4 side hustles everyone should have in their lives

For as long as I can remember, I've had the same side hustles throughout my life. To some extent this is due to them being embedded in my childhood, but as an adult I couldn't imagine my life without them. As much as I've tried very hard to stick to them all, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain all four. Working hours get longer, responsibilities get greater and before you know it you've forgotten that there is a life outside of work! Although the creative outlets/activities have progressively changed over the years, they have been largely centred around four major themes: Service, Education, Hobbies and Time Out. It takes a conscious effort to really make time for any of the below, let alone all four, but the rewards can be significant and all those sacrifices are in the end worth it. 

Service

This side hustle will be the one most people will either be interested in doing or not, because it takes real intent to want to ‘give back’ and ‘make a change’. As ‘miss universe’ as it sounds nothing gives me more pleasure than giving something back into society. Over the last year I've thoroughly enjoyed volunteering with The Brokerage Citylink who provide young people from London with a 'Pathway' of opportunities into employment. The reason I give up a spare few hours every so often to help young people, is because I was in their shoes a few years back. From participating in speed networking sessions to talking about ‘how I got to where I am’, if one hour of my time can bring something to someone’s life, then it is totally worth doing. Whilst volunteering may be the act of giving, you may be surprised to find you are actually getting so much in return.

 “It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” Mother Teresa

Education

Regardless of how old you are, what background you have, the importance of this side hustle applies to anyone and everyone. For me personally, education goes hand in hand with my professional goals and always has done. Without this element, I would struggle to evolve, not only in a professional capacity but also in a personal one. Recently I began studying on a part-time basis to become qualified in Learning and Development, in other words doing a degree specifically for what I do at work. While it is work related, it is equally about personal development and generally gaining more knowledge about an area that particularly interests me. What’s great about this side hustle is that whilst you are naturally upskilling yourself and gaining a new network of like-minded professionals, you are also keeping up with a constantly evolving world. With changes in technology propelling industries into a new era, the proverbial “old dog that can’t learn new tricks” no longer exists.

 “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi

Hobbies

I am not ashamed to put my hands up and confess that I am equally a culprit of coming home from work and binging a Netflix series rather than doing something more substantial with my evenings. We all have those days when all we want to do is actually not do much at all, but what happens is you start to become comfortable. Before you know it you can’t remember the last time you played the piano, got out your palette and canvas or read a novel. Instead we get side tracked with the “the sleepwalk of work, domesticity, mortgage repayments”. Having a social/creative outlet is actually a great way to relieve stress and enrich your life exploring different interests. Whether it’s at home in your own company or in a class with other students, you will learn vast amounts not only from what you are doing but also from your environment.

“When your hobbies get in the way of your work - that's OK; but when your hobbies get in the way of themselves... well.” Steve Martin

Time Out

There is nothing I find more satisfying than spending a few quiet hours on my own on the weekend or jetting off to an unknown city and enjoying my own company. To many, just the thought of that would fill them with dread due to our inherent fear of solitude but I urge you all to dip your toe in the water and you might just be surprised! I understand how this side hustle might not be for everybody but even if it is just spending an hour or two a day during your lunch break or just before going to bed, it doesn't take a huge effort to do. There are great benefits to having some ‘me time’, whether it’s to think, unwind or disconnect. In the midst of busy hectic lives, we rarely step away from all the noise and it can turn out to be a massively therapeutic experience.

“I have to be alone very often. I'd be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That's how I refuel." Audrey Hepburn

At the start of the year when everyone was thinking about new year resolutions, instead of thinking about the whole ‘New year, New me’, I started thinking about a ‘New Year, Old me’. The activities I used to do, that in the midst of graduating, changing jobs and adulthood, seem to have gotten lost along the way. The reason these side hustles are so important to me, is that from the moment I get involved in any of the above activities I completely forget ‘that email I have yet to answer’, ‘the project that needs working on’ or ‘the meeting I need to prepare for’. Although the above are my personal and professional goals yours will likely be completely different, but what’s important is taking the initiative and having the self-motivation to do these. The more time and effort that you put in, the more you get out of it. 

This post was written as part of the #MySideHustle series for #Studentvoices, which is tied to LinkedIn’s student editorial calendar. Read the stories here or write your own.

Thanks for reading! I’ll be continuing to write on different topics every month so feel free to click follow, comment and share and have a read of my previous posts:

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