3 Side-Hustling Principles I Stick to for (Optimal) Professional Growth and Brilliant Results
Because side-hustling is a long game
Many people I know treat their side-hustles as another main hustle. Having 2 sets of 9–6 is no fun.
I do believe it is possible to balance both. And this is a personal equilibrium we achieve after months (or years) of trial and error.
You want to take it easy at the start. Now, you may ask me why so? Should I not push right from the gun (in order) to finish ahead of the race?
Nope.
There is no race against the competition. The only competitors we have are ourselves. Hanging on beats dropping out.
This side-hustling journey is a marathon. Racing from the get-go means a guaranteed drop-out by Mile 15 (the marathon is 26.2 miles), or we lose steam and start jogging our way to the medical post.
Energy conservation matters. Knowing when to punch and rest is the key to side-hustling success and longevity.
Optimal Professional or Side-Hustle Growth Requires Time to Experiment and Think
“We are not born to drive. We learned it. We are not natural, talented swimmers. We learned how to float, breathe, and paddle forward.”
- Gary Vee
I do not always agree with Gary’s viewpoints. However, I concur with the one above. We learn things, acquire skills, and grow our knowledge.
We need time to think, choose, and experiment. To me, trial and error account for 80% of our side-hustling longevity.
I am not a natural writer. If you have read my initial blog posts, you will swipe left and unfollow me immediately. All I did was take a leap of faith.
I asked myself if I wanted to write for an income from 6–9. The decision-maker inside my head says YES. And so, I jumped.
It took me 2 years of consistent 6–9 to finally acquire my first copywriting client for a 4-figure project. I was swatting flies at my desk in the first 6 months. The following 6 months were spent serving clients-on-the-cheap.
It took me the same 2 years to figure out the genres I can write for. Self-improvement and personal branding was my starting point. I had low to no views. Over time, I understood I do best with all things Business.
In the meanwhile, I stuck my neck out while drowning in the deepest waters of initial disappointment.
And that said.
I am still around. I am still spitting words out. I learned to use fewer words to exchange for more numbers behind the $.
If you believe in your chosen side-hustles, give yourself time to experiment and fail. There is no need to rush it and get burned out earlier than necessary.
Author’s Note: If you are genuine in making your side-hustles a financial success, embrace failure as a strength. You will fail a lot along the way. Treat each failure as power-up mushrooms. Eat them.Take Time Away from Your Side-Hustles TO IMPROVE Your Side-Hustles
Productivity, better results, and inspiration can come from unexpected angles.
“You must write every single day of your life… You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads… may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.”
There are many folks who believe that more is more. More effort means more progress. More progress equals better results. Working on our craft every day builds the consistency muscle. So on so forth.
That, to me, is about building mechanical efficiency. Typing every single day means we type faster, with a lower error rate over time. It says nothing about the ideation process and human connection.
I met many copywriting peers who told me the best way to excel is to write more, write better. That is one-dimensional.
We need to take time away to allow inspiration to seep in. We need to read more to deepen our vocabulary bank. We need to take courses to learn how to sell and market better.
All these good things require us to take time away from our 6–9 to improve our 6–9. From this angle, every little thing adds up to our success factor.
“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.”
Author’s Note: When we work on many angles to improve our side-hustles, we become more diverse in our service offering and have a broader client base.It is Okay to Do Nothing When You Are Exhausted. You (Will) Redo Your Work the Next Day (Anyway).
I do not enjoy living life in repeat mode.
But I falter from time to time. How? I rush through my work, well against my mind’s wishes.
There are days where I am spent after a hectic day at work. I do not want to hustle after leaving the office. Yet, I routinely force it.
That is because I believe in taking steps forward in a relentless (occasionally ruthless) fashion. I feel good by banging out my copywriting draft for submission and then collapsing into bed for a 10-hour knock-out.
And then.
I will wake up to an email from my client that suggests (major) edits. I may, as I had many times, receive marching orders for a rewrite.
It is okay to pass out for a night. Do not destroy the next morning. Treat yourself well.
When you are mentally exhausted, tired, zoned-out, bonked, bombed… just do one thing. Go take a break. Just one evening will do. You will be surprised by your ability to play catch-up the next day.
Author’s Note: When you are teetering on the line of (extreme) productivity and (potential) burn-out, err on the side of rest. Be productive, not sorry.Summary
The recognition of energy conservation is the start of mindset maturity as side-hustlers.
Yes, we want to excel at work and build our tiny online empires behind the laptop screens at night. But we cannot do that without experimentation, self-improvement, and time for a recharge.
And results come when we have the right focus in our side-hustles.
Look, we are more like to build a successful side-hustle over many years than one (year). We must recognize that. And when we do, we look forward to the grind every 6–9.
As a content contributor, I write my observations from daily life and my business exposure. Because our life experience is the bedrock of our unique perspectives.
