Episode 52 - Busy Professional Blues: The Juggle of Work, Life, and Side Hustle Dreams
Welcome to Episode 52 of the Time for Living Podcast!
TRANSCRIPT
show notes
Feeling trapped by the side business you thought would set you free? This episode tackles the paradox so many ambitious women face, starting a side hustle for more freedom, only to find yourself more overwhelmed than ever. We're breaking down why adding more to an already full plate backfires and how to build a business that actually enhances your life instead of consuming it.
What You’ll Learn:
Why the problem isn't time - it's trying to add to an unsustainable foundation
How to shift from "addition" to "integration" when building your business
The hidden energy drains that sabotage side hustle success
Why sustainable systems beat constant hustle every time
By the end of this episode, you'll know how to pursue your entrepreneurial dreams without sacrificing your health, relationships, or sanity.
Key Takeaways
Track your time for one week to identify business-building energy drains
Focus on serving one person well before scaling up
Set seasonal boundaries around intense work periods with clear end dates
Remember that successful businesses often take time to build
Free Resource:
Before you can build any sustainable business, you need clarity on your priorities and where your time actually goes. Download "Taking Control of Your Time”, a complete 3-step framework for mastering intentional time management with reflection prompts, time audit tools, and strategic planning worksheets: timeforliving.co/takingcontrol
Join my email list at timeforliving.co for weekly quick-win tips, exclusive resources, and a supportive community of ambitious women who get it.
READY FOR MORE:
Join the waitlist for The Time Aligned Blueprint - my signature program that helps you create sustainable systems across all areas of life timeforliving.co/tab
Let’s Connect:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timeforlivingco/
• Email: hello@timeforliving.co
Final Thought:
Your dreams should add to your life, not subtract from it. The best side business is one that grows sustainably alongside the life you're already building.
TRANSCRIPT - Busy Professional Blues: The Juggle of Work, Life, and Side Hustle Dreams
The Modern Side Hustle Trap
Hey there! Today I want to talk about something I'm seeing so often lately, ambitious women who thought starting a side business would create more time freedom, but instead find themselves more time crunched than ever.
You know what I mean, you started that consulting business or Etsy shop or coaching service because you wanted more control over your time, maybe some extra income, or just the satisfaction of building something that's truly yours. But now you're working your day job, managing your household, and trying to build a business on top of everything else in the cracks of your days. Instead of feeling more free, you feel more trapped.
If that's hitting a little too close to home right now, this episode is for you. Because today we're going to talk about how to turn those side-hustle dreams into a reality that actually enhances your life instead of consuming it.
A Quick Note for My Long-Term Listeners
Before we jump in, I want to pause for a moment and speak directly to those of you who've been with me for a while. If you're a regular listener, you might recognize some of these concepts I’m going to talk about from previous episodes. But here's the thing, this isn't just a repeat you can skip.
Instead, I want you to think of this as your reminder for a review. As we go through today's content, ask yourself: Am I still following my why? Are the boundaries I set months ago still serving me? Have I slowly drifted back into old patterns without realizing it?
Because here's what I know to be true, we're all works in progress. Even I schedule in regular reviews. Life shifts, priorities evolve, and what worked beautifully last year might need some adjustments now. That's not backsliding, that's growth.
So longtime listeners, use this episode as your chance for a review. What small tweaks could make your current approach even stronger? Because consistency matters, but so does staying flexible enough to evolve when needed.
Alright, now let's get into it.
Let me paint a picture that might feel painfully familiar. You're already working 50+ hours a week at your day job, which, by the way, you're probably crushing. You've got kids or a partner or aging parents or all of the above. Your calendar looks like a game of Tetris gone wrong. And yet...
There's this little voice in your head saying, "But what about my dreams? What about that business idea I've been carrying around for three years? What about finally turning my passion into profit?"
So you decide to start that side hustle. And you think, "I'll just work on it in the evenings and weekends. How hard could it be?"
Oh, sweet friend. Can we just acknowledge how hard it actually is?
Because what happens next is this: You start staying up until midnight working on your website. You're thinking about your business during your daughter's soccer practice. You're checking Instagram analytics while you're supposed to be present with your partner. You're trying to write content while your day job boss is expecting you to be fully focused on the quarterly report.
