PP 068: 5 Ways to Make Time for Your Creative Side Hustle & Get Results
Make Time for You & See Progress on Your Creative Side Hustle
Are you the type of person who wings shit each day and wonders why you're not making consistent progress?
If you are, it's okay because this used to be me too.
Over the past four years, I've slowly gotten to the point where I approach each day with intention like Tony Diaz mentioned in episode 52. Each day I have a focused plan of attack and I'm always going for the jugular.
Hands down, the biggest question I get asked by people on my newsletter, Facebook group, emails or social media is: "How do I find balance and make time to work on Perspective-Collective with a day job, wife and other commitments?"
By no means am I even remotely close to being an expert at time management and productivity, but I've found what works and doesn't work for me. I hope what I share can help you find what works for you.
The following are the five biggest tips that got me the biggest results in pursuing my side hustle:
Take one bite at a time
Plan your attack
Eat the worm
Play Uno
Eliminate distractions
1. Take One Bite at a Time
When we get started, it's easy to fall victim to comparison and feel like you're not doing enough when you see someone else crushing it.
Often, our ambition is larger than reality and we think we have to eat a whole pizza in one bite.
While it's great you want to start a blog, a podcast and add video all at once, I think it's best to slow your (pizza) roll. I feel you're biting more than you can chew and setting yourself up for defeat if you're:
attempting to do all of this outside a day job
with possibly a family
without having a defined process
When I started over 4 years ago, it was simply posting drawings consistently on Instagram. Once I locked down that process I took on blogging. I slowly added a newsletter on top of that. Two years later I added the podcast and somewhere in between, I would take on some freelance.
I suggest taking things slow and steady as you don't have to climb Mt. Everest in a day. Start with one bite at a time with realistic expectations even if it's only 30 minute to and hour a day.
A little bit each day adds up.
Once you lock down your process, take a bigger bite and add the next thing to your plate.
2. Planning Your Attack
I've learned the most successful people don't just roll out of bed and just shit productivity. They schedule their success.
When I stopped winging it and actually planned my daily attack, it made decision making so much easier. While I still over commit myself from time to time, saying NO is slowly becoming a secret weapon.
Here's how I plan my attack.
Sundays I jot down in my planner all the tasks I need to get done in the week and when they need completed by. I then prioritize them with the A1 Steak Sauce Method.
The top urgent tasks get a ranking of A1-A5
Medium tasks get a ranking of B1-B5
Low priority that I can push back get a C1-C5
Anything after that is insignificant and I can eliminate it.
Throughout the week, I plan that A1 category task the night before which I share later in My Weekday Routine section.
3. Eating the Worm
I've always been a night owl, but waking up early has been the key to my productivity the last few years.
The book My Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod is definitely a worthwhile read if you need a kick in the ass to try it.
I believe in doing the most important task first that will scale my business when I have the most willpower.
The most important tasks for me that require the most willpower usually revolve around writing or editing for the podcast, workshops or speeches.
Working a day job and opening myself up to the world's distractions takes a massive toll on my willpower. There's no way I have the focus nor desire to do my best writing when I punch out.
Getting up early and eating the worm sucked in the beginning and can still be hard today. However, I started slowly getting up 10 minutes earlier each week which helped me adjust.
Working before the world wakes up provides the best focus for me and I usually devour that A1 task before I get to work at 7am.
That productivity high is addicting and makes getting up early easier when you see the progress.
4. Playing Uno
Playing Uno is just a fun way of saying focus on doing one thing each day that will help get you the most results.
Looking at a massive to-do list can be overwhelming and can paralyze you from taking any action.
By focusing on doing the one thing (generally the A1 task) you planned the night before, it makes things more objective and manageable.
When you knock out that one thing, you will no doubt feel accomplished. If you have leftover margin time aside from life priorities like family and work, you can then proceed to attack your A2 task or B1 task.
I can't recommend enough reading / listening to the books The One Thing by Gary Keller and Essentialism by George McKeown. These two will definitely help you sort out what's most important to focus on.
