“There’s no way I could ever find time for a side hustle” – I started off the year saying this exact sentence. I bet that you’re either saying this very sentence to yourself right now or have in the past.
Like most people, I wanted to make extra money and already have some great ideas for a side hustle. I had even mentally created your business plan and then just like that – I got stuck. With a full time job, a toddler and another baby on the way, there was no way I could find a minute for a side hustle.
This is where most people abandon their dreams of starting a side hustle and go back to browsing Instagram.
In fact, this is the very moment most people they talk themselves out of it. The very idea of being able to generate an extra income becomes a wish rather than a very attainable reality.
But I changed tune. I’d started successful side hustles in the past (even though I didn’t have kids then) and I was determined to use whatever time I could find to make this work.
We’re our own worst enemy sometimes by holding ourselves back from our true potential.
By the end of this post, you will realize that you can in fact find time for a side hustle. Guaranteed!
Here’s the typical scenario for most people who are SURE they won’t find time for a side hustle:
- They realize that to make some extra money every month, they’ll will have to find another income stream and the idea of a side hustle is born.
- They get excited about all the great things they will do with this side hustle.
- But just before they get started, they talk themselves out of it because you they just know they’ll never be able to fit it into their already insane schedule. They’re stretched enough already.
- The side hustle idea is pushed to the back burner until life gets a little less hectic and forget about making that extra income they could have generated.
The truth is that there will never be the perfect time to do anything and if you wait to feel ready, you’ll never get things done.
Now here’s the typical scenario for those who find time for a side hustle and consistently make extra income
- They want to make some extra money every month.
- They decide to start a side hustle.
- Realize they don’t have much time, but decide to maximize every minute and start as small as they have to in order to get started.
- Start a side hustle.
- Grow their side hustle and start making real money.
What’s the difference between the two?
They both have the same goal – to create another income stream through a side hustle. However, once has essentially talked themselves out of such a great opportunity, while the other made it work.
How to make time for a side hustle when you already have a busy life
I can’t remember meeting a woman who’s said she has a ton of free time on her hands. In fact, most of us are juggling a ton of things, but the reality is that women need a side hustle more than men .
A side hustle also doesn’t have to be a huge operation. The key is to start as small as you have to in order to get things moving along.
Whether you have a busy 9-5 or are a busy mom eager to start a side hustle, there are countless ways to create side hustles online of offline, you can make time with just a little effort every day with these four tips:
1. Start by dedicating just 1 hour a day
If you’ve read any of my other posts, you probably already know that I’m all about maximizing every minute in the day, which is why I literally timed exactly how long it would take me to start a blog … it took 15 minutes 🙂
An hour a day is really all you need to kick things off with your side hustle. You will be shocked at how much you can actually accomplish with just one hour a day. Ask yourself this:
How often do you find that you’ve spent an entire hour on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest?
Whether you’re a busy stay at home mom or you have, what feels like, an insane schedule at a 9-5, if you are truly dedicated to creating another income stream and know that you’re passionate about a side hustle, you can make it work.
Do an honest assessment of your entire week:
- What do you do when you come home from work?
- What do you do when your kids are napping or have gone off to bed?
- What do you do on weekends?
- How do you spend your lunch hour at work?
Chances are, you can find a single hour a day to make your dream of a side hustle (and a side income) a reality.
Although a solid hour is the best way to get your side hustle off the ground, you can break it down to two 30-minute sessions as well.
2. Make sure you’re focused
Here’s the key to making that one hour a day truly useful – stay focused and choose a time when you know you likely won’t be interrupted.
There’s nothing worse than sinking your teeth into a task and then losing that focus.
My biggest time waster was having a glass of wine with dinner to “unwind”. The problem was that I was way to relaxed that I wouldn’t even get to my side hustle. Instead, I’d find myself watching TV or wasting an hour (if not more) on Facebook or Instagram.
3. Use every tool you can to keep yourself efficient
Find and use tools that make you more efficient. For me, mobile apps are a dream because it means I can work on my side hustle from anywhere. In fact, I’m actually writing this very blog post on my phone while waiting for a doctor’s appointment.
I’ve started using my phone a lot more than I ever have lately. I start writing the majority of my blog posts on my phone using the WordPress app these days and fine tune my posts on my laptop when I have the time. Even if I don’t finish writing my blog posts on my phone, I at least create the outline.
The best part about using the app is that I can easily (and quickly) jot my blog post ideas down when I think about them… and sometimes I think about blog posts ideas at the oddest times.
I use the Canva app to create and edit all my pictures. I even use the Google Analytics app to check out my website stats… although I wonder if this one is more of a distraction these days 😉
4. Learn the art of time chunking (it will change your life)
When I first started my side hustle, I had no real structure and would do things as they came to mind. I’d find myself multi-tasking — I’d start writing a blog post and then get an idea for an image. I’d then start editing that image on Canva (you know, before I forget what I had in mind).
Before I knew it, I’d have to stop working on my side hustle and the result was that both tasks I started would be unfinished until I find time to revisit them again.
I came across the concept of chunking on a podcast and I’m kicking myself for not being able to remember which one (I listen to so many).
The idea of time chunking is that you set aside a very specific task to a ‘chunk’ of time in your calendar and you give that task 100% of your attention.
Fight the urge to multitask or even respond to interruptions like your phone ringing or the chime of a new email. Here are three great tips to start chunking your time:
- Set aside a realistic amount of time when you know you won’t be interrupted. I set aside 30 minutes at a time.
- Pick a single task that you would like to work on. You will feel the urge to work on several tasks, but fight it! Just pick one single task and tell yourself you’re dedicating this time to that task only.
- Ignore your phone and don’t check email.
5. Embrace the fact that you will sacrifice
It’s a fact, you will have to sacrifice something to find time for a side hustle.
We’ve all heard the saying “short term pain for long term gain” and this has become my motto for all the things I have to sacrifice in order to find time for a side hustle.
As I shared with my Instagram peeps my way of finding a couple of extra hours a day is to wake up at 5am to work on my side hustle. For someone who’s the furthest thing from a ‘morning person’, sleep is a HUGE sacrifice for me.
You want to make sure that you’re not sacrificing too much though. A side hustle is work, but you shouldn’t be sacrificing so much that it becomes overwhelming because you simply won’t stick to it.
To key is to find ways to make a side hustle a consistent part of your life today, and it is absolutely possible.
Not sure which side hustle can fit into your already busy life?
There are quite a few side hustles that are legit and can fit into your life… especially if you’re a busy mom juggling your kids and maybe even a 9-5.
Download the free eBook with 19 profitable side hustles you can start today.
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