I've
been building a business alongside my full-time job for the past five years.
I've pivoted and failed more times than I'd like to admit. I'm by no means a
success. And to be honest, I'm not entirely sure I like the term "side
hustler." Instead, I prefer to think of myself and others who chase this
path as just super driven individuals. I mean, who else would work 30 to 40
hours on top of a full-time job in pursuit of a better life?
Don’t
get me wrong, I'm not limiting side hustlers to just people who hold a
full-time job. Entrepreneurs who run their business full time could be side
hustling -- building a passion project on the side. In fact, there are a lot of
people who probably fall under this umbrella.
However,
in my time as a sidey (Can I call it that? I am an Aussie and we like to
shorten things) I've learned a lot of lessons. I've had to adapt and adjust
repeatedly. A lot of people ask me how I do it. So I’m going to share with you
my top seven lessons as a side hustler.
1. Focus will help you win.
I
don't claim to be the god of focus, otherwise I probably would have achieved my
version of success a long time ago. However, in my moments of best work, I'm
hyper-focused. When you have a billion things going on around you, finding
moments where you can be focused on getting work down are few and far between.
I recommend writing down your weekly priorities and then, every day, break down
three to four tasks that you can do to achieve your weekly goals. This ensures
that when you find yourself with a spare hour -- or two, if you’re lucky --
you’ll know exactly how to use that time and keep focused.
2. Communication matters.
Whether
you have a significant other or just a close group of friends, it's important
they understand what you're doing. They may not care about the details of your
business, but when you spend most of your time working, they will better
understand your goals and be more accepting of it. So bring them into the fold.
Share your business goals, and explain your why. You want them to buy into it
as much as you. The last thing you want is to have your marriage or
relationship break down because your drive for a better life got the better of
you.
3. Accept the imperfections and obstacles.
While
it’s easy for me to say "don't worry, it will all work out in the
end," the truth is -- it may not. You may pivot and fail your way to
success. Maybe not in 12 months; maybe in two or three years depending on the
size of your goal and business. And that is perfectly okay.
We
all have our own paths. We don't have to be the next John Lee Dumas or Marie
Forleo. You are you, and that means treading your own path. After all, the
journey is the fun part. Enjoy it, and embrace the obstacles that you have to
climb to truly get what you want in life!
4. Acknowledge you can’t do everything
solo.
I'm
a terrible writer and editor. Before you read this article, it's probably had
about eight revisions. I know rubbish about writing, so I have a copy writer. I
spew out rubbish, and she polishes it until it's legible and makes sense.
You're
not superman or superwoman; accept your limitations and realize that asking for
help is okay! Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and strong
in areas where you aren't, and you'll be fine. Believe it or not, this is a
team sport, and we're only as good as our team. Together, we work better.
5. Sleep!
At
the end of the day, you are still human, which means you still require rest.
Sleep is super important and it's something that my buddy, Travis Dillard,
continues to remind me of. Your body needs sleep to function at its optimum
level. That means shutting down the laptop, crawling into bed and getting a
solid seven to eight hours. In an ideal world, it’s possible, but we each know our
limits. If you function on six hours, then do that. The most important thing is
to acknowledge that sometimes you need a break. So take a time out, recoup and
take on the world tomorrow.
6. Frame your goals and keep them in plain
sight.
This
is something I heard from Lewis Howes, and it has honestly changed the way I
work. I employ the 12-week year methodology. Every 12 weeks, I write out my
goals for that period. I put those goals in a frame, and then every week I look
at the items I need to do to ensure that I achieve these goals. I have these
goals sitting next to my computer at my desk so that every day I look at them
and remember what I'm working towards. It keeps me on point. I don't know much
about the psychology of it all, but it seems legitimate that we have these
goals in a prominent zone for us to visualize and then make happen.
7. Not everyone wants to know about your
side gig.
This
was a hard lesson to learn for me. I'm a BIG people person. I love talking
about what I'm working on, but I had to learn that not everyone wants to hear
about my side gig. Especially my colleagues at my full-time job. Instead, I
recommend finding yourself a group of people -- whether through meetup.com or
just a Facebook group -- where you can find the support you need to keep moving
forward. Having a special place to share your struggles and wins with people
who are in the same frame of mind will do you wonders.
This
journey has been one of the most rewarding of my life. Instead of sitting down
and playing eight hours of Call of Duty after work, I do something meaningful.
I get to help people achieve their business goals by helping them build the
strength, courage and confidence to build their brand with video. I wouldn't
have my busy life any other way!
Source: Entrepreneur.com
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