All of these memes continue to float around, you know the ones: “I’m coming out of quarantine with a new business.” I love the attitude! But how do you actually create a side hustle while working remotely? It may seem like you have a lot of time, but do you really?
In conversations with friends and neighbors, many people see this as a time to not just improve their current business but a time to actually start their own business for the first time or start a second business. And yet, they aren’t having much luck in finding the time to get it all done. I have realized through these conversations that they think they have time available that they don’t actually have. All of this “extra time” hasn’t really shown up. That combined with no clear plan on what to learn or to do on a given day has set them up to feel the frustration they are living in right now.
Because people starting a side hustle already have a primary job, their 9-5 is full. However, they are setting mental expectations like expecting to get some side hustle work done during a 30-minute break between “day job” meetings in the. morning. But then in that 30-minute time slot, they have to handle additional phone calls or emails for that job.
Before starting the side hustle, they were taking normal breaks throughout the day; mental breaks, lunches, dinner, and family time. Now in their minds, they are committing that time to their side hustle work. But when those times arrive during the day, they can’t get the work done because they do need a break, or they do need some family time.
The overall point is that trying to squeeze this in won’t work. You have to be efficient with your time during the day, continue to take your breaks and lunches, continue to have family time, and find time between these pieces to work on the side hustle. You have to create actual dedicated, scheduled time that you can commit to this new business venture. At the same time, you have to take care of yourself and your family. You have to deliver to your day job. And when you do sit down to work on your side hustle, you have to have a clear plan of what you are working on and what you will accomplish each day.
If you are trying to create a side hustle while working remotely, be smart. Don’t get frustrated with the lack of time. Realize that the clock doesn’t stop ticking when the quarantine ends. It takes time to launch a side hustle. Give yourself the time that is necessary to make it successful. Set yourself up for success. Schedule dedicated time where it can honestly fit during your day and create a plan on what you are going to tackle each day so you can move this side of the business forward.