A decade or so ago, if someone told you that you should start a “side hustle” you’d probably assume that they were talking about either selling drugs or working part time at a fast food joint. Back then, the term side hustle didn’t mean what it does now. Insert obnoxious eye roll and obligatory “duh” here. Side hustles were also pretty limited. You could work part time somewhere (your choices here were also limited think babysitting, fast food, or retail) or you could hit the streets and start slangin’ drugs as all the rappers say. Yeah, not very appealing options right?
To say it wasn’t a hot topic or something that people wanted to do is an understatement. Who wants to work a second job when you’re already logging 40+ hours a week? Sure, the extra money is great but do you really want to get off work at your 9 to 5 then drive somewhere for your next shift? Yeah, me either.
However now, side hustling has become popular and a lot of people make their entire income off of multiple side jobs. And the best part of this? Most of it can be done from the comfort of your own home. Yep, you read that right. You no longer have to leave your house and log hours at a brick and mortar to earn some extra income. You can sit down on your couch with your laptop or kick back in your chair at your desktop and earn away.
With this surge in popularity, terms like “gig economy”, “freelancer”, and “project-based work” have become household names and pop up in everyday conversations. Plus, you’re sure to find them on multiple blogs, social media posts, and articles. But the fact that they’re reaching our inner circles and friends are participating in this trend is exciting. It also speaks volumes of the success of side hustling.
Did you know that according to a study conducted in 2017, 44 million Americans have a side hustle? That’s a lot of people taking control of their work flow! And for 70% of these folks their motivations for snagging side hustles is financial. Many are trying to pay off student loans, credit cards, mortgages, save up for retirement, or earn some extra cash on the side. And working for yourself from home isn’t a bad way to do it. After all, you get to set your own hours and for the most part you can even set your own pay.
*Don’t expect to charge someone $100 an hour for article writing though. That’s probably not going to happen…
Take it from someone who has left their 9 to 5 and now earns a solid income from side hustling (IE me) that it’s a great market to dive into. I started by writing and editing works as a way of exercising the creative side of me. While it was just a way to break up the monotony at first, I took what I was doing seriously and put out my best stuff. Eventually, I had so many people wanting my skills that I was able to leave my everyday work. And I’ve never looked back since. I know, it sounds way too good to be true but I can assure you it’s not. Success won’t happen overnight, but if you’re patient side hustles can definitely work miracles for you too.
Okay, if I haven’t sold you yet on starting your own side hustling adventures, then take a look at this list for more inspiration and encouragement:
#1 You Don’t Have to Quit Your 9 to 5 Immediately (or at all!)
One of the scariest things about taking on a new job is quitting your old one. Sure, the pay and incentives might look enticing, but will you really enjoy this new company? Will you fit in? Will you like it? Will your boss totally suck? There’s a lot of anxiety associated with leaving your current income in pursuit of a new one. That anxiety is heightened even more when you start thinking about being completely responsible for your own income.
That’s what’s great about side hustles. You don’t have to quit your 9 to 5! You can work in side jobs during your free time. This means that you can earn extra income without sacrificing all or even much of your spare time depending on your goals. You can also choose to work harder during some periods and lessen your load at other times. You’re in control of this aspect of your life so you can accept/decline as much work as you want. So if you’re trying to get the ball rolling for Christmas, you can log more hours and earn more. Or if it’s summer and you’re looking to kick back a bit, accept less work.
If you’re looking to leave your 9 to 5 but don’t want to take a pay cut or jump into something you’ll ultimately hate, you can always try a variety of gigs for awhile. This way, you can find something that fits and works for you. Then, you can leave your regular job when you’re 100% ready to. You can also build up a “savings safety net” to carry you through any predicted slow times so that you’re not quitting with nothing to back you up in the case of an emergency.
#2 Take Advantage of Free Time
A side hustle is a great way or putting a unique spin on the work-life cycle. Outside of your 9 to 5 job, you probably have quite a bit of free time. And while I’m not saying you should give all (or any) of that up, I am suggesting that you consider putting a side hustle into some of that time.
As I’ve said before, a side hustle doesn’t have to eat away all your time or even very much. You can earn some side cash by working just a couple extra hours a week.
If you don’t know much about side hustles, then what I’ve written probably doesn’t sound great. “Why would I want to come home from my job just to work another one when I could kick back and finally relax?” I had that sentiment for awhile but it’s the wrong mindset. Side hustling doesn’t have to be boring or feel like another grind. There are a lot of opportunities out there that are fun, unique, and will feel more like a hobby than a job.