And suddenly, instead of having one demanding master, your career, you have two. Instead of feeling more fulfilled, you feel more fragmented. Instead of creating space for what matters, you've just made your life even more complicated.
The Problem with the Overflowing Cup
Now, before you think I'm about to tell you to give up on your dreams, absolutely not. I believe in your dreams probably more than you do right now. What I want to talk about is how we've been approaching this whole thing backwards.
See, most of us think the problem is time. "If I could just find more hours in the day..." But time isn't the problem. The problem is that we're trying to add a side hustle to an already unsustainable life.
It's like trying to pour more water into a cup that's already overflowing. The issue isn't the water, it's the cup.
Reclaiming Your Time and Energy
Imagine waking up feeling energized, ready to tackle your day job with focus, nurture your personal life with joy, and dedicate time to exploring a creative passion that excites you. Sounds pretty ideal, right?
The truth is, achieving that balance is possible. Many busy professionals have carved out successful side hustles while maintaining fulfilling lives. The key? Prioritization and creating systems that work for YOU.
Maybe you dream of baking delicious treats to share with friends and family. Or perhaps you envision creating stunning graphic designs or becoming a social media whiz who empowers others. Whatever your side hustle dream, there are proven strategies to help you navigate the journey without losing your sanity.
Let's explore some action items you can implement today. First, take a personal inventory of your time and energy. What are your current commitments? Where can you realistically carve out pockets of dedicated time for your side hustle?
Here's what I want you to do, track your time for one week. Not to judge yourself, not to optimize anything yet, just to see where your time is actually going. Write down everything. The 20 minutes you spent scrolling social media, the hour you spent looking for that document you should have filed properly, the 30 minutes you spent in a meeting that could have been an email. All of it.
Because here's what you're going to discover: There are pockets of time in your current life that are being wasted on things that don't serve your goals OR your well-being. And those are the first places we're going to reclaim.
But let's get even more specific about what this looks like in practice. When I say "time wasting," I'm not talking about rest or fun or connecting with people you love. Those things fuel you. I'm talking about the sneaky time drains that happen when we're trying to build a side business.
You know what I mean, the three hours you spent perfecting your logo when you don't even have your first customer yet. The entire weekend you lost going down a rabbit hole researching what your competitors are charging instead of figuring out your own value. The forty-five minutes you spent rewriting the same Instagram caption because you can't decide if it sounds professional enough, even though you only have twelve followers.
Or here's a big one, the mental energy you spend lying awake at night planning your business launch strategy instead of getting the rest you need to show up fully at your day job tomorrow. The guilt spiral you get stuck in because you spent your lunch break scrolling business podcasts instead of working on your actual business plan.
These are the hidden energy time drains that are stealing your capacity for the things you actually care about, including building your side business effectively. And here's the thing, most of us don't even realize how much of our day gets eaten up by these side-hustle specific distractions until we start paying attention.
So when you're doing your time audit, I want you to also notice how you feel after each business-related activity. Did researching business ideas for two hours energize you or leave you feeling overwhelmed? Did that networking event give you clarity or just more confusion? Did working on your website move you forward or did you get stuck in perfectionist mode?
Because building a sustainable side business isn't just about managing minutes, it's about managing your energy and focus too.
Next, define your goals clearly. Is your side hustle a creative outlet, a potential source of income, or a combination of both? Having clear goals will help you prioritize tasks and measure your progress.
Instead of asking "How can I fit my side hustle into my life?" I want you to ask "How can my side hustle make my life better?"
What do I mean by that? Well, let's say you want to start a consulting business because you're brilliant at what you do and you know you could help other companies. Instead of adding consulting work on top of your current workload, what if the goal was to gradually transition some of your best skills into consulting so you could eventually reduce your hours at your day job?
Or maybe you want to start an online business selling digital products. Instead of spending every weekend creating content, what if you started by documenting the systems you're already using in your current role? What if your side hustle became a way to organize and monetize knowledge you already have?
The key is integration, not addition.
Now, it's time to research and explore. Learn about the industry you're interested in. Are there online resources, workshops, or communities you can tap into? But here's the thing, your side hustle doesn't have to be perfect to be profitable.
I see so many women spending months building the perfect website, crafting the perfect brand, waiting for the perfect moment to launch. Meanwhile, they're burning themselves out on the preparation and never actually serving customers.
