Find five side hustles to augment your income now by answering four questions to become a better you

As a working musician, working a full-time day gig in Los Angeles, I understand having to ‘do what you gotta do’ to make ends meet. Given we are experiencing a cost-of-living crisis in the US and people are seriously worried about paying for sky-high energy bills this winter, the idea of having a successful side hustle is looking more appealing and lucrative. But there are so many avenues to explore, and it is easy to get overwhelmed, so where does one begin their side hustle journey? 

Start by understanding your Ikigai- (Japanese for “reason for living”)

Ikigai is a term that comes from studying octogenarians (the oldest living people) on the tiny island of Japan, which has more elderly people per capita than anywhere else on earth. The term translates to ‘reason for living’ and encompasses feelings of joy, purpose, general well-being, and balance. It comes from two root words: iki, meaning ‘life,’ and kai, meaning ‘the realization of hopes and dreams. By answering these four questions below, you will start to think about your “why” as Simon Sinek calls it and be one step closer to knowing what potential side hustles fit best within your unique hustler DNA. 

Start by answering these four questions:

1. What do I love to do?
   One of the best ways to figure out what you love to do is look at where you spend your time and money. Take a self-inventory of your spending and your calendar over the past month. What did you do the most? What did you buy the most? If you see that you went out to eat five times a week, you may find that you are a foodie. If you spent a lot of time at the gym, you might be a fitness buff. If you spent a lot of time at the library, you may be a literary enthusiast. What if you could take those things and create something you love? Who better than a foodie to start a food vlog? As a fitness buff you could study and become a personal trainer or if you’re a bookworm, study to become a literary critic.
2. What am I good at?
   Everyone HAS a skill or can LEARN a skill. For instance, I am gifted in music, and I can produce, write, perform, teach and more from that craft. I have met people who have turned mowing lawns, writing copy or cleaning houses into side hustles, turned into full-time careers, and with a little soul searching and patience I believe you can sit down and write down a list of things you can do well to offer people as a service or product.
3. How Can I Help the World?
   All products and services are created around solving a felt need. Zig Ziglar is often quotes as stating “you can get what you want if you help enough others get what they want in life.” There is something the world needs from only you, and you owe it to yourself to ask probing questions in self-reflection to figure out what that is. If it helps you, it will help someone else too.
4. What can you make money doing?
   I think this is the most important piece of the puzzle that many people are still trying to figure out. If you have a current side hustle or are looking to start one, from a home-based business to freelancing, be reassured that figuring out how to monetize is a struggle for lots of people.

Realize that in working toward your ‘10,000 hours,’ as Malcolm Gladwell wrote, to become proficient in whatever it is that you do, you may not make any money from it at first. This is called ‘paying your dues.’ If you want to become a public speaker, you will give tons of free speeches; if you want to become an actor, you will do a lot of free parts to build your reel. But eventually you will have paid your dues and be ready to start making money, starting with finding just one client at a time, and gaining referrals by word of mouth.

Review these five side hustles to augment your income now:

1. Writing jobs:
   (Copy writing for web or social media, freelance articles) – Companies are always looking for better marketing copy and SEO keyword articles to get more traction on Google. If you have English writing skills and basic understanding of SEO, there are plenty of sites/ apps to find these jobs now.
2. Customer service jobs: (Call center phone / E-mail, social media)
   Companies cannot keep up with demand and often outsource customer service. These are great jobs to do remotely and can be shift based to fit around full-time work as a side hustle.
3. Tutoring teaching / school subjects: (Math, Science) ESL (English as a second language), (Music or other specialized skills):
   Many people are looking in person or online to learn from someone. Do you know how to cook, tidy up or play an instrument? You can teach what you know and use social media ads to create click funnels to find students or join a site/app to pitch your service today.
4. Childcare/ Babysitting:
   People are always looking for before or after school care or someone to watch the kids while running errands or on a date night. There are agencies and apps that can help you find customers for this service ASAP.
5. Short term gigs: (tasks/ delivery services or ride sharing) :
   Whether you need your house cleaned, food delivered or to be driven to the airport there is an app to connect you to clients who will pay for these short-term gigs now to supplement your income on demand, on your timetable.

With hard work, determination, and a little luck I believe you can figure out the side hustle and flow for your life. Like Nike Says, “Just Do It!”

Written by Cliff Beach. (Image courtesy: Sheldon Botler; both images of Cliff Beach.)
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