You can also dedicate your time.You don’t have to “clock in” (your assignments/tasks are due at certain times though and you’ll have to follow those restrictions) or log a certain amount of hours either. So if you want some extra cash on the go but you still want plenty of free time to unwind from your regular job, then side hustling is definitely a good fit for you.
#3 Set Your Own Hours and Work at Your Own Pace
In addition to taking advantage of your free time, with side hustles you also get the super ultimate omega badass makes everyone else jealous perk:
Set your own hours.
Imagine having an “off” day where you’re not feeling your best. Normally you’d have to suck it up and go into work, right? Or perhaps you’re lucky; your boss is really understanding and will let you take the day off to recover. More than likely though, you’re getting a lecture either way. Because of this, most Americans that work a 9 to 5 don’t take off when they’re sick. (Finances also influence this decision, but many admit that they won’t take off because of fear of being fired).
Well, with a side hustle you don’t really have to worry about that. If you have a project in queue, you can typically ask for an extension without any negative feedback or issues. If you don’t have anything lined up and you typically hit up websites like Freelancer to find your daily tasks, then you can skip out entirely and just rest.
This also works for vacations and days when you just want to kick back and enjoy the nice weather. Calling in the morning of your job to go fishing instead of coming in will likely get you fired. In the world of freelance and self-employment, the only punishment you’re getting is that you won’t be paid for the hours you’re not working.
Setting your own hours also means that you pick the times you want to work. If you prefer to sleep in, then sleep as late as you want and start collecting tasks when you get up! Are you a night owl and do your best work in the middle of the night? Then log on and get to work at 1 am.
You’ll also get to work at your own pace. This isn’t to say that you’ll get to entirely dictate when projects are due, but you can accept how much work you feel you can handle. You can also suggest due dates that work with your schedule and in my experience, most clients are pretty flexible. You also get to decide when “enough is enough”. If you have too many clients and too much work, you can always drop some to free up more time/energy.
#4 Work from Home (or Anywhere with an Internet Connection!)
Remember that super ultimate omega badass makes everyone else jealous perk?Yeah, it comes with another benefit:
Work from home.
Yep that’s right. You can get out of bed and get straight to work (or take your time) in the comfort of your own home without changing clothes, doing your hair/makeup, or ever leaving the house. This also means you won’t need to set up your favorite show to record if it normally airs during working hours; you can catch it live.
Warning: Once you start working from home you’re never going to want to go back to working at a brick and mortar! There’s nothing like sipping coffee on your front porch in comfortable clothes while working at your own pace on your laptop doing something you genuinely enjoy.
Freelancing is great for people who are constantly on the go or want to live a more “nomadic” lifestyle. You can also take your work with you wherever you go (provided there’s an Internet connection). This means if you’re going on vacation but want to make some extra spending cash while you’re at, slip your laptop into your travel bag and pull it out poolside for some work. Having the freedom to work anywhere at anytime is a big benefit! This means that you’re free to move around as well as travel and vacation as often as you like. You’re not confined to one city or area because your job is close to it. So if you don’t like the city you’re currently in, pack your stuff and move! Your job comes with you!
#5 There are a LOT of Side Hustles out there to Explore
And with plenty of them out there, you’ll have plenty of options to explore. For starters, Airbnb is a great side hustle that can be incredibly fun and rewarding. You can make your spare room or property work for you while getting to meet and interact with people from around the world. You can also go my route and get into creative writing. I enjoy what I do and sometimes I forget I’m even working!
So what are some examples of side hustles? Well, glad you asked!
1.Coding-A lot of people opt for this one and there’s a lot of work to be had in this field. If you’re good with coding, you won’t have any problem finding work.
2.Tutoring- There are a ton of tutoring optionsout there. You can teach English to Chinese children (you don’t have to know or speak Chinese for this job either), online tutoring, and even face to face tutoring during after school hours.
3. Writing/editing- There are a ton of websites devoted to writing and editing tasks. A simple Google search will net you tons but my personal favorite is freelancer.comThey update their page all the time with new tasks and you can “bid” on ones you want. And since you’re not under contract, you can write/edit at your own pace. Feel like taking time off? Then don’t sign on and accept new tasks. It’s that easy.
4. STR hosting- As I said earlier, if you have a spare bedroom or property, make it work for you! You’ll want to do your research before diving into this field but it’s pretty lucrative.
5. Selling products online- Okay, so this isn’t my personal favorite but a lot of people have success with it. And there are so many of these companies out there that it’s not hard to pick and choose your favorites.
