The Side Hustle Blues
Don't sing the blues by focusing on too many things at once.
“The dream is free. The hustle is sold separately.” — Tyrese Gibson
What is the fastest way to kill a side hustle?
Focus on more than one thing at a time.
You have big dreams. You may even act on them with a side hustle... something to make extra money alongside your day job. But little time and energy remains outside of working hours.
Being efficient with a side hustle is not sexy. It is imperative.
The temptation to do many things at once is overwhelming, but multitasking is a myth. Shifting your focus between tasks is inefficient and error prone. It hogs energy, of which precious little remains after a hard day’s work.
Filter your priorities. Focus on the NEXT thing. Make sure it gets you closest to your dream. Everything else is a distraction.
Think you have a great idea?
Put up a landing page. Write about it. Test out messaging. Engage. Notice what I didn’t say? Yep. Don’t bother building it yet. Find what resonates first.
Does it meet a need?
You must engage with potential customers. Talk to them. Listen to what they tell you. What problems do they face? What do they need? What do they value? Use the Mom Test to get objective feedback.
Does it bring you joy?
It may be a great idea. People may love it. But if it brings you no joy, then drop it. Otherwise, you’ll end up in the same cage you are trying so hard to escape.
Are you considering fancy tools and services?
Forget about it. You don’t need them. Find resonance, identify the need and find joy in it before investing more time and money. You’ll pick up everything you need along the way.
Don’t sing the side hustle blues by taking on too many things at once. Focus on one meaningful thing at a time. This is the way.
🤔 Food for Thought:
Have you ever tried a side hustle?
Were you able to focus on one thing at a time?
Did you get distracted from what mattered most?
⚙️ One Small Step:
Pick ONE thing to focus on for your side hustle. What gets you closest to the dream? Complete this ONE thing before doing anything else. You can reevaluate what comes NEXT when finished. Don’t get distracted by shiny objects!