How to Find Side Hustle - 4 Ways to get On Track!

So…you hate your job or aren’t making enough money or are watching too many game shows. You know that something must be done, but what?  Days are turning into weeks, and before you know it, a year has gone by and you’re still as miserable as you were before. Are you tired of waiting around yet? Ready for a change? The right opportunity isn’t going to come to you, you must find it yourself.   

I come across so many people who are stuck in a rut that they may not be aware of.  They tell me, with a straight face, that they are waiting to be inspired. WTF? It’s obvious that they are quickly running out of money or youth is melting into creases on their face, yet, there is a waiting game.  In the same way that you tell your socially awkward friend that Prince Charming isn’t randomly going to knock on her door, a side hustle isn’t going to do that either. Don’t wait for it, go find it!

Now that you’re ready for a change, what are you going to do next? Here are four things I focus on when it’s time to find new opportunities.

1. Figure out what you want or where you want to go.  Whatever is going on in your life is happening because you made it that way.  You aren’t a victim. Everything good happened because of you, and everything bad also happened because of you.  Own it. Take responsibility and use that power to get yourself to the next step. Once you have decided to take control of the situation, you need to figure out what you’re going to do with it.  What are you looking for and how are you going to find it? Every morning, I write what I want to achieve before I even tackle my to-do list.

2.   Be more social! It’s easy to say that you don’t need help from anyone and insist on working yourself to the bone.  Being chronically exhausted isn’t going to make you productive and it will be impossible to think outside the box when you’ve imprisoned yourself.  The fact is that you need help if you’re going to do big things. Even in the caveman era, they had to enlist help from friends to take down a large animal.  Use this to dream bigger.

3.  Find a mentor who cares for you.  We aren’t born knowing everything, we go to school to learn.  Unfortunately, not everything is taught in school. The right mentor has either accomplished more than you or has already accomplished what you want to do.  This person also cares enough about you to spend time with you and answer all your silly questions. Your real cheerleader will be your mentor.

These are the people who can help you achieve more by refining your ideas and steering you away from the same mistakes they made.  However, you need to be humble about it. Come to terms with the fact that you don’t know it all and need somewhat of a private tutor. This is a tough pill, but worth it. Mentors are there to motivate, inspire, and take you to the next level.

4. Your word is your honor.  Being reliable opens a lot of doors and you should really focus on adopting this trait.  Nobody wants to be friends or work with a flake. Being a flake is a great way to keep people and opportunities away from you.  When you break someone’s trust, it’s hard to get them to want to continue a working relationship. So, don’t do it. If you can’t manage a task, say no.  It’s better to say no than to be categorized as a flake. Remember, it’s better to under promise and over deliver than the other way around.

Opportunities for a side hustle can appear anywhere at any time.  However, they aren’t like raindrops, falling from the sky. You need to look for them.  The most successful leaders in business didn’t simply have their success fall in their laps.  They went out, searched, and made it happen. When opportunity comes knocking on your door, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  

Grab it and run with it. You can do it!