Be honest with yourself — are you using your free time to the best of your abilities?
We often gripe and complain about how busy we are and how there’s just not enough time in the day.
But how long did you spend scrolling Instagram when you sat in the car after work? Only to continue scrolling when you walked in the door? …
Yeah. If you have more than an hour a day to spend on social media, you have time to nurture a new hobby that could turn into a new business!
There’s more for you out there. Here are some suggestions for how to stop wasting away your brain in front of endless screens and start getting excited about life again.
Consider What You’re Good At
Don’t give yourself a comfortable, cop-out answer like “I’m not good at anything!” Everyone has at least one thing that they are marginally better at than most other people.
Just because it seems small to you doesn’t mean it’s not a significant skill that could be leveraged into a killer business idea. Think about it — creating a business around what you’re good at automatically positions you as the expert. That means you’ve got a leg up on everyone else!
How to Flip Your Talent
If you’re especially good at crafting and putting things together, try doing little fix-it projects around your house, and slowly do more significant projects over time.
After some time, you’ll get better and better at it. Eventually, you’ll start doing little projects for your friends. Word gets around about your handiness and BOOM; you’re looking at contractor licenses online to start a small construction side hustle.
You can find tons of information online about how to become certified in the side hustle skill of your choosing. At contractortrainingcenter.com, you can even find courses to help you prepare for the certification exam. It’s basically done for you!
Start Small – Test the Waters
Once you discover (or rediscover) your hidden talents, you can test out the waters by marketing to a smaller pool of your closest friends. If you have a talent for something like candle-making or jewelry, ask some of your friends what they think and if they would like to support your new venture!
This way, you can work out any kinks in the manufacturing process with your close friends who won’t judge you as harshly. You can also see if making your product a reality is worth all the physical and financial effort.
Unapologetically Market Yourself
It may feel a little awkward at first, talking about yourself and promoting yourself on social media. You may be worried that your friends think you’re being annoying. You may even be concerned that you’re coming off as conceited. Here’s the secret: No. One. Cares. Truly!
The people who think your product is intriguing will ask you about it, and the people who aren’t interested will just keep scrolling by.
What Are Your Options for Side Gigs?
Monetizing a talent isn’t the only way to find a decent-paying side hustle. There are SO many ways to get quick money on your downtime. You can drive for car services or deliver groceries. You can nanny or complete errands for people. You can start freelance writing. You can proctor exams online or tutor kids in school. The point is, there is always a need that is just waiting to be filled, and all you have to do is find the niche that fits for you.
Takeaways
Just because you have extra time on paper doesn’t necessarily mean you have spare time for a side hustle. Make sure to consider your mental health and cognitive load before you weigh yourself down with an extra project.
BUT, if you do find yourself often bored and vegetating in front of the TV, consider finding something more productive to do with your time. Your brain – and your wallet – will thank you.
