First, a shout out to Martin for his voice message that inspired today’s episode.
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Spotlight: How to manage your side hustle so that it becomes your main hustle
Meet Martin, a hard-working 9 – 5 employee who struggles to find the time and energy he wishes he had to work on his side hustle.
What’s his side hustle all about?
I’m glad you asked…
Martin hosts his own podcast and has a film-making company. He loves writing and scripting and is desperately looking for ways to find more time so he can make the transition from full-time job to full-time entrepreneur.
Martin’s greatest struggle
In addition to lacking the time and energy to make the switch, Martin also fears the financial changes ahead… Going from a regular pay schedule to not knowing if or when money will come in isn’t very comforting.
I’m willing to bet you can relate to Martin.
I know I can.
It wasn’t more than a few years ago that I was in the exact same position as Martin: working a 9-5, wishing I could quit and go full-time with my side hustle (Kate’s Copy), but knowing that I couldn’t support myself financially without a reliable income.
What I ended up doing is different from what I’ll recommend for Martin.
I spent six months paying off debt and saving up $5,000, and then I quit my job.
I want Martin to spend six months implementing a plan that will grow his side hustle into his main hustle.
Martin, let’s go on a journey together…
Your vision
First things first: step one is to sit down and write out your vision.
- What does your life look like when your side hustle becomes your main hustle?
- What does your day-to-day look like when you’re not going into your 9-5, but instead working on the things you love most?
- What are you creating?
- Why are you creating it? (What’s the purpose?)
- Who are you creating it for?
Once you have a solid vision for what your life will look like once your goal of moving from side hustle to main hustle is accomplished, you can start to put a plan in place to help get you there.
It is only after you know exactly what you’re going to create, why you’re creating it (what’s its purpose?), and who you’re creating it for that you can start to implement.
Once you have your vision, it’s time to start managing your project.
Go time
Imagine you wake up tomorrow morning, and even though you aren’t excited about going into your 9-5 job, you still have a smile on your face knowing that during your commute you’ll be listening to inspiring stories from others who are on the same path as you.
Recommendation: The Side Hustle Show with Nick Loper
You get to work, get out of your car, and you’re walking into your office.
Your attitude is focused on crushing it until lunch, at which point you’ll get to take out your iPhone and jot down some of the ideas you had while driving into work that morning.
Recommendation: Workflowy
After a solid afternoon of work, you’re getting ready to head home.
During your commute back to the house you’re getting pretty fired up about the next couple of hours – today is your podcast recording day, and so once you get home and settled into your recording studio (aka your closet, kitchen table, or wherever you record your episodes), you’re going to be rockin’ the mic talking about topics you’re passionate about.
After a solid couple of hours recording, you’re definitely looking forward to a great dinner and then spending some time with your family or friends before winding down your night.
Some good old R&R on the couch (or patio, depending on the weather) will result in you cracking open your current favorite read, Essentialism, to soak up all kinds of inspiration from Greg McKeown around time management and how saying NO to things can be a game-changer for both your energy and your available time.
How is all of this possible?
Well, since Martin knows the power of productivity, his Focus Sessions will help guide him through the different phases of his day.
While most people waste time context switching and getting lost in distractions, Martin knows the power of Parkinson’s Law and using a timer to hold himself accountable. During his Focus Sessions, he is all in and dedicated to removing distractions so he can make progress on the tasks that really matter.
Recommendation: The Mastery Journal
The sky is the limit
Martin, how do you feel after this day?
You should feel amazing, because you’ve not only just earned an honest paycheck, but you also crushed your available side hustle hours, and through maximizing the time you spend going to and from work with inspirational and uplifting input you’ve also increased your energy and desire to get home and get to work on the things you love.
Best part is, this is just a single example of what one of your five weekdays might look like.
Imagine taking this plan and applying it to all five days – and then realizing, you still have two FULL days during the weekend to dedicate to your side hustle, to your family, or to yourself!
With the batching method and using The Mastery Journal for your Focus Sessions, one weekday evening might be dedicated to recording, another might be dedicated to writing and scripting, another to editing and scheduling… Matin, the sky is truly the limit.
Turn your side hustle into your main hustle by putting together a plan, and then managing that plan like a pro. One step at a time.
Next up in Season 6
Next up: another spotlight! This time our spotlight will be focused on a plan for managing and growing a team both in-office and virtually.
