead of firing aimlessly at a target.
Have tunnel vision.
Trust me, I know that it can hard to keep going when you're not seeing your projected results. When you start to feel defeated, this is the time to enable your tunnel vision. Galatians 6:9 reminds us that we shouldn't get tired of doing good, because at just the right time, we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. Don't dig up in doubt and impatience what you've planned in faith. Put your tunnel vision on and keep going.
Submit your side hustle to God.
At the end of the day, there's only so much you can do. Trust that God will fill in the gap for you. Place your confidence in Christ that He will carry your vision to completion.
“But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.”
I want to know, what is your side hustle? Let me know in the comments below.
Featured Image via Mattieologie
