For many of us, 2017 has been yet another tough year. Dead end jobs with no future, financial challenges, and a world that is in constant turmoil have often been the norm. On the flip side, there's a constant flow of examples of those who are using a #sidehustle to create something better. What used to be called moonlighting, having a #sidehustle is now mainstream and commonplace. So let me ask you-
Why haven't you started a #sidehustle?
If you're unhappy with the way things are, here's a dose of reality. Your future reality. From where you are today, if nothing changes and you stay on that path, what will your life look like in five or ten or twenty years?
Like the ghost of Christmas future that visited Scrooge, let your imagination show you what's coming.
If you're uncomfortable with what you see, good. Let that be the thorn in your backside that gets you up and moving.
Below you'll find the most common excuses for not creating a #sidehustle. And, some resources that have more than enough valuable insights and information in them to help you create a very different and more desirable future.
I Don't Have Time
For all of us, time is the one commodity that is finite. But while we cannot make more of it, there are two solutions to its apparent scarcity.
- Take back your time. Do a personal time audit and see how much time you waste on television and social media. Be courageous enough to call yourself out on your own bullshit that you're "learning something" or "keeping up with friends." Any benefit received is far outweighed by the cost.
- Leverage your time. While it may be all up to you at the beginning, outsource anything that has a poor return for the investment of your time and talent. And resist the temptation to re-invent when adapting what's already available will move you faster and farther.
Realize that you won't have more time later. You'll have the same excuses in the future you have now. If you truly don't like where you are, be willing to say "oh, hell no! This is not how I want my life to be and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to change it."
I Don't Have Anything I Can #Sidehustle
False! You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't possess a unique combination of talents and skills. We all have different backgrounds and experiences that make us the very unique person who we are. And there are lots of people out there who are willing to pay for that unique talent, skill set, or perspective that you and only you can provide.
If you're feeling stuck on this one, here's some tips to break the mental log jamb:
- Write down all the things you enjoy doing. Google each one to see what other people are doing to create an income from similar activities.
- Spend some time on Reddit or Stumbleupon (but don't make it a habit!) wandering around and looking for inspiration.
- Ask yourself questions. How could I turn this into something others would want? How could I change this so that I would buy it myself?
Don't get too caught up in making grand plans. Remember you're at the beginning, and getting started is the most important step. You future is unlikely to be a straight line, but you'll be traveling a better road with every new experience you gain now.
I Don't Know Where or How To Begin
It's very average to feel apprehensive and even a little inadequate when you contemplate starting something new. Remember that first Yoga class? Or your first day in that tough college course? Or how about that first time you got behind the wheel of a car? Since you're reading this, you survived them all. And now you probably look back wondering what you were so anxious about.
Remember those times as you contemplate starting a #sidehustle.
It's also very average to feel a need for some good coaching and guidance. For that, I've found some excellent resources you should check out. Pick them up, and read them. It's a tiny investment that will return big dividends.
While I recommend you read all three of the resources listed here, if you only get one, this should be it. The author, Susie Moore, has provided a complete "how to do it" and "yes, you CAN" manual on side hustles. Simply stated, if it doesn't motivate you to get started, nothing ever will.
If you're like many career women under age 40, who have lost themselves in the quest to be supermom or just a good mom, this book is for you. Author Lisa Druxman makes a strong case for being able to reclaim your dreams and raise a family at the same time, and shows you how. I especially recommend chapter two and three, on finding your purpose and making more time.
I've reviewed this one previously, but it's such a valuable resource for anyone contemplating creating a #sidehustle or even a larger venture, I'm recommending it again. As I said in that review,
" As a successful 10% entrepreneur himself ("I definitely eat my own cooking") Patrick lays out a detailed blueprint to take virtually anyone from someone with an idea through all the steps required to build themselves a truly entrepreneurial life. A venture capitalist and private equity investor who founded Dirigo Advisors and witnessed the AIG collapse from the inside, he is the quintessential example of a survivor."
I'm a serial entrepreneur, with a resume that makes me look like a Jane of all trades. Pretty sure we are all reluctant Messiahs, travelling through life planting seeds where ever we can. Hopefully, most of mine have been good ones! MA from Miami University (Ohio, not Florida), BA from Cal State.