6. Photography- You might have noticed that there really isn’t a lot of 9 to 5 options for photographers; especially with cellphones. However, you can still make plenty of money in this field if it’s something you’re passionate about. You can photograph weddings, do real estate photography, or even hop from dealership to dealership taking pics of their cars.
While there are a ton more options out there, these tend to be the most popular and most well known. However, the side hustle gig is full of endless opportunities.
#6 Find Your Passion and Make Money off of it
If you’re passionate about something, chances are you’re putting your heart and soul into it. And we all know that passion sells. So if you pick something that you’re passionate about as your side hustle, then it will feel more like playtime rather than work. You’ll also be able to draw a lot of inspiration as well as motivation to push forward with the tasks and finish them. IE you’ll have more drive to do your work than you probably have at your main job.
Not sure what you’re interested in? Not sure what you’re passionate about? See the topic above. There are so many side hustles out there that you’re bound to find several things that you’re into. And because you can work them at your own pace as well as pick what you want to do, you can explore a number of options until you find something that works for you.
You can also explore areas that are unfamiliar to you. Never tried coding before but been curious about it? Give it a go! You won’t get fired if it’s something you’re not good at/interested in like you would at your 40 hour week job. You might not get any more gigs from that particular client, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of that business forever. So explore away consequence free! And who knows? Maybe you’ll find your passion in an unlikely area.
Either way, it’ll feel less like work and more like fun!
#7 Dip Your Toes in the Water
Let’s say that you have a stellar idea for a business venture. You know it’ll make a lot of money and it’s been your childhood dream to start it up. However you aren’t quite sure how to start it and get it off the ground. Side hustling is a way for you to dip your toes into the water without putting everything at risk. It gives you a chance to do research, experiment/play with the field that your venture is a part of, and begin setting the foundation for your business… On your own terms.
For example, let’s say that you’re a marketing manager for a major brand. You’ve been working for the company for a decade but now you want to spread your wings and start your own marketing agency. You can start a small side hustle by offering low-cost consulting to clients before you make the leap into entrepreneurship.
By side hustling like this, not only will you start building a steady client roster, but you’ll also have experience in self-management (combined with the experience of your 9 to 5). You’ll also have a good idea of how to run your business when it’s time to finally start that chapter of your life. Plus, you’ll still have your regular paycheck to rely on until you’ve got a steady enough income to quit altogether.
#8 Don’t Like Your Side Hustle? Ditch it!
With so many side hustles out there, you can easily drop the ones you don’t like in order to pick up others to try. There’s also very few consequences to ditching one side hustle in favor of another. This isn’t to say that you should quit mid task and leave your client hanging, but if you discover that something isn’t working for you, you can leave it and try something new.
Yeah, imagine trying that with your desk job boss.
“Hey boss? I really don’t enjoy filing all these requests and sending out invoices. I find it boring and the pay isn’t really that good either. So I’m going to do something else; something I find more engaging. I also want to make more off of it, so yeah.”
If you don’t get fired immediately, your boss is likely to laugh you right out of the building. But in the world of side hustles, this is acceptable. Letting go of clients and freelance jobs you don’t like is perfectly fine. In some cases, you don’t even really have to give a heads up; especially if you’re picking your tasks off of a website like TextBroker or any of the others. Stop signing on and accepting new tasks. Easy!
The same applies if you’re still working a 9 to 5 and using side hustling as a way of making extra income. If your side hustle is taking away too much time or you’re not enjoying it, you can always quit it without guilt. Whether you pick up something to replace it or not is entirely up to you.
#9 Spend more Time with Family
Being a stay at home parent is one of those dreams that many have but assume is unattainable unless one parent makes the entire income necessary to keep the household up. In a lot of cases, that’s true. One parent will need to be the bread winner in order to make things work. However with the introduction of side hustles, both parents can “bring home the bacon” while one stays home with the kid.
Having a stay at home parent that’s earning income is not only great for your household and child expenses, but it’s also great for the child.Having a parent present during the early stages of the child’s development is incredibly beneficial. Many studies have shown that children who are around at least one of their parents during their early years are far more likely to be better off all around.
A stay at home parent also erases one of the biggest childhood expenses out there: daycare. On average, Americans shell out $11,666 per year on daycare. That’s $972 a month! That’s close to what people pay on average for rent. By having a stay at home mom or dad, that’s a big chunk of money that goes back into your pocket.
