Is a Side Hustle Right for You? (Take the Quiz!)
Side Hustle is the new buzz word these days, and it’s all the rage, but what does it mean for you? What is a Side Hustle, exactly, and does everyone need one?
It’s a valid question seeing as every second self-help book on the shelf is recommending it.
I’ve come up with some good yes/no questions to help you discover if this crazy world of hustling is really meant for you or not.
Read through the following questions and keep a tally of your score.
1. Are you bored at your 9-5?
Does your day job leave you feeling a bit underwhelmed? Maybe you chose this job because you figured it was the “smart move” or to make your parents proud, or to conform with society. Maybe you loved it but now it’s just not scratching that itch that it used to. Be honest with yourself, are you happy at your job?
2. Do you have a passion living dormant inside you?
Do you have some creative passion that you’ve been supressing? Maybe it’s painting, or maybe you have a knack for decorating, or you maybe you are a gifted writer, or you have mad skills on social media, or creating websites or maybe you are great at teaching your favorite sport.
Whatever it is, your passions are your North Star, you should follow them.
3. Do you crave the Entrepreneurial lifestyle?
Do you dream of the day you don’t have to worry about being 3 minutes late from your lunch break, or having to check with your boss to pick your holidays? Maybe you dream of working from home, or setting your own hours when they work for you.
The entrepreneurial lifestyle is amazingly freeing, but it’s not for everyone. The upsides are obvious but depending on your venture, the downsides are tough too. To make it as a entrepreneur, you’ve got to be tough.
4. Do you feel called to do something with your life that you are not doing?
Are you happy at your corporate job but have this niggling to teach kids to read? Maybe you love your job but feel called to help people with energy healing or crystal readings. It might leave you feeling torn because you don’t want to leave your current job, but you feel so pulled to do this other thing.
5. Do you have pent up creativity looking for an outlet?
Are you a creative? Most of us are, all at different levels. Some get their creativity out by cooking an extravagant meal or redecorating their home every six months. Others have oodles of creativity that no matter how many times they change their tablescape, they still feel like they need to find ways to scratch this creative itch. Is this you?
6. Do you ever wonder what if…?
We all face difficult decisions in life, some that will determine how our life goes. Do you ever wonder what if you chose route B instead? Do you wonder what life would have been like, or if you would have loved it like you thought you would?
#NoRegrets, but still you wonder.
If this is a big fat yes for you, a side hustle might be just the thing to ease your mind (or shoot you in a whole new direction).
7. Are you self-motivated?
Okay, you’ve gotten through the fun questions and now it’s time to get down to business. How driven are you? How committed and motivated are you? This is a huge determining factor to whether your side hustle will flourish or fizzle. If you’re serious about a side hustle, you’ve got to be committed, because it’s just you out there.
8. Are you in need of some extra cash?
This is actually a trick question. You could answer yes or no but at the end of the day, this is almost irrelevant. Your side hustle shouldn’t be about the money. If it is, it’s actually called a second job. Your side hustle should be all about following your passion and feeling fulfilled, not about making a quick buck.
I’m going to let you in on something, most side hustles take a major time commitment and most of the time, you won’t see the cash to make up for that soon. It takes time and that’s why you’ve got to be in it for the right reasons, it’s got to be to satisfy something on the inside, not to fatten your wallet.
9. Are you willing to make time sacrifices?
Yet another serious question, last one I promise.
If you are serious about chasing a side hustle and following it though, you’re going to have to make sacrifices, and for the most part, it’s going to be your time.
Here’s the thing; it’s not about how busy your life is right now and whether or not you think you can “fit it in”, it’s actually all about how badly you want it because if it’s bad enough, you will make it work.
You can always get up earlier or stay up later and therefore, you have no time excuse. Plus, how much screen time are you getting each day, if you’re serious about your side hustle, those could be hours working on it.
It might seem daunting at first, but trust me, if it’s feeding your passion then it’s going to be worth it.
Your Results:
Okay, time to tally up. You’re a grown adult so I’m pretty sure you can figure out from your answers if you should be pursuing a side hustle, but if you need an extra nudge, I’ll step in.
6-9 Yeses
If you’ve said yes to 6 to 9 of these questions then the answer is clear, you need a side hustle. You didn’t need me to tell you but you might fear the unknown. But here’s the thing; it’s not scary, it’s thrilling.
Finally following that feeling you have is the best damn thing you’ll ever do. This could change your whole life. I can’t even tell you how much more you will love life when you are following your passions and feeling truly fulfilled.
It’s an extraordinary feeling and it’s causes you to have the most optimistic outlook in all areas of your life. You instantly become more compassionate, understanding, and generous and it’s because you feel good about you. All on you own!
You really can feel that good, and that niggling feeling that made you click on this post is what’s going to get you there. Follow that niggling!
3-6 Yeses
If you’ve said yes to 3-6 of these questions, then you need to have a serious talk with yourself. You probably have a twinge of wonder or excitement around the thought of a side hustle, but are still on the fence about it.
Let me give you some advice. If you want to know what a side hustle is all about, then try it out! Most of the time you can start a side hustle for little to no money and you can figure out whether it seems like a good fit for you.
If you never try, you’ll always wonder. Do you want to wonder if you could be totally fulfilled in life but chose the second best? Of course not!
If you’re nervous about telling the world, then don’t, take baby steps. You don’t have to announce to the world that you’re now going to attempt something and hope that it doesn’t go for shit. You can start super small and ease into it.
That’s what I did when I started my first blog. I didn’t tell anyone except my husband and sister for the first 11 months! And by the time others started to hear about it, I was much more at ease with the idea and it actually excited me for people to know.
Take whatever pace you need, but don’t supress something you’re passionate about over fear of what others might thing. Screw ‘em! This is your life, start acting like the boss.
0-2 Yeses
If you were honest when answering the questions and you only answered two or less with a yes, then it looks like a side hustle may not be what you need.
Maybe you don’t love your current job, but a side hustle doesn’t feel right either, or maybe you don’t feel completely fulfilled but you just don’t have that creative bug biting your backside. That’s okay! A side hustle isn’t meant for everyone, that is the whole reason for writing this post.
You might be on a different path, and I respect that. We are all different and that’s what makes us all special and important in the world. Maybe your path is to try a new career, or to go back to school. You don’t need a side hustle to chase your passion. Follow your intuition and it will lead you to that feeling.
And if you are truly happy and feel fulfilled with no niggling questions unanswered, then kudos to you! That must mean you are exactly where you need to be
Regardless of your results, I want you to know that whatever you want in life, you can have it. The purpose of a side hustle isn’t to deprive you of sleep or fun, it’s purpose is to satisfy that craving you have in your soul to follow your passion and feel fulfilled on every level.
If you’ve started a side hustle and feel drained and exhausted, maybe you need to revaluate why you’re here. Are you doing it for the right reasons? Does it feel worth the effort? If not, make some shifts until it does. Don’t burn yourself out, you still need to have good ol’ fashion fun sometimes. Scratch that –often!
Your side hustle shouldn’t feel like another job, it should feel like your escape. If you are craving a creative escape and a side hustle feels right to you, pursue it! If you are still mulling it over and are nervous but have that niggling –pursue it!
It could be the beginning to an exciting, fulfilling life. Don’t pass it up.