For as long as I can remember, I’ve been finding ways to make money. From selling sweets and drinks at school to running my own businesses today, I’ve always been busy working and earning!
At the age of 33, I had a life-changing diagnosis of type-1 diabetes.
I’m not gonna lie—it was a scary time! Changes to my lifestyle were needed—on the plus side, I lost a few pounds!
Thanks to this diagnosis I decided to take the plunge into online marketing. Taking on a new challenge gave me something positive to focus on.
I’ve written this guide to help others that may be experiencing life-changing situations.
Illness, job loss, or other changes can happen at any time.
Starting a side hustle can be just the thing you need to help you get through difficult times. But, you’ll need to know how to juggle your side hustle with life.
Let me show you!
What is a Side Hustle?
A side hustle is simply defined as an activity that you earn money from outside of your main income.
You could have one side hustle or multiple. Sometimes a side hustle can be so successful it turns into your main income!
Leaving the 9-5 behind is the dream for many people. An estimated 35% of Americans have a side hustle that provides extra income and other benefits.
Starting a side hustle is a fantastic idea for lots of reasons including more money!
Why You Would Choose to Start a Side Hustle
Starting a side hustle while juggling the challenges of life may seem like a crazy idea. However, I promise you that not only is it not crazy, but it can actually enhance your life in numerous ways!
Let me explain a few ways your life will benefit from starting a side hustle:
- More money
- Monetize your hobby
- Try something new
- Test the waters for a career change
Let’s explore those a little more!
1. More Money
The biggest reason for taking on more work is more money!
Extra money can be helpful in so many ways:
- Pay off debts faster
- Build an emergency fund quicker
- Simply knowing you have financial freedom
Knowing that you can absorb financial shocks following a major life event is fantastic for your mental health.
When I was going through my diabetes diagnosis I struggled for a time. My health was poor as the doctors tried to work out what was wrong. A result of this was that I couldn’t work as much as before.
Thankfully, once I had my diagnosis and could manage my condition properly, I could work to my full potential again. I knew it was essential to diversify my income by starting a side hustle.
Safe in the knowledge I have that extra income means if my health takes a turn for the worse again, I can afford to give myself a break. It also means I can afford a vacation!
2. Monetize Your Hobby
Hobbies are a wonderful way to pass the time. Everyone should have a hobby. What’s yours?
Perhaps you like writing, painting, or making hand-crafted items?
Whatever your hobby is you should consider monetizing it.
Depending on your hobby there will be lots of ways you could do this.
Writers could easily find work as freelance writers. Hand-crafted items can be sold online using sites like Etsy. All you need to do is think about your hobby and if you would want to make money from it.
After all, you don’t want to lose the joy you find in your hobby. If you can do both though, then you have a way to make some money while doing something you love!
3. Try Something New
As life marches on we can sometimes end up feeling stuck in a rut. Before my diabetes diagnosis at 33 I was happily plodding along running my food business. I didn’t realize it at the time but I was coasting through life.
That all changed following my diagnosis when I realized I wanted more. My desire wasn’t just for more money, it was also to:
- Experience more
- Learn more
- Grow as a person
Taking on a side hustle can be a fantastic way of building satisfaction with your life.
You may have to learn new things, figure out how to monetize your chosen side hustle or network with new people relevant to your side hustle.
All these things are fantastic for personal growth and a great reason to start a side hustle.
4. Test the Waters for a Career Change
When you were 18 and going to college you probably had your life mapped out. However, things can quickly change. As you get older, your values and aspirations may be different.
The career you started fresh out of college may not feel right to you anymore.
Maybe you don’t enjoy it or the opportunities to advance are limited. Perhaps you just want more freedom!
Starting a side hustle can be the answer to this conundrum. It can give you a taste of other fields that you may be interested in working in. Give them a go and find out what’s right for you!
Side Hustle Obstacles
What’s the biggest obstacle to starting a side hustle? I will tell you now—you are! You can easily come up with excuse after excuse about why now isn’t the right time.
I’m here to tell you—it is the time!
Let’s have a look at some of the main obstacles we think stop us from starting a side hustle:
- Time
- Starting capital / ongoing costs
- Education and skills
- Family and responsibility
- Health
Let’s explore those a little more!
1. Time: Life Gets in the Way
The first trap that’s easy to fall into is telling yourself you don’t have time. You might be juggling a full-time job, kids, and study.
I get it…
Finding time when you’ve got all these responsibilities is hard.
Life may also throw other challenges at you along the way; illness, injury, or unexpected events can happen at any moment.
How can you get past this?
