There are 24 hours in a day. I know I just dropped a crazy truth bomb you’ve never heard before! Kidding.
There are only 24 hours in a day, and that means 24 hours to meet your basic needs; sleeping, eating, and living your life…you know that stuff. So let’s say you take off 8 hours from that 24 to sleep and eat (because who really gets 8 hours anymore, besides dogs and babies?), that leaves you with 16 hours, oh wait you have a full-time job, cut that in half. That leaves you with 8 hours to work with. 8 hours for commuting, fitness, friends, family, dating/romance and your side hustle.
I’ll be honest I consider myself an ultimate side hustler. (Toot your own horns, my friends, no one is going to toot it from the back seat of your life.)
Let me tell you about my day
I’m out of the house by 8:30 at the office by 9 and there till 5:30. Most days I sit in traffic for about 25 minutes and then go to the gym till 7:00. I get home around 7:15 wash off my greatness (aka Zumba sweat) then either heat up some meal I was smart enough to prepare ahead of time, whip something resembling healthy up or I go the Olivia Pope route and have wine and popcorn, depending on my mood.
By the time my birth control reminder goes off its 8 p.m., and I am cleaning up from dinner before starting the second part of my day, working on my side hustle.
I know what you might be thinking, if it’s 8 by the time you start working then you have like 3 hours before you (should) go to bed.
Oh no my friend because there is this funny little thing called “life” that pops up. My sister calls to tell me they accepted the offer on the house; my mom calls to tell me a relative I’m not sure I ever met has passed away, a best friend is wondering why the cute guy from girls night stopped answering her texts…see what I’m getting at?
This means that I have had to come up with systems to make sure I am on it and always working a little ahead for when “life” happens.
Sacrifice
Here is the thing, I feel like a lot of people are afraid to say it flat out, you will have to make sacrifices if you want to accomplish your dreams.
That might mean missing some happy hours with the girls, not finding out how Stranger Things ends until tomorrow, turning down lunch with your co-workers to get that sponsored post written, etc.
I think the reason you don’t hear the word sacrifice a lot when people talk about their side hustle is because it tends to have a negative connotation behind it.
People hear “sacrifice, ” and they think, “It means I am giving something up.” That’s true, but it’s only part of the definition.
When you make a sacrifice it is typically to earn something else in return. You sacrifice having a cocktail because you want dessert. You sacrifice buying that sweater because you really want new boots. You sacrifice fun now to work on your blog to enjoy the benefits of your hard work later. It’s all about balance and figuring out what your priorities are and when you need to put one over the other.
Here are six things I remind myself when the sacrificing gets hard.
It will never be convenient to chase your goals.
I’m sorry, but it’s true. For most of us, there will never be a time in your life where you have nothing going on and endless time to chase your dreams. If it’s family, friends, day job or whatever, there will always be reasons not to go for it. Things you want to as a use an excuse to put off doing the hard work. Guess what, the longer you wait, the longer it will take.
There will always only be 24 hours in a day
Barring some scientific breakthrough that limits the amount of time we need to sleep, you will still have the same amount of hours in the day. No one is going to say, “Well you’re special. Here are five more hours a day to work on your side hustle. There is a meme on the internet that says, “Beyonce only has 24 hours in a day.” You have to make time to get things done, or they won’t get done.
Plan ahead
As I already mentioned life is bound to happen, from small things like a friend calling you in tears, or you getting a sinus infection, to the big things like losing your job or losing a loved one, when these curveballs happen the best thing you could have done for yourself is to always work slightly ahead. Once you set up goals and figure out the path to get you where you want, always to try to be a little bit ahead. Always be ready to utilize those little pockets of time life provides you with. I always have paper and pen or my phone on me to take notes or answer emails; you never know when you’ll be sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck or the friend you’re meeting gets stuck in traffic. Utilize those pockets of time.
Know your limits
While there is no way to get around making sacrifices you have to know which sacrifices and compromises you aren’t willing to make. You have to have clear limits on yourself and everyone in your life. I mean everyone, from your partner, family, boss, clients or sponsors. If you are uncomfortable or it is putting too much pressure on you then speak up for yourself.
It’s worth it.
When it’s 1:00 a.m. and you find yourself rereading the sponsored agreement for the 3rd time, and all the words seem to be running together remember that it’s worth it. Remember why you started working on this hustle and know that every minute you put into it is getting you closer to your goals.
There are a million reasons to put your goals on hold but so many more reasons to go for it.
So tell me what is one sacrifice you can make to bring you closer to your dreams?
candy
Takes hard work, planning, follow through and some luck to become successful. Also depends on what successful means to you. We are comfortable, not rich but where we can take care and help others.
Jenny
Yes, this is so perfect! I was side hustling for what felt like forever and I’m so stoked to be my own boss come January. It’s definitely all about balance and prioritizing.
Sarah Jean Althouse
“Sacrifice” and “Know your limits” have been the two biggest for me as I pursue success.
Willow Moon
I totally agree that it is worth it! I have spent many hours working on my blog and promoting it. It has paid off because I stuck with it. I love every minute of it!
