How to work for hours everyday on your "side Hustle" after you finish your day job
As an entrepreneur, it may feel that you have no time to do anything. You clock off at your full-time day job, get home, and just feel too exhausted to work on what you're most passionate about.
I have been exactly where you are now, and it took me years to overcome this challenge, but now I have. I feel as though I need to share my secrets. I want you to be able to work when necessary and to free yourself from the arduous, mundane, and repetitive day-to-day you might currently be experiencing.
For a little information on what I do, I work 90+ hours every week and F*CKING LOVE IT!
Now, don't get me wrong, there are days and moments when I feel demotivated or too tired to continue, but overall, I love what I do and how I spend my time.
My daily routine goes a little like this:
I wake up around 6 a.m., get ready for my job as a house painter, then work from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
I then get home, spend about 30 minutes showering and having something to eat.
After that, I look at my Notion calendar and see what main task I've planned out for myself that day. Usually, I have to do one of the following:
- Script, edit, or record a YouTube video
- Script, edit, or record an Instagram video
- Write a blog post
- Write for 1-2 hours on the novel I'm working on (if I can fit it in, the last 6 weeks have been a bit full-on and I haven't been able to focus enough attention on this task, but I am currently changing my system to allow more time for this)
- Script, edit, or record a TikTok video for a business I run with my brother
- Deal with customers for my business
- Source products for my business
- Package and send out orders for my business
- Plan out next week's or month's content ideas
- Learn a certain skill that's required for the progression of a particular endeavor I'm committed to
- A few other things I couldn't think of when writing this blog post. XD (it's currently 12 a.m. for me right now)
After I have completed the main task for the day, I usually focus on something that won't take as much time. Most of the time, that consists of a bunch of small tasks I can do for the next few hours.
I then eat, move my body, and converse with my friends on a call or my family.
Then I do any chores required.
Then I work for the remaining part of the night on whatever main task I have planned for tomorrow (to try and lighten the load for the heavy hitters).
Then I journal, read for 30 minutes to an hour, and go to sleep.
Rinse and repeat.
Breaking up what I do, to keeps things fresh
When working for long hours, repetitive tasks can become quite arduous. To combat this, I try to break up what I do so my mind has different sorts of stimulation. I'll give an example of what a suboptimal day looks like (in regard to enjoyment and combating burnout), and what an optimal day looks like.
Sub-optimal :
I have to write a blog post, write for 2 hours for my book, write a YouTube script, write an Instagram script, work out, paint a deck, and package orders for my online store.
"So I'm going to paint all day, write for the following 6-8 hours, package orders, then work out."
Optimal :
Since I have to write a lot today, I'm going to get up early, write an Instagram script and a blog post, then I'm going to paint until 2 p.m., do my workout, package orders, and finish the night with some more writing.
I hope you understand what I'm trying to get at with this. When you separate your tasks strategically, you can often endure working for longer hours. I do understand that sometimes you have to just white-knuckle it and do what needs to be done, even if it's the same task all day. When that comes up, that is okay, but whenever you can, try to separate the tasks.
Now that is for breaking things up daily, but you can also do this on a longer time horizon, such as a week, month, quarter, or year. Think of your life as seasons; maybe this month I need to put my full attention on learning this new skill, or this week I need to focus on optimizing my sales funnel. Whatever it may be, you can keep your work life fresh if you can figure out ways to separate your workload into seasons. That way, you can also put 100% of your focus on a dedicated field of study or work.
making sure to remember the bigger picture
This comes off the last point: if you are currently taking on something BIG, something that takes all of your time, zoom out and understand that this is only temporary. If it's not, maybe you're not doing it correctly.
If your life is consumed by a task and will always be consumed by that task, but you are struggling to keep up the pace, maybe you need to look at delegation or a new strategy. There will always be instances that are an exception to the rule, but most often, I feel if you can't find the light at the end of the tunnel, your goal, process, or mission isn't 100% on the optimal path.
Making sure to remember YOUR why
Why is it you are or want to work so hard? Why is it you are willing to sacrifice so many pleasures to achieve your goal? Is it a particular person you're doing this for? Are you trying to prove someone wrong? Help someone?
Find your why, and everything will become clear. I'd suggest writing it down and placing it somewhere that you see every day. A reminder of why you're doing this in the first place.
Try to find ways to make what you're doing as enjoyable (fun) as possible
As much as I know you will need to sacrifice certain pleasures to achieve something great, there is always room to make what you currently do for work as enjoyable as possible. Sometimes it's the little things, like a comfy chair, good headphones, nice music, a warm cup of coffee or tea, etc. But it can also be more major changes or additions to your work. Surrounding yourself with uplifting company, reminding yourself of what you have learned that day, giving yourself a reward every time you hit a certain target you've made for yourself, etc.
There are so many ways you can improve what you are currently doing, and often it's the mental reframing that helps the most.
be intentional with your downtime
When working long hours, the amount of downtime you have is limited. So instead of wasting it away doing something unfulfilling that you won't ever remember, like scrolling TikTok, spend your time doing things that are meaningful to you.
Read a good book, spend time with your friends and family, surround yourself with nature. Do whatever it is that, when you look back, you won't hold any resentment or regret.
I personally spend my downtime reading, journaling, hiking, camping, or hanging out with my friends and family.
Schedule your work time when you don't have personal responsibilities
This one is for those who are married and/or have children. I personally have neither, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but I would say, ask yourself when your kids and wife need your attention and when they do not. Then plan out whatever timeframe you have free to be your time to work. If you're trying to build a business while you have a day job, children, and a wife, I don't really think you can spend much time on anything other than those things and your business, but it is temporary.
When you build your business enough to support yourself financially, then quit your day job and gain back all that time to spend doing what you love to do.
Look after your health
To be able to work as many hours as you need and sustain it for longer than short sprints, you need to build intentional and healthy habits. If you're currently not looking after your health, I promise you, once you take that step, not only will you get burnt out slower, but your work output will increase as you have more sustained energy levels, higher focus and cognitive function, fewer mood swings, and a generally happier existence.
If you decide you want to start kicking it up a notch, and working longer hours. I hope these tips give you a little clarity, and if you follow them. You will be on TheWritePath.
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