Hey, dreamer. I know you so well. You’re called high-achiever, self-starter, go-getter. You’re excelling at your job, enjoying your work, and loving new challenges. But you’re wondering when your passion and work will intersect, your life and work harmonize, your fun and work integrate. Enter: the side hustle. You can do this, and here’s how: Make your work work for you. Make your work work for you by finding ways to progress your side hustle. Replace your Spotify workout playlist with a business podcast on entrepreneurship instead (favorites that won’t cramp your running style are How I Built This and Startup). You never know--you might become so inspired you won’t realize you ran that extra mile!
Combine activities you’re already involved in with the business model of your side hustle. For instance, if you’re already a contributing writer for a career site like Fairygodboss, repurpose the articles you write for them for your personal blog. Make your work work for you by incorporating things you’re already doing into the model of the company. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it, too? Touch it only once. And not again. Do you often read your emails only to respond to them at a later time? Well, don’t. This only creates a full inbox of I-guess-I-have-to-respond-to-those-now emails. With the touch-it-once motto, you decide to read the emails only when you have the appropriate amount of time to respond to them. No one wants to do something twice, right?
This principle can also transcend into your side hustle. Example? When you’re cleaning your living space, finish that podcast you started when you were perfecting your downward dog and use Google voice notes to jot things down. By the time you’ve finished dusting, you’ve already gathered the content for your next blog post--and your shelves are clean, too! Start having work dates with a like-minded friend or significant other. And because you’re not officially on the clock (as of yet), bring the wine. Put your gorgeous charcuterie spread on the coffee table, set up camp on the couch, and start talking business. Your Friday night at home doesn’t feel so bad when you’re feasting with a friend--and to boot, you’ll get work some done.
Use your fringe hours intentionally. Fringe hours are those little pockets of time throughout the day that often go underused or are sometimes even wasted altogether. Instead of scrolling through Instagram while waiting at the doctor’s office, finally read those pins you saved on email marketing. Instead of perusing Facebook on your lunch hour, read that biz book you’ve had checked out for two months. Make the margins of your day work for you. When you take advantage of these tips, you’re already using your current work to your advantage. And in no time, you can change side hustle name to “full-time hustle”. So, dreamer, are you ready to take the next step?
--
Allie Hofer, a self-proclaimed career matchmaker and work-life balance enthusiast, is a Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Society of Human Resource Management - Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), and Recruiter Academy Certified Recruiter (RACR). After having her first child, she opted out of the traditional office setting to work from home. Since then, she has been consulting with organizations in the public and private sectors to support the Human Resources function in recruiting, compensation, training and development, and performance management.
She started Office Hours with the belief that instead of creating resources and companies to help women return to work, we should help them find flexible opportunities so they never have to leave.
