This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
All right, friends. Welcome to Side Hustle School, episode 2,559. Of course, we have a brand new year here, a new season of the podcast, a new year for everybody. All kinds of people are thinking, okay, what do we do differently this year? How can we make sure we make progress on our goals, maybe make some changes in our lives, positive changes.
Those are usually better than negative ones. That's what I'm gonna suggest anyway. And I really like this question that I got. I got this question maybe a month or so ago, and I've kind of been saving it because there's a lot happening in the world. You might have noticed that, just in case you ever check the news or social media, including a lot of stuff that is really disturbing and challenging and difficult.
And so the question is, in short, how do we hustle when the world is hard? And I love this question because I think it's very pertinent in lots of ways. In this case, we're gonna hear from a freelance graphic designer who's just kind of struggling to keep his side hustle going amid various global upheavals. So what can you do about this? Like, I don't wanna tell people not to care or not to have compassion for difficult situations, like that's going to affect us.
I think that's just the reality. But I think it's also important to care for yourself and look after yourself and also advance your own interests. Ultimately, you can be more helpful to others if you are taking care of yourself. And so I don't think these things are in conflict, but hold on, of course, I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let's hear the question from the listener.
And well, of course, a shout out to our sponsor as well. And then I will give some more notes on this. How to hustle when the world is hard. Hey, by the way, thanks for being out there. It is going to be a great year.
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Hello, Chris, Malcolm here from Spokane, Washington. I have a side hustle creating digital art, but I find it increasingly difficult to stay motivated given the ongoing social, political, and environmental crises. How can I maintain focus and keep pushing my side hustle forward when it feels like the world is falling apart around me? - Well, as I said, I so appreciate this question. No doubt this is on a lot of people's minds.
Even if it's not conscious, I think subconsciously a lot of things affect us. And then we kind of wonder like, is this the best thing for me to do? Maybe I even feel guilty, like trying to make money or trying to think about myself when other people are in need. Again, it's not always conscious, but this is like a subconscious value. So I just want to encourage you a little and say, first and foremost, it is okay to make projects for yourself.
And hopefully a lot of the side hustle projects that you're working on are also going to benefit other people at the same time. But it's also okay if it's primarily for you. Again, you can be more help to others if you are doing well yourself. I think of this concept, resilient hustle. Maybe that can be the next podcast, resilient hustle school.
You know, the ability to persevere even when external circumstances are tough. So, you know, what do you do practically speaking? Maybe shrink your focus to some immediate and achievable goals. Like if you're struggling with like a big picture kind of thing, what can you do this week? You know, what are the five steps you can take to kind of reactivate that side hustle?
If it kind of fell by the wayside last year or during the holidays, or if you're trying to work on a new project, you know, how can you spend 20 minutes at a time? Just, you know, 20 minutes a day even can make such a huge difference. Much more than trying to do like a marathon session on something, 20 minutes a day. Keep it front of mind whenever possible. And maybe also introduce some mindfulness practices into your life, both for your side hustle and for your life in general.
Just staying focused on what is important to you. Lastly, don't underestimate the power of a support network of some kind. That's what we try to do here somewhat virtually across the cosmos, everybody out there. But it's also helpful to have a local support network wherever possible, just finding somebody else who has similar goals as you. So I want Malcolm and all of our listeners to know like you're not alone out there.
Life is hard sometimes, but also, you know, we can choose to create something for ourselves and for others. And we can focus on immediate short-term goals if it's hard to think about the long-term or if it's hard in the day-to-day, you can think about the long-term, but that's a whole other thing. So we'll save that one for another time. Mostly I just encourage you, keep the faith, hang in there. Good things are coming up.
I really do believe it's going to be a good year for a lot of us. sidehustleschool.com, some resources, show notes there. You can ask a question and more to come as we go. All right, that's all for today. My name is Chris Guillebeau.
You're listening to Side Hustle School. [Music]
From the Onward Project.