Side hustles also give bothparents the option to stay at home with their child. You can easily earn a 9 to 5 income through freelancing. Side hustling means that you don’t have to choose who has to go to work and who gets to spend time with the baby; you both get to spend time with Junior.
Freelancing also means that you work odd hours that best suit your child’s needs. If your baby is sick and not feeling well, you’d typically have to take off work to take care of them. If you’re working from home, you can continue to work while keeping an eye on your baby and taking care of them. If your child needs to be fed or put down for a nap, you can easily walk away from your task and take care of it when you’re done.
#10 Freelancing Works Great for those with Disabilities
Showing up consistently at a desk job isn’t always an option for everyone. Those with any number of disabilities may have difficulty showing up for work. Being perfectly candid here, I have severe anxiety. And to be completely honest with you, it’s so bad that I don’t drive. If I want to go somewhere, I’m at the mercy of Uber or friends/family. So a desk job really isn’t a good fit for me. I would end up shelling out more for Uber than I’d probably make and it would be hard to work around my family’s/friends’ schedules if I were to ask them for rides. Plus, my mental illness severely hinders me. I get panic attacks around large groups of people and I freeze when asked questions. Answering the phone can send me into a full blown panic attack.
I’m not alone out there either; there are plenty of others who feel the exact same way. So what are we to do? My landlord still expects rent and I don’t exactly qualify for a disability check. Well, we freelance! Working on the Internet gives me the space and the separation from people I need. I work at my own pace and I don’t have to explain to anyone why I can’t work on particular days. I just simply say I’m unavailable and then I take a mental health day.
Also, unfortunately many jobs don’t come with options for the disabled. I’ve seen plenty of places where wheelchair access isn’t a thing for employees. It sucks, but that’s how some of the businesses operate. This means limited options and a lot of financial hardships for some. Working from home is a great solution though. You can work from the comfort of your own home where you don’t have to worry about these issues. It also gives you the financial freedom as well as confidence that so many of us who don’t fit the 9 to 5 regimen have lacked for a long time.
Want even more reasons to quit your 9 to 5? Check out Forbes’ list:
7 Benefits of Freelancing You Don’t get with a Desk Job
Let me know how your side hustle goes and which one you choose! I have all the faith in the world that you’ll be as addicted to being your own boss as I am! And don’t forget: Be a Hero today and do something wonderful 🙂 -J
Although it’s not necessarily a bad thing, not everyone wants to look an amateur when approaching a potential or established client. This isn’t to say that you should completely fake your status and knowledge, but you definitely shouldn’t come off as someone who knows less about your business than your client.
Admitting that you “don’t know” certain areas or aspects of your field (these should be minor) is not only expected, but in many cases appreciated by your customer base. We’re all human after all. However, you don’t want “I don’t know” or uncertainty to plague nearly every conversation you have… And unless you honestly don’t know, then that’s a phrase that shouldn’t come up in your conversation. And if it does, make sure you figure out the answer yourself quickly.
Being an amateur isn’t a bad thing. And there are definitely tips you can follow to seriously up your game.
There are also those who know their way around their business but that experience simply isn’t coming across for whatever reason. Perhaps you’ve got a solid 20 years invested in your business but for some reason, you simply can’t sell that info to your clients. Maybe you lack confidence or you’re not using the right dialect. Who knows?
Well, if you follow the tips we’ve listed below then you’ll come off as an expert in no time regardless of experience:
#1 Confidence sells products
You’ve probably heard this or something similar a million times, but confidence really can make or break a deal. Consider this:
You’re interested in starting a blog but you don’t have the time to manage it yourself. So, you decide to hire a writer to take care of it for you. You put your “now hiring” sign is out and two writers are quick to slide into your email box.
*I should also mention that these are two very real emails that a friend of mine received when looking for someone to manage their blog. I’ve changed a little bit of the details as well as edited out names but the gist is there.
Writer A:“Hi Business Owner! My name is Writer A and I’ve got a little bit of experience as a content writer. I’ve also managed a blog before. However, this is something that I’m extremely passionate about! I also enjoy a challenge so I won’t shy away from unfamiliar projects! I know I’d be a great fit for your business.”
Writer B:“Hi Business Owner, my name is Writer B. I’ve got ten years experience as a content writer. I saw that you’re looking for someone to manage your blog. I don’t normally manage blogs, but I think I’m up for the task. Your content is also a bit out of my comfort zone. I don’t think it’ll be a problem, but on the off chance that it is maybe we could discuss other topics. Thanks for your time.”
