Today’s post is from our regular Wednesday contributor, Cat.
It’s great to be back writing at Young Adult Money after taking a quick maternity leave. While I was away, I thought a lot about my side hustles that blossomed into a full time career. Mostly I thought about all the times I wanted to quit, all the times when it got to be too much.
I remembered all the late nights of working on my writing and my own blog after putting in a full day’s work at my day job.
I can tell you it was all worth it because I’m writing this post on my laptop from the comfort of the nursery in my home watching my twins sleep.
I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t think about quitting the last few weeks even though I worked so hard to get to this point.
During the millionth time I was up at night holding two crying babies at once, I wondered if I was crazy for trying to keep up my writing jobs. In those moments of sleep deprivation and negative thinking, I always managed to come out of it though, and I thought it might be helpful to share some of the ways that I stay motivated to hustle even when I’m exhausted – even when I think I can’t type another word.
1) Remember Why You’re Doing It
Chances are, if you are hustling right now, it’s not because you just feel like working yourself to death. No one in their right mind would just choose to work around the clock in multiple jobs. You probably have a goal in mind.
Maybe you’re an entrepreneur at heart who wants to quit their job and own their own business someday. Maybe you’re trying to pay off your loans. Maybe you’re like me and you’re trying to build a career that allows you to stay at home with your kids.
Whatever it is, remember why you’re doing it. In all those moments when you feel discouraged, when you feel like you can’t go another day, remember it’s all about the end goal, not the pain you have to go through to get there.
2) Give Yourself Rewards
One trick I learned from my husband is that in order to stay motivated, I have to reward myself. Before he enlightened me, I would easily work without taking a break on the weekends. I’d say no when my friends asked me to go places. I even lived on a Caribbean island and would go weeks without going to the because because I was working so hard.
All of that will give someone with even the best work ethic some serious burnout, though. So, I’ve learned that I have to set small goals and enjoy the reward at the end. So, I might promise myself an episode of Modern Family if I get two posts written that day. Sometimes I’ll promise myself that I can buy an e-book, all full price and everything instead of waiting for a book I want to come in at the local library. Obviously I live a very exciting life!
3) Follow Those Who Are Successful
I find that I’m very motivated by other people who are successful. I like to surround myself and interact with other bloggers who work really hard to reach their goals. When I see another blogger succeed or get an awesome interview or an impressive publication, I get so proud of our profession and so encouraged to keep working on my own projects. Basically there are two ways you can handle the success of others: You can get jealous or you can get motivated. I choose to get motivated.
What are some other good ways to stay on task and keep yourself motivated when you don’t want to hustle?
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Rewarding yourself in a healthy way is definitely so important when working in a time-consuming profession. Don’t forget Cat, that you’re an inspiration to others too! I’m always amazed when a new mom can continue working, especially with two young infants to take care of. You can do it!
In every job, there are some tasks that are extremely enjoyable, and some that are not. When I’m having motivation issues, I like to turn to the more enjoyable tasks to help re-energize myself. I also scale back just a little bit. Usually after a few days the battery is back at full strength and I’m ready to conquer the world again. :)
This is a fabulous post! I am transitioning to full time freelancer and have had days (particularly yesterday) in which I struggled to see the point of everything. But then I read stories from bloggers like yourself and I get the motivation to keep going knowing that this is ultimately where I want to be.
These are great tips. I have more than a few moments where I have felt like quitting my blog. I still loved it, but some days it felt like so much work. It usually just took one little thing to keep me motivated and on track. Articles like this help to do that as well! :)
I don’t know how you do it Cat? Pretty amazing. Two little ones and still able to write. I remember the early days when the baby was asleep, I pretty much wanted to sleep too! Seeing how others are successful is definitely motivating and inspires me to do the same.
These are all great ways to keep yourself going Cat! I’m a huge believer in both #1 and #3 and don’t do enough of #2. I’m an entrepreneur at heart but there are days I just want to throw my hands up and say to hell with it, but I look at our kids and then think of our goals and am reminded again why we do it. If that’s not enough, then I remind myself that I get to work on what I want and only have to answer to our clients and that gets me encouraged pretty quickly.