What if instead of trying to build the perfect business, you focused on serving one person really well? What if instead of having a complicated marketing strategy, you just helped one person solve one problem?
Finally, start small. Don't try to turn your side hustle into a full-time venture overnight. Begin with manageable tasks and gradually build momentum. Your side hustle can start small and messy and still be meaningful. In fact, it probably should.
Let me give you some concrete examples of what "starting small" actually looks like. If you want to start a coaching business, don't begin by creating a fancy website and expensive branding. Start by offering to help one friend work through a challenge you're good at solving. Notice what questions they ask, what language they use to describe their problems, what results they get from your help.
If you dream of opening an Etsy shop selling handmade jewelry, don't invest in thousands of dollars worth of supplies and equipment. Make five pieces. Show them to people. See what gets the best response. Learn from that feedback before you scale up.
If you want to start a consulting business, you wouldn’t quit your day job and rent an office space. Just offer to do one small project for a former colleague or current connection. See how you like the work, what challenges come up, how long things actually take versus what you estimated.
The goal isn't to stay small forever, it's to learn quickly and cheaply before you invest your most precious resources: your time and energy. Because here's what I've noticed, the women who build successful, sustainable businesses are the ones who treat their side hustle like a laboratory, not a lottery ticket.
They're constantly experimenting, tweaking, learning from what works and what doesn't. They're not afraid to pivot when something isn't working. They're not so attached to their original idea that they can't see better opportunities that emerge along the way.
And speaking of experimenting, let's talk about the comparison trap, because this is where so many ambitious women get derailed. You start your little laboratory experiment, and then you look around at what everyone else is doing.
You see someone who started their business six months after you did, and they already have ten thousand Instagram followers. You see someone launching a course for thousands of dollars while you're still figuring out how to schedule posts. You see someone who seems to have it all figured out while you're still googling basic business questions.
And suddenly, your small, sustainable approach feels inadequate. You start thinking you need to do more, be more, post more, launch more, hustle more.
But here's what you don't see behind those highlight reels: You don't see the burnout that comes from trying to grow too fast. You don't see the family dinners missed, the friendships neglected, the health issues that develop from chronic stress. You don't see the businesses that flame out after six months because they weren't built on sustainable foundations.
You're not seeing the full story, and comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else's highlight reel is a recipe for making decisions that don't serve your actual goals.
Building Sustainable Systems That Actually Work
Now, I know what some of you are thinking. "But I want my side hustle to eventually replace my day job income. If I don't hustle hard now, when will it ever grow?"
And I get it. I really do. That fear that if we're not constantly pushing, constantly growing, constantly doing more, we'll somehow miss our chance.
But here's what sustainable side hustling actually looks like. It starts with getting crystal clear on your why. Not the surface-level why like "I want to make extra money", though that's completely valid, but the deeper why. What do you want this business to give you that you don't have now? More flexibility? Creative fulfillment? The ability to impact others? Financial independence?
Because when you're clear on your why, it becomes easier to make decisions that align with that goal instead of just saying yes to every opportunity that comes your way.
It also means setting boundaries that protect what matters most. Maybe that means your side hustle gets two hours on Tuesday evenings and three hours on Saturday mornings, and that's it. Maybe it means turning your phone off after 6pm so you can be present with your family. Maybe it means saying no to potential opportunities on Sundays.
Whatever your boundaries are, they need to be non-negotiable. Because the moment you start compromising on what matters most to you, your side hustle stops serving your life and starts consuming it.
Now, I want to be clear about something, sustainable doesn't mean you'll never have seasons where you need to put in extra hours or stay up late working on a deadline. Life and business both have natural rhythms, and sometimes we do need to sprint. But here's the key, these need to be actual seasons with clear beginnings and ends, not your permanent way of operating. Before you enter a hustle season, decide how long it will last and what will signal it's time to return to your sustainable pace.
Sustainable side hustling means focusing on systems over hustle. Instead of working harder, you work smarter. This might mean creating templates for common tasks. It might mean batching similar activities so you're not constantly switching between different types of work. It might mean automating parts of your business so you're not manually doing everything.
The goal is to build a business that can grow without requiring you to work more hours.