You’re probably hiring Writer A, right? Even though he or she has less experience than Writer B, they come off far more confident in their abilities. Writer B’s repeated use of I think is pretty off-putting. Writer B also doesn’t want to leave their comfort zone; they even go as far as to suggest changing the blog topics to something they’re more comfortable with. Yikes! Even though Writer A lacks the experience that Writer B has, they’re far more confident in their skills.
So learn from Writer B’s mistakes and erase “I think” from your vocabulary when it comes to your skills. You don’t think your products are great for your clients, you know they’re a perfect fit. By coming off as confident in both your skills and your business, you’ll attract far more customers.
There are also plenty of YouTube videos and daily affirmations you can check out to help boost your self-confidence. This oneis one of my personal favorites. For daily affirmations, check out this linkfor 50 phrases you can start practicing with.
#2 Shh, it’s a secret
One of the quickest ways to come off as an expert is to hide your lack of experience. Many amateurs are quick to tell their clients about their lack of experience. While it worked out in Writer A’s favor, it won’t always work out for you; especially as a business owner. Sure, people appreciate honesty but “I don’t have much experience in this field” shouldn’t be your opening line… In fact, it shouldn’t be a line you use at all unless you’re asked.
Most of the time, this info comes spilling out because the person is worried that they’ll find out regardless and be far more upset. After all, the longer you hide that broken vase from your mother the angrier she’s going to get. You also know she’s going to find out so it’s better to come forward early. This shouldn’t be your business motto. Most of the time, your clients aren’t going to be able to tell you lack experience.
Going back to Writer A’s lack of experience, what should they have said instead? Well, the best thing they could have done in that situation was to not say anything at all.Instead of being forthcoming with the fact that they’re new to this field, they should have deleted that line and just moved forward.
This should also be your MO. Once again, unless you’re being asked outright keep your lack of experience to yourself.
#3 Know your place
Professionals as well as true experts know their place in the market. They’re also aware that they don’t offer everything. Many amateurs will try to be jack of all trades and wind up being unable to offer anything in particular. You know the saying: “jack of all trades, master of none.” So find something that you’re good at, and stick to it.
In other words, you don’t need to be a website designer who’s also a marketer, SEO specialist, and photography expert. Being a website designer is good enough. And if you’re trying to add more to your list, you can easily end up as the “master of none.” Diverting your attention and time to too many areas can leave you rusty at best in regards to your main focus. So while it might be incredibly tempting to add other areas to your primary focus, a true expert will be confident in their field. You don’t need the SEO or marketing skills to sell your products; you just need to be a great website designer.
And remember, it’s okay if your clients seek other services outside your field/company. An expert will allow clients to look around and remain confident that the customer will return when their skills are needed.
TLDR; You don’t need to be aone-stop shop in order to be successful; you just need to be good at what you do.
#4 Be YOU
Those that are good at what they do are aware of that fact and don’t feel the keep to keep pointing it out. Sure, it’s nice to let your customer know that you have decades of experience in this field, but that shouldn’t be the only thing they garner from interactions with you. You also shouldn’t inundate them with that knowledge. If you really are good at what you do, then it’ll show through without you having to oversaturate your client.
So instead of reminding your customer base that you have X amount of years of experience, let your personality shine through. Let them see who you are as a person and set yourself apart from other businesses that are similar to yours by being yourself. At the end of the day, your client has to work and deal with you so be someone they’re comfortable with. You don’t have to be “all about business 24/7”; let the funny side of your personality show through. You’ll attract (and keep) far more customers this way.
So let your personality shine through and develop a rapport with your prospective client.
Also, instead of focusing on what “I the business owner” can do for the client, talk about what “we as a team” can do together to help the client reach their goals. This speaks volumes of confidence and establishes that rapport that’s essential to your business’s growth and success. Plus, it shows confidence and as you should know by now, that’s also incredibly important; after all it is #1 on this list.
#5 Don’t oversell
Admittedly, overselling is one of the biggest traps that we fall into.It’s easy to do (and hard not to do) and it’s awful for your business.
Maybe you’re not getting the feedback that you hoped for, so you decide to push a little bit more. You send out surveys, questionnaires, and begin bugging your clients for feedback. While it might not seem like a big deal to you, it comes off as amateurish and desperate to your clients. Think of the times you’ve been at the mall and you pass by one of those kiosks in the middle of the walkway. Someone almost always jumps right out in front of you or thrusts a sample card in your face. “Try our products! They’re great!” When you say no thank you, they continue the hustle. “Can I ask why you’re not interested?” “Why don’t you just give this a chance?” Etc. Etc.