Start by creating a detailed schedule for every hour of the day. Work, family, and other commitments can be listed. Now you should have a rough idea of how much spare time you’ve got each day.
Armed with the knowledge of how much spare time you have you can pick an appropriate side hustle. If you only have an hour a day spare you may need to pick an easy side hustle that takes minimal effort.
If you use this approach you can get past the excuse of not enough time.
2. Starting Capital / Ongoing Costs
Sometimes you must spend money to make money. However, if you don’t have any money this can be a problem. After all, the point of starting a side hustle is to make more money!
You need to start by making a budget for your side hustle. Work out exactly what you will need to spend to get started and to keep it running.
If you don’t have the money available now—pick a side hustle that can be started for free.
You can go back to your original idea once you’ve saved up enough money to get going. Once you do, here’s a guide to managing your business finances.
Don’t forget once your side hustle becomes profitable it should pay for itself in the future!
3. Education and Skills
There are some side hustles that need no skills at all like completing surveys online. Other side hustles such as developing software are highly skilled.
Depending on what you want to do you may not have the knowledge now to get started. However, thanks to the wondrous internet it’s perfectly possible to learn almost anything!
Whatever you want to do just search online for relevant training.
You will find many platforms online offering free education on almost any topic you can think of.
Use all these resources to your full advantage. Remember investing in yourself will pay off in the long run!
4. Family and Responsibility
I love my family and I’m sure you love yours too. Mine was a huge help to me when I was learning how to live with type-1 diabetes, and I will be forever grateful for their support.
Starting a side hustle could be detrimental to your family life.
You may already spend 8-10 hours a day working your main job. Now you could be spending 2-3 hours or more working on your side hustle.
First, make sure you talk to your family about your side hustle. Explain what you are doing and why.
Your family will find it much easier to be supportive if they understand your goals and feel included.
Another good idea is to make sure you schedule regular time together. Make time every day or at least 1 day a week that you can do family activities. Doing this will be a big help for keeping your family happy.
A break should also help you too!
5. Health
By now you know my story and that I used my diabetes diagnosis as a springboard to change my life. Not just by starting a side hustle but by also reevaluating how I was living.
I’m pleased to say I’ve made many improvements!
How about you?
Are you struggling with health issues?
If so, it may be easy to put off starting a side hustle. As I’ve said though a side hustle can give you a terrific safety net in the event of financial worries.
There is another upside to starting a side hustle when you are struggling with health problems. It gives you something else to do. When I started my side hustle it was a welcome distraction from thinking about how life with diabetes was going to be.
Starting a side hustle won’t remove all your worries, but it can be just the boost you need when you are at a low point.
How to “Get on” and Finally Start Your Side Hustle
OK, now you know how to overcome the biggest obstacles to starting a side hustle. Next, you need to ‘get on’ and get started. Here are some tips on how:
- Pick the right side hustle
- Utilize your existing skills
- Start slow and build up
- Get help and support
Let’s explore those a little more!
1. Pick the Right Side Hustle
It’s important to pick the right side hustle.
If you don’t you could end up wasting your own time pursuing something that isn’t right for you.
Consider the following when picking a side hustle:
- How much time you have
- Startup costs
- What you hope to earn
Taking all this into consideration means you can search for side hustles that meet your criteria.
2. Utilize Your Existing Skills
To start a side hustle quickly it’s easier to make use of your existing skillset. Think about what you can do now and find a side hustle that fits in with that.
You can always learn new skills in the future to develop other side hustles.
To get started focus on your current skills rather than putting off starting!
3. Start Slow and Build up
Getting rich overnight would be fantastic!
Lots of sites promise this but sadly it’s just not possible.
Trying to rush things can mean that you become discouraged if you don’t hit certain milestones quickly enough.
The best thing to do is have a clear and realistic plan. Start slow and build momentum to achieve the goals you want to.
Taking this approach means there will be less chance you will quit early!
4. Get Help and Support
Many side hustles are just you and your computer working away trying to build a decent second income. This can get lonely and impact your mental health.
Make sure to ask for help when you need it from people in your field.
Join online groups of other freelancers for support. You don’t have to do it all alone!
Connecting with others is a great way of learning more. Plus, it can lead to more job opportunities!
Conclusion
OK, now you know how to juggle a side hustle with life, what are you waiting for?
It’s time to stop making excuses and get started!
You may feel scared, excited, nervous, or something else. That’s OK. I did too when I started my side hustle. Plus, I was dealing with health issues as well!
The important thing is to not let those obstacles stop you anymore. Make use of the fantastic resources online, connect with others for help, and get your hustle on!
