Nowadays, there are plenty of ways to make some extra money on the side. A quick online search will show you tons of options and advice to get started. But one big challenge that often gets overlooked is the amount of time and effort a side job needs. If your goal is to pay off debts, save more, boost your income for investments, or meet other financial goals, you’ll want your side job to be manageable and not too tiring.
If you don’t keep a balance, you might burn out quickly. When I was at my busiest with my side job, I was putting in an extra 15 to 20 hours a week on top of my regular 40-hour job. Burnout could have been a big problem, but I figured out ways to manage my time and energy so I could keep earning more without burning out.
Found a side gig you like but can’t figure out how to fit it into your schedule? These tips might help.
**Stay Organized**
The first step to adding a side job to your life is to get organized. This helps you prioritize your time and energy by clearly setting what needs to get done and when.
Figure out when you’re most focused and set aside that time for your side job. Using a planner and making daily task lists can keep you on track. Don’t forget to plan for things that don’t directly make you money, like promoting your services, replying to emails, commuting, or handling invoices if you’re freelancing. It’s important to have a strategy for these tasks too.
**Save Time**
Everyone wastes time in some way. When you have a side gig, making the most of your time is crucial. You need to cut out activities that slow you down.
Start with reducing TV time. If you watch TV for two hours every night, that adds up to 10 hours a week. Cutting it in half gives you an extra 5 hours. You might also want to limit time spent on social media or playing video games. Other tricks include meal planning to cut down on dinner prep or outsourcing chores like laundry. Basically, review how you spend your time and see what you can cut or streamline to make more room for your side job.
**Set a Time**
Pick the right time to work. Are you a morning person or a night owl? That influences whether you should wake up early or stay up late to work on your side gig.
I’m a morning person, so I prefer to wake up at 5 am and spend my evenings with family. If you’re more productive at night, consider staying up late for your side job. Just make sure it fits with your productivity style to get the best results.
**Sleep**
Don’t cut back on sleep for your side job. You need at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. This is especially important when you’re balancing a full-time job with a side gig.
Not getting enough sleep will make you grumpy and less productive, which wastes even more of your time. By following the earlier tips, you should be able to tell when it’s time to stop working for the day and leave any unfinished tasks for tomorrow.
**Pick a Gig You Love**
It’s exhausting to go from one job you don’t enjoy to another uninteresting gig. Since you spend so much time working, your side job should be something you love doing.
The type of job you have can really affect your energy and motivation. If your full-time job doesn’t satisfy your creative needs, your side job could be your creative outlet.
Choose something you’re good at and enjoy. This can make a huge difference in finding the time and energy to work on it, and it might even improve your health.
Do you have a side gig? Have you struggled to find the time and energy to work on it?