3 reasons why starting a side hustle could help you through the next six months

Over the past 8 months, I’ve been doing everything I possibly can to support, educate and motivate people around the world with their careers through this pandemic. Now, in one final attempt to salvage what can only be described as the shittest year ever, I’m running a global Side Hustle School to help anyone who feels they need to shake up their monotonous life, reclaim a sense of purpose and channel their unused skills into something that they are truly proud of. 

So why will it help you through the next 6 months? Well, speaking from experience starting a passion project during a low time was actually the thing that reinvigorated my drive and reminded me there was so much more I wanted to achieve in life. Rather than feeling frustrated, resentful, and isolated, I recognised that the only thing I could change was how I spent my time. And sulking in a work rut was not going to fix anything. In just two years of running F*ck Being Humble as a side hustle around a full-time job, I went from feeling like a cog in the machine answering other people’s needs, to positively impacting the lives of others overnight. I went from feeling overlooked and unappreciated to feeling valued and noticed. And, I went from feeling trapped and underestimated to feeling released, with a limitless sense of self-belief.

Now, I know you might be reading this and questioning is there really any point? But at a time where we could so easily admit defeat, I instead want to encourage you to do the opposite by investing in something positive for your future. You have less than 3 months to either write off 2020 or make it the year that actually changed your life. So here are 3 reasons why starting a side hustle could be the tool of hope you need right now:

1. REGAINING CONTROL - This year we are mourning our loss of freedom. We have lost control of where we eat, live, exercise, sleep, travel, and even socialise. But most devastatingly, we no longer have the luxury to choose how and where we work anymore. Waiting for the economy to pick up feels like a never-ending scam and every news update we get only seems to restrict us further. So what can you do to take back control? The one thing I valued the most when starting a side hustle was the feeling that it was mine to OWN. No clients could pull the budgets or bosses driving the direction, I called the shots and I was responsible for the vision. That feeling of autonomy is a refreshing break from the full-time grind. It gave me a feeling of stability but also opened my eyes to how much more I could achieve all by myself. 
2. REIGNITING YOUR IMAGINATION - Due to the current climate, it’s likely that daily tasks feel more repetitive than ever, particularly if you’ve fallen out of love with your role, company or industry. But at a time where quitting your job to pursue a new career might not be a practical option for you, channeling your unused creativity into a passion project could be the thing that keeps your momentum going. Challenging yourself to invent, innovate and create ideas for a topic you genuinely care about allows you to think freely and continue to nurture your talent. You learn new skills quicker because you’re the only person driving the idea and you finally get to create the dream brief you’ve always wanted without needing anyone else to sign it off. Plus any knowledge or skills you learn side hustling can then be applied to improving your profile in the workplace or for future opportunities, so everyone benefits.
3. FINANCIAL GAIN - It’s difficult to say when companies will be in a financial position to increase salaries or comfortably create more roles, so one of the most useful outcomes of starting a side hustle right now is securing another source of income. During our Side Hustle School I’ll share learnings on how I successfully monetised my ideas and how you could financially grow your concept to support your future ambitions. So rather than bitterly waiting for a pay review or burning out trying to make one hustle survive, why not invest that energy into something you can control? Plus learning how to generate new business opportunities is a huge skill for anyone in their career because it provides you with the confidence that when and if the time comes, you can fly solo and make the money you want without a company backing you.

I really do believe that side hustles and passion projects have the ability to shape your future, so if you haven’t heard me say it before, you can either wait for opportunities to come to you or you can go out and make it happen for yourself. AirBnB and Uber were two hugely iconic ideas born out of a recession, and let’s face it, we’re not short of problems that need solving!

So over to you, are you going to write off 2020, or salvage it with a side hustle that could change your life?

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Our Side Hustle School will run between the 19th October - 13th November, tickets include 4 workshops from F*ck Being Humble founder and author Stef, 4 talks from platform specialists Pinterest, Eventbrite, Linkedin and The Dots and weekly activities to complete in your own time. All content is recorded and shared on a private FB community to view in your own time. Tickets are ￡50.