5. Eliminate Distractions
It's so easy for us to get distracted as we've become addicted to checking our phones, computers and tv's so we don't miss out on anything and everything.
When it's grind time, I eliminate all distractions so I can get into the zone.
For me, I kill all notifications on my phone in general except for texts in case of emergency. You do not need social media notifications on your phone. That shit will distract you from keeping the main thing the main thing!
I always have Do Not Disturb mode set on my phone from 9pm - 6am so nothing bugs me while I try to wind down through when I eat the worm and play Uno. I'll even turn it on when I need to practice a speech, record the podcast or get lost in a drawing.
If you're looking for more ways to cut distractions, I highly recommend reading or listening to Deep Work by Cal Newport.
5 Ways to Make Time for Your Creative Side Hustle & Get Results
My Weekday Routine to Make Time:
4:30am - 6am - Eat the worm and play Uno
10:00am - 10 minute productive burst break (sketch concepts, post on social media, respond to messages)
12:00pm - 1:00 pm lunch break - Finish A1 task for the day or start A2 or B1
3:00pm - 10 minute productive burst break (sketch concepts, post on social media, respond to messages)
4:15pm - 5:30 pm - Gym to destress and block out the world
6:00pm - 8:30pm - Low willpower work depending on Emily's schedule (drawing, social scheduling, responding to messages)
9pm - Plan my attack for tomorrow
Find What Works for You
Everyone is different and no one's life is the same. This is what works for me and I'm always fine tuning it and open to new suggestions.
Maybe your willpower is best at night with the type of work you focus on? That's totally cool.
I think the most important thing is to be intentional, schedule your success and attack each day with focus. We need to gut check ourselves and seriously consider how badly do we want to make things happen in our lives?
It's possible to make time to work on yourself and your creative dream. Maybe you need to chill on the Netflix binging and mindless hours scrolling through social media?
If you're solo dolo in life, there is little to no excuse for finding and making time.
However, with having a significant other and a family, communication is key. I've learned it's hard for them to support you if you don't:
Prioritize time with them and the family
Communicate what you're trying to accomplish and when you're trying to do it (make sure you're on the same page with expectations)
Include them on the team in pursuit of your dream (don't keep them in the dark especially if they don't have a concrete dream of their own, it'll cause tension)
There's probably more but these are the hard lessons I've learned along the way that can save you a lot of fighting. ????
It's going to take some experimentation, determination and enthusiasm to figure out what works for you.
Remind yourself that this is a marathon. Strap in, buckle down and enjoy attacking your creative side hustle.
You have a lot of cool shit to create and great people to impact ahead of you.
FREE TOOLKIT TO SIDE HUSTLE FREEDOM
6 FREE resources to help you grow an audience and build a profitable creative side hustle outside your day job. Download here.
PURCHASE THE SIDE HUSTLER'S HANDBOOK PDF COURSE
The proven blueprint that’ll help you gain clarity, confidence, and a mental edge to unlock your biggest side hustling breakthrough. Purchase here.
GET A PERMANENT PODCAST SHOUTOUT
Become a future Listener of the Week by Subscribing and leaving a Rating & Review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes here.
BEST DEALS ON THE BEST DESIGN RESOURCES
Retro Supply (affiliate) - Use SCOTTY20 to get 20% OFF high-quality AI, PS, Procreate & Affinity resources. Shop here.
Design Cuts (affiliate) - Get your FREE Ever-Expanding design resources bundle pack here.
JOIN THE PRIVATE FACEBOOK COMMUNITY FOR CREATORS
Join a like-minded FREE global community of kickass creators and take your side hustle to the next level. Your tribe is waiting.
CONNECT WITH ME
CREDITS
Music - Blookah
Executive Assistant - Paige Garland
Photo & Video Specialist - Colton Bachar
Social Media Coordinator - Hannah Schick
Animation Specialist - Greg D'Amico