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If you’re an adult without many significant obligations, such as raising children, you might consider taking on a side freelance gig. This can help you bring in a substantial extra income that you can use to pay off debts, travel, or save up for your dream home.
And you have many types of careers you can start with. For instance, you can opt for an in-person side gig, such as photography, or a remote one, such as freelance writing. The possibilities are endless. Nevertheless, working two jobs is not easy and can quickly become overwhelming.
So, if you want to succeed, take a look at this guide on how to balance a full-time job and a side freelance gig.
No. 1 – Determine what career you want to pursue
As a general rule, if you want to successfully balance a full-time job and a side freelance gig, you should do something that you’re passionate about. Otherwise, you won’t feel motivated to keep it up long-term. Thus, you should start by identifying the activities that bring you the most joy in life. Then, you must assess your skills to determine if you’re good enough to make a career out of your passion. If you’re not, you can always take some extra classes.
However, you should apply this strategy to both jobs. Don’t settle for a full-time job you hate because it will drain all your energy, leaving you incapable of doing a side gig. So, it might be time for a change if you’re not satisfied with your current workplace.
If you can’t find anything locally, do a bit of research on the best cities for job seekers in the US or beyond. Then, narrow down the list to the best places in the States for your dream career.
No. 2 – To balance a full-time job and a side freelance gig you have to set a clear schedule
Before you take on a side gig, you should keep a time log for a few weeks. This will enable you to determine how much time you could allocate to your second job.
Factor in the fact that you also need time to sleep and have a social life. Once you’ve gathered all this information, set a clear schedule and stick to it. This will enable you to maximize your time and stay productive.
No. 3 – Don’t put your side gig first
Remember that your full-time job should always come first. After all, this is your main source of income. So, you should give it your best. This means being punctual, carrying out your tasks on time, and working with dedication as you might be nominated for employee appreciation day. So, make sure you avoid working overlapping hours because this will decrease your productivity and the quality of your work.
No. 4 – Know your limits
When it comes to your side freelance gig, you should start slow. Don’t take on a huge workload from the very beginning because you’ll soon exhaust yourself. Not to mention that you won’t be able to meet all the deadlines. You must learn to say “no” when you have too much on your plate. Remember that the quality of the work is more important than the volume. This is something that your clients will highly appreciate.
No. 5 – Partner up with other freelancers if necessary
If at some point, you realize that time is not on your side and you’ve taken on more than you can handle, you should consider a partnership. This doesn’t have to be permanent. You can partner with other freelancers only when you need a helping hand. Or you could use this partnership to take on more significant projects that are better paid. Either way, make sure you hire the right people for the job. Otherwise, you can end up losing clients because of them. So, look for knowledgeable, skilled, and reliable freelancers.
No. 6 – Be honest with your clients
Clients usually expect you to dedicate yourself to them fully. This means they’ll probably expect you to respond promptly to their requests regardless of the time of day. But since we’ve already established that working overlapping hours is a bad idea, it’s best, to be honest with your clients from the start. You don’t have to specify that you also work full-time, just that you won’t be available during regular business hours.
No. 7 – Find ways to stay productive
If your side freelance gig involves working from home, you might find it hard to stay productive. The main reason for this is that you’re surrounded by distractions. The best solution, in this case, is to create a dedicated space for work at home. Depending on what your job entails, this can be a home office or a workroom.
Lock yourself inside when it’s time to work to avoid any distractions, such as your partner watching TV or cooking. You should also consider leaving your phone in another room to avoid getting distracted by various notifications.
No. 8 – Prioritize your health
Working two jobs can easily result in burnout if you’re not careful. Therefore, you should prioritize your health. This entails making time to cook healthy meals, exercise, and get enough rest. To achieve this, make sure you avoid working with clients from different time zones or burning the midnight oil. Additionally, you should take advantage of your employee discounts from your main job to treat yourself.
And if you want to improve the quality of your sleep, you should add natural light to your home and air it frequently, and avoid screens for one hour before bed.
At the same time, you should find ways to unwind. Here are some examples:
- Make time to watch a movie, read a book, or go for a walk.
- Spend quality time with your family as often as you can.
- Go out with your friends or invite them to your place once a week.
- Go on vacation every once in a while to get your mind off work.
In conclusion
As you’ve seen from this guide on how to balance a full-time job and a side freelance gig, you can do both. However, you must learn to separate those two worlds. Otherwise, you won’t be able to provide high-quality work. And if you don’t give your best, you can lose both jobs. At the same time, you must also make time for yourself to avoid burnout. So, carefully assess all your options before taking on more work.
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