And here's something else that might shift your perspective, when you look at the successful people you admire, really look at their timelines. That coach with the six-figure business? She's been building for seven years. That consultant who seems to have it all figured out? Eleven years in the making. The entrepreneur you follow who makes it look effortless? She's been at this for sixteen years. Success isn't usually the overnight story social media makes it seem.
The slow and steady approach isn't just more sustainable, it's actually what most successful businesses are built on. But we don't see those years of quiet, consistent work because they don't make for compelling Instagram content.
And finally, sustainable side hustling means measuring success by how it makes you feel, not just by how much money it makes. If your side hustle is making you money but stealing your joy, it's not successful. If it's growing your bank account but shrinking your capacity for everything else that matters, it's not working.
Success is when your side hustle enhances your life. When it gives you energy instead of draining it. When it creates opportunities for connection and impact and growth.
But let's talk about what this actually looks like day-to-day, because I think this is where a lot of us get stuck. We understand the concept of balance in theory, but when Monday morning rolls around and we've got deadlines at our day job, kids who need attention, and a side business that isn't going to grow itself, theory goes out the window.
So let me paint you a picture of what sustainable side hustling looks like in practice. It's Tuesday evening. You've had a full day at work, you've had dinner with your family, and you have two hours blocked for your side hustle before bed. But you're tired. Your brain feels foggy. Part of you just wants to watch Netflix.
The old you might have pushed through anyway, forcing yourself to work on your business plan or write that blog post, even though your creative energy was depleted. You might have told yourself that successful entrepreneurs work when they don't feel like it, that discipline means showing up regardless of how you feel.
But sustainable you has learned to work with your energy, not against it. Maybe those two hours get spent on easier tasks, organizing your digital files, responding to emails, or doing research instead of creating. Maybe you use that time to plan what you'll work on when your energy is higher. Maybe you actually take the night off and trust that resting tonight will make you more productive tomorrow.
The key is that you're making intentional choices based on what will serve your long-term goals, not just reacting to what you think you "should" be doing.
This might also mean having different types of work ready for different energy levels. High-energy tasks might be writing, creating content, or having important conversations with potential collaborators. Medium-energy tasks could be editing, organizing, or planning. Low-energy tasks might be research, admin work, or learning from others in your industry.
When you match your tasks to your energy level, you're not fighting yourself all the time. You're working with your natural rhythms instead of against them.
And here's something else that makes a huge difference, creating transition rituals between your different roles. When you're constantly switching between employee brain, parent brain, and entrepreneur brain without any buffer, it's exhausting. Your mind never gets a chance to fully settle into any one mode.
So maybe you have a five-minute ritual between leaving your day job and picking up your kids, even if it's just sitting in your car and taking three deep breaths while listening to one song. Maybe you have a way of signaling to yourself that you're transitioning into side hustle mode, lighting a candle, making a cup of tea, or putting on a specific playlist.
These tiny transitions might seem insignificant, but they help your brain shift gears instead of trying to be in all places at once.
Making It Work in Real Life
Remember, achieving that work-life-hustle balance is a journey, not a destination. Be patient with yourself and celebrate your progress, no matter how small.
Here's what I want you to remember: Your dreams matter. Your desire for something more, something meaningful, something that feels aligned with who you are, that matters. But your dreams should add to your life, not subtract from it.
You don't have to choose between being present for your family and pursuing your passion. You don't have to sacrifice your health to build your business. You don't have to prove your worth through exhaustion.
There's a way to pursue your dreams that honors all the parts of your life that matter to you. It might look different than what everyone else is doing. It might take longer than you originally hoped. But it will be sustainable, and sustainable is what allows dreams to actually come true.
Whether you decide to pursue a side hustle or not, you deserve to feel in control of your time. You deserve to wake up excited about your days instead of overwhelmed by them. You deserve to build a life that feels intentional and aligned, not frantic and scattered.
If you're curious about learning more about time management and productivity strategies that actually work for busy professional women, head over to timeforliving.co. There you'll find a free guide called "Taking Control of Your Time" that walks you through a simple three-step process to get clarity on your priorities, audit where your time is actually going, and create a strategic plan that works for your real life.
Remember, you are not alone in this journey, join me next week with more actionable tips and inspiring strategies to help you conquer your big amazing dreams. Until then, keep going and I’m cheering you on every step of the way.