That’s what your clients feel when you bombard them with emails and messages wanting feedback.
But what about overselling or offering discounts? Sure, offering discounts can be a great way to get clients in the door and persuade those who previously walked away to come back. But it also gives the wrong impression of your company. You start looking desperate for business and there are those clients who will take advantage of that knowledge. If you offered them 10% off your products, who’s to say you won’t offer them more if they just push a little bit or threaten to walk away? Know your worth.
So be aware of what you have to offer. Make sure your clients are aware of that from the beginning, but leave the rest up to your clients. After all, they should want you not the other way around.
#6 Quality control
While money is definitely one of the key factors in your work, you should never let it dictate how you deal with clients or the quality of the services you have to offer. True experts know that providing quality work is priority number one. They also know that quality work will automatically entitle them to good rates.
If your client feels like you’re just in the business for a check, then you can kiss them goodbye. “But we’re all in it for the money. I realize that when I purchase products!” You’re right, but think of it this way:
You’re looking for a groomer for your new dog. Two advertisements pop up for groomers in your area.
The first one reads:“Local groomer available for hire. I have been grooming for seven years now. I have experience with a lot of different breeds and personalities. My rates are a bit higher than other groomers, but I also come with more experience. Please email me for more information.”
The second one reads:“Local groomer available for hire. I have been in the business of pampering pooches for two years! In my experience, I’ve never met a dog that I didn’t absolutely love! I’ve also got experience with all kinds of breeds as well as personalities so even if your dog hates the groomer, I bet they’ll love me! Email me for more information so I can pet I mean groom your fur baby!”
Who are you going to hire? Yeah, same. We’re hiring number two! He or she comes off as far more interested in your dog than your check so even though they don’t have as much experience as the first groomer, we’re still picking them. Plus, more of their personality shined through in the ad.
#7 Don’t be ashamed
Alright after reading #2, you might have the following question burning in the back of your mind:
“But what if they ask about my experience?”
Well, once again be honest. Your MO should be keeping your lack of experience to yourself, but if a client asks then you should be upfront and honest with them. Not having a ton of experience isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but lying about your experience is. So if you’re tempted to start fudging numbers here, don’t. Why? Well:
1. It probably won’t be hard for them to figure out you’re lying. Then you’ve damaged your rapport.
2. If the customer believes you have 10 years of experience when you really have 6 months and you make a mistake, they’ll be less likely to forgive you. After all, with 10 years of experience, you shouldn’t be making these kinds of mistakes.
3. They’ll expect more out of you and your business than you might be capable of. At 10 years of experience, you should be able to solve any number of problems that arise. If you’re only 6 months into your journey, you probably can’t.
Also, there are plenty of good things about being new to the game. You probably have fresh ideas for starters and that’s going to appeal to a lot of customers. You also aren’t “burnt out” on your field so you’re more likely to be engaging, do your best, and have fun with the whole thing.
So as long as you apply the rest of the tips, you’ll do fine. J
Want a few more tricks for your arsenal? Check out this link
We all know important positive thinking can be. Not only will it help you grow as a person by boosting your self-esteem and confidence, but it can also make you happier in other aspects of your life. Seeing both yourself and your daily activities in a positive light can make a huge difference. Even just changing up the language you use with yourself and activities can make a difference. For example, let’s say that you want to lose weight. In order to motivate yourself to hit the gym you tell yourself “you need to go to the gym fatty. You look disgusting. Look at that fat. It’s gross. We need to lose it.” Well, that’s probably not going to motivate you to go, right? You’re probably going to make yourself feel better and talk yourself out of going. But if you change up your thinking sand say, “I need to go to the gym and get back into shape. My body is great, but I’d like it to look even better,” then you’re probably feel far more motivated to go. You’ll also have a better opinion of yourself too. But did you know that this thought process can also help you out business wise?
It might seem a little odd that changing the way you think about your job can make a difference, but just like it can help shape your outlook thinking, it really can! And let’s be honest here:
Nobody has ever achieved huge amounts of success through pessimism.
If anything, they experienced setbacks. And when it comes to managing your own company, the last thing you want are more setbacks. I mean, you’re going to hit roadblocks along the way but why add more when you don’t have? Take it from Winston Churchill:
“A pessimist sees the difficult in every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
So rather than giving up or getting discouraged when $@*% hits the fan, look for the silver lining. There’s definitely one there; you might just need to spend some time looking for it. Losing weight is hard, that’s no joke. Focusing solely on the difficulty aspect will probably discourage you from hitting the gym. But if you look at the difficulty as an opportunity to better both yourself and your body, then you’re more likely to go to the gym, right? Well, once again that mentality applies to your success.
