Summary

The article discusses the importance of enjoying one's side hustle to avoid burnout and achieve greater success and happiness.

Abstract

The author, Chris, reflects on the prevalent "side hustle culture" and criticizes the mechanical way people approach additional income streams without considering personal enjoyment. He shares his own experience with a physically demanding side hustle teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which led to burnout and physical strain. Chris emphasizes that a side hustle should not feel like a chore but rather be an activity one loves and would do even without the financial incentive. He advocates for "smart work" over taking on more projects, suggesting that focusing on fewer, enjoyable side hustles can lead to better outcomes and potentially transform into a fulfilling main career. The article concludes with the realization that writing, unlike other side hustles, provides Chris with joy and therapeutic benefits, making it his ideal side hustle.

Opinions

Side hustles should be enjoyable and fulfilling, not just a means to earn extra money.
The societal glorification of being overworked and constantly hustling is unhealthy and unsustainable.
Burnout is a significant risk for those who do not align their side hustles with their passions and interests.
It is more beneficial to focus on a side hustle that one is passionate about rather than pursuing multiple projects without joy.
The true "hack" to side hustling is to monetize a skill or hobby that one loves and would engage in regardless of financial gain.
"Smart work" involves being self-aware, considering one's actions and intentions, and not being afraid to quit projects that do not add value to one's life.

The One Thing No One Wants to Admit About Side Hustles

There’s a giant elephant in the room, and he’s very broke.

People love talking about their side hustles

Everyone is always looking for another way to earn a couple of extra bucks here or there. It’s 2021 — rent isn’t getting any cheaper and gas prices aren’t going anywhere. We all need extra money.

But this weird “side hustle culture” bothers me. The way we talk about side hustles is… robotic. This is holding us back from greater success, higher earnings, and more happiness.

You’re a human being, not a hustle robot. If you don’t enjoy the thing you’re doing off-hours to make extra dough, you’re wasting your time. That’s the elephant in the room: everyone’s got a side hustle and most of us don’t enjoy them.

That’s why most of us are going to quit our side hustles.

This article is about how to find a side hustle you can stick with.

The side hustle that gave me back spasms

My first side hustle “back”-fired on me.

For the last few years, I’ve been teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu private lessons as my main side hustle. After the Covid-19 pandemic shut down my sport for nearly a year, my teaching career was screwed until gyms reopened in the US.

When they did reopen, I was eager to get back at it. This was in part because I love teaching, but mostly because I needed the cash. My freelance copywriting career was off to a rocky start, and the consistent cash flow from teaching people to break arms and choke people out was incredibly helpful. The downside was, my body was the grappling dummy for their learning.

I received under-the-table cash, payment upfront, and I got to share my favorite sport with good people — it was supposed to be my dream job.

It wasn’t.

I enjoyed teaching until I started teaching so many private lessons that I could barely maintain the cognitive awareness to keep myself standing upright, much less do the job well. One day, in particular, a client executed a move incorrectly on me, cracked my back (in all the wrong ways), and I nearly passed out due to dehydration induced by the blistering Chicago heat.

Safe to say, I realized that I needed a change in my side hustle approach.

Is there a side hustle for me out there?

I’ve somehow managed to get burned out of every single job that I’ve ever had.

It’s kind of a problem. I’m addicted to pushing myself past my limits and breaking myself down. I’m addicted to trying to make every single side hustle my main hustle.

My name is Chris, and I’m addicted to burnout.

Recently, however, I’ve begun to internalize the idea that the solution to my burnout addiction isn’t more work, it’s “smart work”. The solution to my burnout is quitting. It’s not more projects, it’s fewer projects, more self-awareness, and careful consideration for my actions and intentions.

“Smart work” is way less exciting than adding another side hustle to your resume, but it’s way more rewarding.

You could start a podcast, fill out surveys, do something with NFTs (I’ll admit, I still don’t know exactly what those are), or teach people how to fight, but if you burn yourself to the ground, hate your work, and fantasize about quitting, your side hustle is pointless.

People talk a lot about how great it is to have a side hustle, but they don’t talk about what makes a great side hustle.

Here’s an unpopular opinion: what makes a great side hustle isn’t quick cash, it’s a joy. If your side hustle doesn’t enhance your life, it’s not a hustle, it’s a crappy part-time job that you do after work.

Closing thoughts

The one “side hustle” that I haven’t burned myself out of is creative writing.

I find this interesting because my “regular job” is copywriting. You’d think more writing would be exhausting, but for some reason, creative writing is therapeutic to me. It’s fun for me to write an article or to work on my books, even after a long day of writing copy, driving around, and training martial arts.

That’s exactly why writing is the perfect side hustle for me.

Writing is something that I do on the side that doesn’t break me down, beat me up, or literally tear my joints apart. It’s the perfect side hustle because it’s a hobby that I use to make extra cash. What makes a side hustle worthwhile is the fact that I’d do it regardless of money, and I also do it for money.

If writing was a chore for me, it’d just be a part-time job, not a “hustle” or a hobby.

To truly “hack” the side hustle game, don’t create more side hustles, find a skill you love, work hard at it, and monetize it. Before you know it, your side hustle might become your main hustle — in all the best ways.

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