Side hustling can change your life. It changed mine.

It helped me quit my job.

The ultimate dream, right? The reality isn’t dreamy or relaxed but I’m grateful every day to own my time and have more control over my life.

Start any side hustle.

Learn a new skill or polish an existing one. Once you start, here are seven changes you’ll experience.

1. Exploring Untapped Potential

My goal was to become a human capital consultant. It's all I was working for with an aim to get there before I turn 30.

If you told me a year ago that I’d write, ‘create’ content and products, and teach for a living, I would’ve told you to step out of this dreamland. But it’s happening.

I explored a potential I didn’t know existed. And that's what small consistent efforts do.

What a shame would it be if you live this life not exploring all the amazing things you’re capable of, right?

2. You’ll Skill Up

The world is changing, and change is the only constant.

Pre the bat virus, we couldn’t imagine working entirely from home. Hell, I felt guilty and scared of coming across as a shammer when I’d request for a WFH day during painful period cramps.

Look how much has changed since then?

3. Alternate Source of Income

My first gig on Upwork was $130 for under two hours of work. I felt powerful.

It’s then that I knew I want to continue doing project-based work on the side.

While monetisation shouldn’t be a goal or defining metric, extra money hurts nobody.

Doing a few gigs here and there will push you out of your comfort zone. Some gigs will suck but it’ll still help you sharpen your skill. And you’re paid for it!

Win-win, right?

4. Tap Into Flow States More Often

If you’re doing uninspiring work, tapping into flow states will be a delight. Like childhood coming back all over again where things are fun and feel like play.

Tapping into flow states helps you:

focus deeply
gain clarity
become happier

Isn’t it amazing to live in a way that you lose track of time doing something you love?

5. Make New Friends

I remember when I got trolled on Twitter for the first time.

I saw in front of my screen and kept crying with my fingers going crazy on my keyboard while texting a friend in Spain and USA who were helping me calm down.

We all know each other, and we’ve never met. We probably won’t, ever.

Now you can speak to somebody sitting in another part of the world so easily.

After side hustling, I saw how there are absolute strangers willing to help me for nothing in return. They’re happy to see me grow.

If you’re a writer, it’s fun and insightful to learn from others’ processes as you interact with them and that helps you sharpen your skill as well.

6. Grit — The Secret to Success

According to Angela Duckworth, passion and perseverance are the keys to success.

Without effort, your talent is nothing more than unmet potential. — Angela Duckworth

Side hustling helps you tap into both.

To create time for this side hustle, you either need to be passionate about the skill you’re strengthening or passionate about learning it even when you’d rather binge-watch your favourite show.

To be successful at your side hustle, and maybe even make it your main hustle, you have to be unattached to outcomes and keep going no matter what. This develops your perseverance.

This way, you develop grit.

7. Set Yourself for One Hell of a Ride

It’s unbelievable how a year and a half ago my life was insanely different.

I wasn’t close to earning how much I do right now that too by working less and doing the things I enjoy.

I’m writing this to tell you that this is the power of side hustling.

It can turn things around. If you learn, do, and not give up. You don’t know what's in store for you until you try.

So try it. Just give it an hour or two a day for a year.

It will be difficult.

It’ll require you to opt-out of social situations sometimes.

Hell, you may even fail.

But don’t stop. At least for a year (or two), don’t.

You deserve to give yourself a chance to do things you enjoy after years of taking a path that society carved for you.

Happy Sunday friends! That's all for now.

PS - Summit 21 has 7 seats sold out and only 8 seats left :) Check it out here, and let's write this summer, together.

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