This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Well, it's kind of the age old question, which is not so much the chicken or the egg, but should you have multiple projects or a single focus? And how many things can you do at once? Especially when it comes to the world of side projects, side hustles, gigs that you do after hours and so on. I hear this question in so many different forms all the time. And it's usually like, you know, how can I best manage my limited time and focus and attention?
And also how can I have the best possible odds of success? You know, we don't want to be too pigeonholed or narrow focused and we also don't wanna be too distracted or overwhelmed, right? So I heard a story recently of a lawyer who quit his job. So true story and has eight to 10 different side hustles, but now all comprise a kind of a full-time blended occupation. And it's an interesting story, you know, if it works for him, that's great, no judgment at all.
But I think for most of us, eight to 10 is a lot. You know, chances are, you know, to do that many projects, some of them would have to be largely passive or perhaps seasonal. And most people when they ask this question are not choosing between eight to 10 projects. They are choosing between somewhere like one to four side projects. And that's where I think the question gets most interesting.
You know, should you only do one or can you do three to four perhaps? So let's hear from our listener and consider what might be best for her and perhaps by extension you. Is it better to have more projects or a single focus? That's the question that's coming up after this quick message from our sponsor. [Music]
Hi Chris, my name is Laura.
And over the past year, I've been exploring a few different ideas and have made some progress. But I keep going back and forth about the goals of focus versus diversification. Am I going to be better off trying several things at once or identifying a single project that I can go all in with? I know you've talked about this subject before, but I still don't know what's the best for me. If it helps, I do have a good amount of time I can devote to this and I really want to succeed.
I would love any advice you can give me. Thanks. [Music]
Thank you so much, Laura. I really want you to succeed as well. And I know that this question actually relates to so many people out there because it's a variation of what I hear all the time.
What is best for me? How do I figure it out? Again, how do I manage the limited time and focus that I have, which is the same for all of us, right? We all have limited time and focus. By the way, thank you for spending your limited time and focus in listening to this podcast.
I don't take it for granted. And I always try to deliver something helpful to you. So let's dive into this, you know, the goal or let's say value of diversification versus the goal or value of focus. And I like those words that Laura used. You know, diversification is all about, okay, don't put all your eggs in one basket, right?
You've probably heard that phrase. Focus is all about the principle of steady work over time is better than having your attention divided in lots of different ways. Steady work perhaps on one narrow focus over time could be better than trying to do, you know, a whole lot of things. So in general, I don't think that you should start half a dozen projects. I think that model that I mentioned of the lawyer who's doing eight to 10 is pretty difficult to replicate.
Like it might work for some people, but not for most of us. I also think it's wise to dabble and experiment a bit. And there's a big difference between those two things. Like if you hear dabble and experiment, like what's the difference between trying to start half a dozen projects? Well, research is also important.
And so you have to ask yourself, like, are you starting from ground zero or you really have no idea what you'd like to do? Or do you have a general direction? Because if you're starting from ground zero, then it might make more sense to explore a lot of different things and give yourself a time period of three to six months to just kind of learn, right? And not expect that this first thing you started the second thing or whatever it is, is going to be the thing. Either way, I think a good model for a lot of us is to go with two ideas that are substantially different from one another.
And you can think of them as like, one is your main idea and the other is your secondary slash fun idea. Not that your first idea shouldn't be fun, but it's more like, think of it like a side hustle to your side hustle, right? And over time, you kind of see, okay, which one am I getting more response from? Is that secondary slash fun thing really just a hobby? Is the first one taking off?
Well, I want to devote more attention to it. Or is it the other way around? Where you realize that actually your second idea might be better than you can discard one and perhaps start something new or go all in with the idea that's working. Overall, one of the reasons I use storytelling when teaching is because not everything works for everyone. So in the archives, the vast archives of side hustle school now, we have worked on many stories where the person really digs in and commits to one thing for a long time.
And that focus, you know, leads to their success. But I would say just as often, or at least in addition, we've had lots of stories of people who've tried a couple of things at once. And it was that combination or diversification that led to their success. So I hope this is helpful, but really it is up to you. In the end.
So here's one final question that might help you narrow it down. Does the idea of trying three or four projects at once, let's say, feel exciting or does it feel overwhelming? Right, and that might give you the ultimate answer as to what to do next. So thank you again, Laura. Thank you listeners.
I'm excited for this year. I want to do everything I can to help you get closer to the goals that you believe in as well as our shared values of freedom, of increasing options, possibilities against that you can do more of what's important to you. That's what it's all about here. If you've got a question, come to sidehustleschool.com/questions and make sure you're subscribed, wherever you get your podcasts, because we have a new episode every day. My name is Chris Guillebeau.
This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
- From the Onward Project.
