I am seeing more and more of you out there with side hustles lately! This is really exciting to me because that means that you are trying to make your dreams come true. You are striving for something new and exciting. You have dreams and hopes and you are trying to make a better life for yourself and your family.
This is very admirable and inspiring to see. On the flip side, as a side hustler myself, it can be exhausting to work full time or take care of the kids all day and then carve out a few hours to dedicate to your passion projects, side gigs, and building the business you see in your day dreams.
Sometimes it can feel like you are spinning your wheels and not getting anywhere. Why is that? You are dedicating time, energy, and you are working so hard! But it still seems like you are not getting anywhere substantial?
Well, I have been in the same boat. I work full time, I have a photography business, I am training to compete for a fitness competition and sometimes all of these goals conflict and something has to take priority. Let's look at this a little closer to see what is really going on in our businesses.
When we honestly take a look at where we are falling short and why we are struggling to get real traction it is in this that we may find the truth. We may be neglecting our side hustle. Are you treating it like a priority? Are you treating your business like a REAL Business or like a hobby? I know for me and in full disclosure, the first few years of my business I was guilty of treating my business like a hobby and not a legit business that could grow and flourish into something life changing.
I believe that most people struggle to build a successful business not because they are incapable or lack the proper skills to achieve their dreams, it is that they are not focused on CONSISTENTLY working their business to move it forward.
If there is one thing that I have learned in my recent fitness journey, it is that CONSISTENCY MATTERS. It matters a great deal. You cannot skip 3 workouts in a week and still meet your weight loss goals just like you cannot expect to diet for 1 day and get on the scale 10 lbs lighter or post 1 blog post and magically have a 1000 followers. Your business has to be CONSISTENTLY cared for in order to thrive.
How do we fix this? Well, you have to dedicate the time and energy consistently. Find little ways that work for YOU to dedicated time to your business. Please keep in mind that what works for me may not work for you. Finding a way to be more consistent may look like waking up an hour earlier to write a blog post for that day or put that business plan together that you have been meaning to do for the last 6 months. It may be staying later at your full time job after everyone else leaves to work on something new for your business. It may look like turning off the tv after your kids go to bed so that you can make the products for your online store or make follow up calls to potential clients. You may have to give up a weekend at the pool to attend a networking event or expo that may lead you to your dream client.
Building a business is no joke. It is hard stuff and can be extremely frustrating and rewarding at the same time. But please do not confuse neglect for incompetence! It simply isn't true. You are capable of building the business of your daydreams. You can do it. Take an audit of where you are spending your time and be honest with yourself. Are you truly dedicating time to your side hustle in a valuable way that will move the business forward?
With lots of love,
Krista