Happy thoughts as well as a positive outlook will work wonders for you and I’ve put together some of the best places to start:
#1 Love your work
The above statement is probably something you’ve heard all of your life but it’s true. If you really love what you do and you’re passionate about it, then you’ll never “work” another day in your life.
Keep in mind too that once you start to think of your work as a chore, then you’ve already started the process of giving up. Even if you intend to keep at it for as long as you can, your success will start to slip through the cracks and your performance will take a nose dive. Think about how quickly you rush through the dishes but how slowly you go when it comes to reading a good book. You hurry through the dishes, taking care to make sure they’re clean but also rushing through the process. There could be water spots, or you could probably spend a little more time scrubbing some of the oven rust off the pan but you skip it. With the book, you take your time. You soak in the story and you really get involved. Ideally, you want your work to be the book.
But what if you don’t love what you do? Well, there are a lot of tips you can follow actually. I’ll leave you with a link as well to help you along your way:
For starters, don’t think of your job as a chore or work. Think of it as an experience. You can also look for the good in your job. Maybe you don’t care that much for coding, but it allows you to work from home and set your own schedule. Those are pretty good perks that most 9 to 5s aren’t going to give you.
Taking a break or vacation can also renew your love of your love and inspire you. So don’t be afraid to take a step back and give yourself some “you time”.
#2 You’re not racing against the clock
You know the expression “good things come to those who wait?” Well, that’s true of your success. It can often feel like we’re racing against the clock and losing, but in all honestly very few successful people got to where they are quickly. It took time, patience, trials, errors, and a lot of work on their end to achieve success. The same is true for you. Success won’t happen overnight and it might take a long time to reach it, so don’t give up! You’ll get there, I promise!
You might also have a time goal in mind: “I’d like to have my own successful marketing company by the time I’m 35. I’d like to be making $100k a year at this time.” There’s nothing wrong with that goal necessarily but if you find that you’re 34 knocking on the door of 35 and still haven’t peaked you might get discouraged.
Negative thoughts can start to creep in and it can be tempting to give up. This is why people say that you need to be both realistic and flexible with your goals/expectations. If you started your business at 33, then no you’re realistically not going to make $100k a year by the time you’re 35. It can happen but it’s not likely to happen. Instead of focusing on the notion that you haven’t reached your goal, think about all of the things you’ve accomplished instead: you’ve kicked your desk job, you have clients, and a pretty awesome team under you. That’s success in my opinion and it should be in yours too!
Also, remain flexible. So you didn’t reach your goal by 35. That’s okay, change your “deadline” up: “by the time I’m 40, I’d like to have a successful marketing company with a strong team under me. I’d like to be making enough to not have to take out bank loans to pay bills.” Changing your mindset to think positive can make a huge difference.
#3 Quit comparing your “shortcomings” to other peoples’ success
One of the biggest ways of achieving success and undeniably one of the hardest hurdles to clear is comparing yourself to others. Comparing yourself to others, especially your perceivedfailures to their success is deadly. Not only can this destroy your self-esteem and confidence, but it can also wreck havoc on your job. If you see someone else in your field that’s super successful, you might feel as if you’ll never reach their level of success. This thought process can lead you to stop putting out your best work and may even encourage you to quit altogether.
“I’ll never be as successful as them.” Well, with that attitude you won’t. Stop thinking that toxicity and kick it from your vocabulary like a bad habit. Because it is.
Chances are that person who is super successful was in your shoes at one point in time too. They probably had the exact same thoughts and the exact same struggles. But rather than giving up, they continued to push forward. And as long as you’re making strides in forward progress, you’re going to reach the light at the end of the tunnel, I promise.
“But Joe is the same age as me and he owns one of the most successful marketing businesses out there. I have a marketing business too but I’m having to take out bank loans to pay my rent.” This is another toxic thought that I’ve heard a lot (and admittedly had myself). Once again, this isn’t a helpful thought. And chances are Joe didn’t have a secret formula that rushed him to the top; he put in hard work and dedicated himself to his craft. You can do the same. And you’ll also achieve success in due time.
Be patient!Everybody is different and your time will come.
#4 Snags aren’t dead ends
If you hit a roadblock or snag, it might feel as if you’ve hit a dead end. And honestly, that’s something we can all relate to. However, it’s generally far from the truth.