That’s a good question. Sometimes money is just the easiest motivator. I have number in my budget which is my projected estimated income. I of course try to get to that number, but then I like to see how far I can take that over because all that money can go to something I want/need or a lot more savings.
These are great things to keep in mind. I find myself in the same boat as you, not taking breaks from the work. Really, I do love working, but taking time off helps me to refocus, and put new energy into what I do!
SO good to have you back at YAM Cat! And these are great points that you make about side hustling. If you don’t know why you are doing it to begin with, then it is difficult to place a value on the time it consumes in your life. And you are now seeing just how little time you have, so you really need to understand why you fit extra work into your schedule. And I am with you, I am more motivated by the success around me than jealous of it. It pushes me to strive for something even bigger.
“You can get jealous or you can get motivate”. I love that!
I don’t think I would even be able to write my name with two babies! It’s so easy to wish time away and I try hard not to do that. Enjoying the here and now but focusing on the end game is a hard balance to strike, but when you are able to, that’s how you keep going.
Eyesonthedollar That’s really good advice. I did find myself googling “when do kids sleep through the night” but I know I need to enjoy this newborn stage!
brokeandbeau Thanks! It’s so true!
blonde_finance Aw well thanks for filling in for me with your awesome self. :D
RetiredBy40 It’s true. I’m always surprised with how much better I feel after a break. :)
Beachbudget True, money is good motivator for me too!
FrugalRules It is nice that you get to what on what you want – that’s what it’s all about. :)
Andrew LivingRichCheaply Ha well I’m still not at 100% yet, just slowly getting back into things and it’s super crazy but thank you Andrew!
MoneyMiniBlog Oh yeah we’ve all been there! :)
fitisthenewpoor Aw well I’m so glad it helped! I did the exact same thing before I went full time – kept reading about others who did it!
DebtChronicles Yes recharging is so important. I don’t do it enough!
Tara Zee :) Thanks Tara! That made my day!
Don’t get jealous, get motivated! That is an excellent mantra to have. It can get lonely in the blogging world but #3 is a great way to stay motivated.
When I am really feeling down about things, be it a side hustle, day job, etc. I usually step back and try to evaluate the situation. Am I feeling down because I need to work differently or am I just tired and not evaluating the situation fairly. sleep can make a world of a difference for my outlook and motivation. I understand however, that especially with little ones, sleep isn’t always an option.
Raquel@Practical Cents Of course! And chat up your fellow bloggers ;)
Welcome back, Cat! I do remember feeling exhausted and incredibly happy when the girls were babies and still needed to be fed every few hours. Such an exhausting and rewarding time! I love this – “You can get jealous or you can get motivated. I choose to get motivated.” There are times when people share their blog stats and I find myself feeling a bit envious. And than I remind myself how much I’ve grown and to recognize the growth potential I still have. I am a big believer in setting small rewards too. Otherwise it’s too easy for burnout to takeover and stop our forward motion. Give those babies a kiss from me! :)
I always ask myself, what would someone else be doing, if they had to do it. Then, mentally list the steps. Then, do the first step, as the first step is always easy, typically it’s get up from where you are sitting.
Then go to the next step. Life is easy in simple steps. It’s doing the entire task as once that beats you up. But that all in your head…
BudgetforMore Yes sleep does help. I miss sleep lol.
ShannonRyan It’s so true. Everyone has different blog success and time frames. Some people like DC have awesome success within 1 year of having a blog. It took me almost to year 3 to make anything of mine so everyone is different! :)
No Nonsense Landlord Interesting perspective. I like that!
Welcome back, Cat! I always have to remember the ‘why’. It’s so important to keep going. I also like to think that I’m having new experiences and challenging myself. I also visualize me putting that money towards debt.
deardebt Thanks so much! :) I like visualizations too!
Thanks for sharing and welcome back Cat!!
Number 1 probably has to be the most powerful, you either neither to be passionate about what you are doing or passionate about the results that it can achieve..
What was the toughest part of side hustling for you? :)
Definitely pushing through the exhaustion when I was hustling and doing my 9-5!
I just found your blog tonight, but this post and especially the last comment (3) really resonates with me. I am trying to follow sharp, successful blogs to see how you do things.
My hat is off to you for your success. Blogging is an art and a skill. I am enjoying learning despite the bumps and bruises.
Scott