How My LinkedIn Side Hustle Can Inspire You, Instructions Included. Part 1

Wowzers! I did it. I wrote an article a day for 24 days in a row. Here it is, the grand finale. In two acts. See, I noticed this article was turning into a short story. So I did you the courtesy of splitting it in half.

I am a serial ideas collector. I find them everywhere, write them down, and love to revisit doodles later. Remember the crazy cat lady from the third floor? That’s me, but with ideas, not cats. Nevertheless, I learned to focus on one project and to table all those other inklings over time.

Side projects can be fun and rewarding. No matter what the scenario is. Whether you start them out of financial necessity, for personal satisfaction, or for the purpose of changing careers. Your side hustle can lead to great opportunities, have an amazing effect on your career, or help you grow in ways you can’t imagine.

You noticed where I’m going with this, right? That’s right: I want YOU to start a side-hustle. And I’ll even give you four excellent reasons why. Then, I’ll go nuts and throw in an extra four steps to get you started. Are you running out of excuses already?

Part two of my side hustle will disclose the aftermath and challenges of my LinkedIn Advent Calendar. Sound good?

Without further ado, let’s get you hustlin’!

Have Some Fun with Your Side Hustle

I bet you've had tons of ideas and repeatedly shot them down. After all, that’s far less work than actually realizing them. There's no risk of failure and no time lost. In doing so, you also missed out on awesome benefits. Do me a favor and kick that habit. Far away.

Allow me to set the stage for you. Anyone can get started right here, right now. Although, I’m not a monster: go ahead and indulge in holiday inertia. But promise me you will start your side hustle in 2017, ok?

1.    You will grow

Yes. I have full confidence in you. Working on a side-project will help you grow. Not matter how it pans out. Whether you decide to sell homemade jam for a month or code an app to learn sarcasm. You will develop skills. Should your idea tank, you’ll learn from your mistakes. Either way, you’ll learn a ton - on your time and on your own terms.

I learned A LOT about LinkedIn in just a few weeks. And I’m now happy to share these insights. I also realized that writing 24 articles in a row was bananas.

2.    You’ll have fun

Your side hustle can be a source of bliss. That is, if you’re not going to pursue a project that sucks the life out of you. No, you’ll finally make some time to practice decorating donuts, building Lego art, or learning code.

This is about YOU. No one will boss you around. Your inner child will rejoice.

Ok. So my hustle wasn’t always puppies and kittens. But I saw purpose in it, had fun most of the time, and I did feel happy as a clam when the first comments rolled in.

3.    You’ll open doors

Some people freelance outside of their full-time job to boost their income. Others start a business on the side. Consequently, side-hustles can generate cash. If you don’t know where to start, you can draw some inspiration from freelance crowdsourcing platforms.

But lots of people also pursue skill development to ease into another career. If you’re hoping to switch roles in the future, taking on a side hustle can get your foot in the door.

Need proof? Jennifer Dewalt’s background was in fine arts, but she was intent on getting into tech:

“A little over 4 months ago, I decided I was going to learn to code. Ignoring the fact that I had no prior coding experience and had never taken any 'technical' classes in school, I decided to build 180 websites in 180 days with no days off. Instead of going through a course or bootcamp, I chose the JFDI approach.”

Jennifer is now a full-stack developer and founded her own company, Zube.

4.    You’ll be more interesting

Sounds harsh, right? But it’s true. When you feel good about yourself and what you do, you have a certain glow. People will notice that you truly enjoy telling them about your project, your confidence will flourish, and you’ll become magnetic. Maybe you’ll even find people to bond with. Some side projects have turned into books, speaking gigs, or businesses.

LinkedIn is making me bounce off the walls right now. I could babble on about my side-hustle for hours. And I’m happy to have connected with like-minded people over this project.

Four Simple Steps to Start Your Side Hustle

Sold? Here’s how to set yourself up for success.

1.    Pick ONE Project

This is key. You need to settle on one idea that you’re going to turn into a committed project. When I pondered the idea of an advent calendar, I totally underestimated the amount of sweat and time that would go in it. I thought I’d be able to write for other publications simultaneously. No way. That would have required a day to have 35 instead of 24 hours.

My side-hustle was geared toward LinkedIn, but anything goes. What makes your heart beat faster? What skills do you want to build on? Which one of your talents could you monetize?

2.    Set a Reachable Goal and a timeframe

Clarity always wins. If you can visualize your goal, you’ll stay fired up all along the way and regularly acknowledge how far you’ve come. My end goal was to grow my network, build a writing portfolio, and share my insights and experiences. I was able to celebrate 24 milestones, as I ticked off a topic a day from my advent content calendar.

My timeframe was crystal-clear (24 days) and some of my goals were even quantifiable (likes, comments, profile visits).

Pick a goal that’s attainable in a short timeframe. I recommend a timeframe no longer than two months for your first side hustle.

3.    Set aside some time

Be honest with yourself. How much time can you realistically set aside? And before you say “None, I’m too busy to be busy” -- take a minute to ponder the concept of time. Do we really have time or do we make time for things?

It won’t be a piece of cake. And there are only 24 hours in a day. So weigh your priorities before you settle on a side-hustle, and plan accordingly.

I forced myself to get up earlier every day for the first half of this calendar. Then I changed strategies and stayed up writing until midnight at times. There were days where I was sick, on the road, and just plain exhausted from work. But I still made time for my project, and an essential stimulus was to…

4.    Enlist fans

You can totally do this on your own. But a tribe of cheerleaders will help tremendously. I made myself accountable on LinkedIn early on. This served a double purpose:

• I kept going because I didn’t want to let my readers down
• My network boosted my morale by cheering me on

Don’t skip this step, it will keep you sane.

Ready to jump in? Oh right, the holidays. As you were. Relax by the fireplace, have some cookies and a hot cocoa (or grog). And then set the stage for 2017 with your #LinkedInHustle.

Note: it doesn’t have to be LinkedIn related, but you can totally make yourself accountable here.

And here's Part 2 of my side hustle: Going All-in on LinkedIn 24 Days in a Row: My Results and Challenges.

If you enjoyed this article, I'd TOTALLY appreciate it if you clicked the thumbs up and shared it. Comments? Yes please - I want to hear from you!

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? Christine is a communication strategist and a notoriously curious person. Hopeless optimist, hustler with a sunny disposition, and klutz at times - she's eager to hear your story.

? Did you miss a daily goodie from my #LinkedInHustle? Find them here.