When I was a young and fresh freelance writer, I got scooped up by a website pretty quickly. I couldn’t be happier! They were a large website with a lot of views. I couldn’t believe that they’d picked me out of everyone else! The first year of writing for them was a dream. The articles were fun and I got a lot of positive feedback from readers. Then enter the new editor. She was rude to say the least and hypercritical. The articles stopped being fun and I was dumping so much time into them that I was making less than $3 an hour for my work. Yikes. Her editing also wasn’t the greatest in the world. Looking back, I’m not sure how she got the job but whatever. I stopped getting as much positive feedback and many people were quick to say the articles published under my name “lacked personality” and “were riddled with grammar issues”. The editor was responsible for this; she basically rewrote what I turned in. I eventually had no choice but to part ways with the company. I thought I’d hit a dead end for sure. My name was out there and if any other company wanted writing samples, all they had to do was check out the content… This poorly edited content. Published under my name. On a huge website. [Panic attack ensues]
Well long story short and despite my editor’s promises that “nobody would hire a piss-poor writer like you” here I am. To date, I can’t think of any of my clients that have ever brought up my content on that website.
#5 Failure isn’t the end
When you “fail” at something it often feels like the end. Look at the personal story I shared above. I had “failed” at that writing job. However, I didn’t let it discourage me and I came out ahead in the end. Keep that in mind!
We also tend to forget that we’ve been failing at things pretty much all our lives. Remember when you first learned how to walk as a toddler? Well, probably not but your parents do. And they can tell you how many times you fell, bumped your head, tripped, etc. But eventually after trying consistently you finally walked.
Also without failures, how would we ever learn anything? You didn’t learn to walk without falling over. You learned how to walk by failing to walk.Your toddler brain said, “let’s try it this way” and you fell over. Then your brain said, “well that didn’t work. Let’s try a different way.” And this process kept repeating until something finally worked and you walked. This mentality applies to your business too. Learning is a life-long process and it often takes many mistakes and failures before we find something that works. The important thing is that you keep trying.
Edison’s working lightbulb came after what he called “ten thousand failures.”Your success might also take several thousand failures. But that’s the lesson about failure in general:
“Keep moving forward regardless of failure or number of failed attempsts.” You’ll hit success eventually!
I’m going to link a few websites for you to check out that talk about lessons learned from failures. Both of these links have inspired me and I hope they do the same for you:
#6 Everything happens for a reason
You don’t have to be religious, believe in fate, or be spiritual to get the meaning behind this or to even benefit from it. Life is full of ups and downs. Some of these are out fault while others aren’t. Some have been major setbacks while others have been a minor annoyance. Some have also deeply enriched our lives for the better. If we reflect on our positive andnegative experiences, we can often find meaning within these experiences. Doing so will help us start to lay down our path: one that leads upwards!
Let’s think back on my story again. I thought it was a bad thing at first that I was going to have part ways with the company. They were my first “real gig” and they had a lot of notoriety. Work was consistent and I never had to wonder if I’d face a slow period; they needed articles everyday. However, that editor was one of the best things that happened to me. She forced me out of my shell and out of my comfort zone. I learned to stand up for myself when clients were rude, I learned my worth, and I also began to explore more areas of writing. Before I was just confined to that one website. Now, I have a bunch of different clients and I no longer put up with a bad editor. So see? Everything happens for a reason and it’s usually a good one.
And even if your experience doesn’t seem to have anything positive about it (let’s say you tried a new marketing ad and got terrible feedback), something good did come out of it: you learned what not to do. You found something that doesn’t work and you can cross that off your list! Lesson learned!
#7 The worst of times
“Forged in fire”- that’s how you should aspire to be. Having things easy or handed to you never really helped anyone out in the long run. And it hardly made anyone successful… At least not for very long. If everything is handed to you or easy, then you become comfortable and dependent on the easy times or the handouts. Once those stop, you’re left on your own. And since you’ve always had it easy, you probably won’t know how to cope or fix the problem. Thus, you’re not going to be successful.
And think about: do you know any single great person who’s achieved success (in any field) who didn’t struggle along the way? I personally can’t. Thomas Edison struggled. Einstein struggled. Singer Jewel definitelystruggled. And those in your field have struggled to regardless of how easy they make it look. You will also struggle and that’s okay.
The more struggles you face and overcome, the stronger you’ll come out on the other side. And even if it doesn’t feel like there’s an other side, trust me there is. There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel and even if there isn’t, then light that b*tch up yourself! So embrace the challenge and keep moving forward.
You got this!
