The Side Hustler's Guide to Time Management: Part I

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase using one of the links in this post, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, Thanks for your support!I love having a creative side hustle.  I used to think I was always doing "something else" besides work because I didn't like my job enough.  But now, I love my day job, and I still want a side hustle.  I think I like the idea that it's something just for me.  That doesn't mean it's easy to fit into my life though.  Every day is a crash course in creative time management.Think about it - there are a million things we want to fit into our days.  Unfortunately, we still only get those 24 hours, and it's up to us to make the best of them.  When I started working with other side hustlers and creatives, even people who blog or own small businesses full time, I realized that there were some common themes. Here are some things I heard my clients say:"It's hard to focus when there are SO many things I could be doing!""I work in social media, but sometimes I just get lost looking for inspiration on Pinterest and 'waste' 3 hours of my day.""When you work for yourself, you can't take a break.  If you do, it’s like leaving money on the table!""Sometimes I spend ALL DAY answering emails.""I feel busy all day long, but never feel accomplished."Does any of this sound familiar? Even if you don't have a side hustle, I'd wager that most people can at least feel me on that last one. I've been there too, but I've also found ways to take control of my calendar and to do list to make them both more manageable.I'll be sharing my steps in this new series called The Side Hustler's Guide to Time Management, and Part I starts TODAY.Part I: Take a Time InventoryHow much time do you have in a day? I know everyone has 24 hours, but of course we can't dedicate them all to one thing. We still have to sleep, eat, commute, maybe work a day job, maybe do bath time and bedtime with the kiddos, grocery shop, exercise, spend time with friends and family, and hopefully find some alone time too. So, our first step must be to find out how much time we actually have in a day. There are several ways to do this:

• Keep a time log this week to see what you spend time doing.
• Look at the week ahead (assuming it’s a “typical” week) and put all appointments on the calendar, schedule times for tasks that need to be done, and then see what's left.
• Use my Time Inventory Worksheet (get a copy below!) to color code a "typical" week in your life.  I’ve also included an example of my typical week on the worksheet.

[convertkit form=5137808]A few things to keep in mind:

• Remember, this is CURRENT state, not ideal state.  Block off all consistent appointments, tasks, and activities.
• If you have a day job, time is tighter for side hustles (duh).  But sometimes, it's actually easier to plan when you know exactly how much (however limited) time you have.  The key is to plan reasonably based on the time you have available.
• If you don't have a day job, you might have a mile long to do list but really not that many "appointments" per se.  Don't feel like you have to completely fill the worksheet.  Leave empty space where your time is unplanned, and we will fill it in the next stages of this process.
• If you do something at around the same time every week, say grocery shopping on Sunday afternoon, go ahead and assign it a time like 1-2 pm.  It’s ok if that’s not totally consistent from week to week.

Once you’ve gone through your time inventory, make a list of all the things that you know need to be done regularly but don’t already have a time slot.  This will be key for Part II![convertkit form=5137808]