Starting a business is an incredibly exciting endeavor, of course, but those who are starting full-time hustles have the luxury of investing their heart and soul and time into it. Side hustles, however, are a different beast entirely. You need to remember that it is literally on the side, but that sense of creep can mean that it takes over your life. So let's show you ways to ensure that it doesn't take over your life in terms of boundaries and a few simple tactics.
Get a System in Place
We have to remember that running something on the side shouldn't take longer than necessary, and this means we've got to put the right system in place. Allocating regular time to your side business, even if it's just a few hours a week, means that you will make progress consistently without overwhelming yourself.
Additionally, focus on the most important activities and be realistic about what you can accomplish in this strict timescale; you should also establish key processes based on what needs doing. For example, if you want to reorder label stickers, ensure that it can be done in a number of clicks, rather than it being a process that you have to start afresh every single time.
Use Technology Wisely
The concept of working smart rather than working hard most definitely applies here. Because we should stick to very specific boundaries, we need to find the right tools that help us work more effectively. Time management tools such as Google Calendar can help you organize your schedule so you can avoid those conflicts between the main job and the side hustle.
Also, look at what you can automate or streamline when it comes to certain aspects of your side business so you can free up more of your time. A very handy tool here is not a technological one, but a real one that was created decades ago. The Eisenhower decision matrix can help you to determine if a task is important and urgent, important and not urgent, not urgent but important, and not important and not urgent. You can find out more information about this here.
Don't Strive for a “Perfect” Balance
Instead of perfectly separating both, you should focus on integrating your side hustle into your life in a way that already aligns with your overall values and goals. If you think your side hustle deserves more time than is necessary, you should ask yourself if this is sustainable in the long term. This is why you've got to be strict and set clear boundaries for your side hustle, and separating calendars for your day job, side business, and personal life will mean you avoid any overlap.
It's also worth pointing out that when you think about scheduling your life, you should also schedule in self-care because it can be very easy to feel burned out by the sheer volume of tasks. Therefore, remember that you'll be selective about the commitments you can take on for your side business, assess your progress, and be willing to adjust the approach if it is actually too demanding!
