Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Penny Hoarder.
The side hustle, or side gig, has grown in popularity over the past few years, especially as the cost of living continues to rise. Maintaining a full-time job while pursuing a passion (or an easy income) on the side offers the best of both worlds.
You get the comfort and security of a solid paycheck and benefits, plus the opportunity to do what you love and make extra money on the side.
It’s not easy to balance it all – but with a strategy in place, you can.
For three years, I built a successful blog and social media business, saving over $40,000 in income, while working as a communications manager for a travel agency.
Use these tips to succeed in your career, grow a successful side gig and find time for a little fun in your life.
1. Get Up Early
I know, I know. You can’t get up early. Do you like to work at night, or get “me time.” I’ve been there. As a former night owl, I hated the thought of a 5 am alarm.
However, after months of coming home from work exhausted after a long day and unable to write at all, I realized I had to find another pocket of time to further my side gig. After all, not being able to write meant turning down potential writing clients, missing out on additional income and missing out on opportunities to grow my blog and brand.
I’m slowly making an effort to set my alarm early each day. For a few months, I was waking up at 5 a.m., giving myself two full hours of time for a side gig I never imagined. This two hour pocket of time felt like a gift.
It allowed me to say yes to lucrative writing opportunities – like regular magazine work. These side gigs used to allow me to make around $1,000 a quarter with just a few hours of work, a few mornings a month.
Best of all, doing my writing in the morning leaves my nights free to pursue other passions, like running, yoga or happy hour.
Still not sure? When you wake up in the morning, you are rested and energetic. In the early hours of the day, you’re less likely to be bothered by the constant buzzing of your inbox or social media notifications. You have clear, uninterrupted time to do the work.
2. Focus and Prioritize
Side gigs often leave you with limited hours in the weekday to devote to your craft.
If you only have an hour or two a day, know exactly what you hope to accomplish during that work time before you sit down. It’s easy to procrastinate or multitask when you don’t have a clear goal in mind.
If you work on your side gig in the morning, set your goals the day before. Say them out loud or write them down somewhere.
If you work on your side in the evening, set your goal in the morning. That way, when you wake up or come home from work, you know exactly what you’re going to do and you can start right away — without having to think too hard about it.
Similarly, be aware of how much work you can do at one time.
For example, when I was busy on the side, I knew I could write one blog post every morning. This helped me plan ahead and prioritize my work properly.
3. Use Limited Time to Your Advantage
One thing I quickly realized after taking on my full-time gig was that I was actually more productive than when I was working a full-time job.
Why is that? A little thing called Parkinson’s Law. This is the idea that the work expands to fill the time available for its completion.
If I have one hour to complete a project, I will do it within an hour. If I have eight hours to complete a project, you can bet that I will take most of the available time to complete it. It’s how our brain works.
Use your limited time to your advantage to get more done in the long run.
If you are a writer who can produce one article per hour and you have five extra hours per week, you can earn an additional $375 per week.
Don’t use your limited work time as an excuse. Instead, look at it as a wonderful benefit, helping you to be more productive and actually get more done.
4. Use Your Day Job To Be A Better Side Hustle
When you keep a full-time job while working a side gig, you bring the skills you learned in the office to your business.
Before I started my full-time public relations career, I knew little about email marketing. But with the skills I got on the job, I built my own email community of 1,400 people.
Another amazing benefit?
Many full-time jobs pay for professional development such as conferences, courses and training. Consider these FREE opportunities to teach yourself – and potentially grow your side gig with your new skills – on your company’s dime and time.
On the other hand, think about all the skills you’re gathering and honing as you develop your side gig, whether it’s blogging, SEO, design or social media. Not only are you honing your professional skills in your business, but you can also bring these to your full-time job and look good at work.
As a bonus, getting better at your full-time job only helps you move up the ladder and earn more money.
Can Your Side Hustle Take You?
While juggling a day job and side hustle can feel challenging at times, remember that you are working toward a greater goal.
If you’re like me and your dream is to one day quit your job to take on your side gig full time, freelancing on the side is a natural step to make it happen.
The $40,000 I saved over three years of side hustles served as a cushion to give me the confidence I needed to take the plunge into running my own business. Knowing that I had a lot of money in the bank gave me the freedom and flexibility to say, “I can do this.”
With a little strategy and time management, you can really have it all – a successful side gig, a fulfilling day job and a successful personal life.
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