Erica Nicole
I love your writing! From the first paragraph, you had me hooked and made me laugh. This post is definitely what I needed to read right now. I’ve been on my grind with blogging for only a week or two now (even though I’ve had the blog for months). I’ve finally gotten to the point where I know that I have to kick it into high gear if I want to see any progress and that means grinding… hard… but like you said, in the end, it’s worth it. I’m trying to find the right balance between overworking myself and keeping it cool and I think I’m doing that. Your post definitely motivated me though so thank you!
Rachel Ritlop
Totally agree with all of these! But I think successful people do share all of this with us and like to share it with us. In my experience many entrepreneurs try to scare newbs from the journey. If talking about this stuff scares you away from your dream it wasn’t really your dream!
Rachel | The Confused Millennial
Imaobong
Just perfect!
Your title was so catchy I just had to stop by and read. 🙂
I think that’s one thing too many peoppe don’t quite get, you got to risk it to get the biscuit like my favorite high school teacher would say.
You can’t eat your cake and have it — things have to go, something has to give way for another thing.
Renee groskreutz
Just today I was thinking about how much respect I have for people who have a side hustle. I honestly don’t know that I would be here without the freedom of full focus.
Hats off to you!
To your first point though, it is never convenient to chase your goals. Even though this IS my full time focus there is ALWAYS something pressing on me. There is always something else that wants, heck demands my time.
In the end it comes down to determination.
Great post.
GiGi Eats
I certainly make a lot of sacrifices… Every single day of my life. I just did one a minute ago actually. But I am so used to having to do this that it doesn’t even phase me much anymore.
Tiffany
This is the realest post I’ve read lately. Before I resigned from my job earlier this year, I was juggling so much – but my heart was in it and I knew that I was creating the life that I truly wanted. Knowing and understanding your WHY is what will keep you going even when things get hard!
Summer @ Coffee With Summer
YES to this. So glad that you wrote this, girl! Love it. Sharing.
Dia
That’s amazing. It’s easier to stick with it when you’re passionate.
Dia
Awe thanks Summer. Means a lot coming from you!
Dia
I hope things are smoother but more exciting for you Tiffany. Your why is huge!
Dia
I don’t doubt it GiGi you are constantly crushing it!
Dia
Thanks Renee. Right! It’s like if this stuff was convenient everyone would do it.
Dia
Right. I always say you can either have the ice cream or the cake but not both. LOL “You got to risk it to get the biscuit” I’ll be adopting that!
Dia
Know your limits is huge. It is so easy to burn out and give out.
Dia
Congrats Jenny! That is so awesome to hear!
Dia
Successful, is by far a personal definition to make but you do have to make sacrifices no matter what that definition may be.
Dia
Yeah I think the people who have made it are more than willing to say, “I lived in a closet to save on rent,” or “I didn’t go out with friends for 6 months on the weekends to work on XYZ,” but often people in the grind of it won’t accept it. YES! The best way to burn out is to do something that isn’t your dream or passion. It’s like trying to water a plant with vodka.
Dia
Thank you so much Erica! I really loved your comment! Yes, as long as it still makes you happy keep it up!
Molly
Planning ahead is so important! I actually posted a blog post today saying that I love when I’m organized and planning ahead is one way to be more organized.
Cheers,
The Book of Molly
thebookofmolly.com
Christy
Sacrifice. Something I’ve always struggled with, and I know it limited me in my engineering career. And then I sacrificed my career for my kids. But I think as long as you know what you’re sacrificing, you’re happy either way with your decision. I know a lot of people who have great plans for themselves, and yet will not sacrifice. You must find your own definition of success.
Emily
This is so on point! I have 2 kids, work, grad school and the blog. During the school semester I do not watch tv or read fiction. I have goals and those things are not the priority. Now that I am on break I will relax a bit. Only 2 semesters left of school!!
Erin | A Welder's Wife
I agree, there are certain sacrifices you have to make to be successful. After reviewing my schedule, I realized I had to sacrifice so many breaks throughout my day. If I have 5-10 free minutes, I need to find a quick task to fill it. So far, it has been working out great, and my production has grown significantly!
Dia
Sweet. I’ll be sure to check it out. Thanks for visiting. 🙂
Dia
Well it’s kind of funny you said you sacrificed your career for your kids. Which means your goal was the be a successful parent. So it all comes full circle, you figure out what you want and you make the needed adjustments/sacrifices to get there.
Dia
Emily you are such a badass! I love your blog and it’s amazing you do so much. I don’t have kids and still have a lot on my plate so my hat always goes out to moms in school. My best friend is one.
Dia
That’s amazing. It’s funny how little pockets of time add up like that.
Dylan Cutler
You make some great points about sacrifice to get what we truly want. For me, I often go to the other end, where I sacrifice too much (say my mental health or sleep) to get where I want to be. I can’t even name the last tv show I watched! So my point being I try to sacrifice those things to a point, to find some balance.
Meg
Love LOVE this post! It is so hard to recognize that sacrifice is a GOOD thing. I’m working on changing my mindset!
Dia
Right it’s literally something we do on a daily basis. The big sacrifices are just scarier because we have to make them consciously.
Dia
Oh no don’t over do it Dylan. I make a point to have leisure/me time. Normally Thursday nights are a no laptop zone for me.
Latasha| Arts and Budgets
Wow!! I totally agree with your post & It’s definitely is worth it in the long run! 🙂