When you’re creating a side business, let’s be honest: not every day feels like a winning day. You become exhausted some days. You may have had a long day at work, bills are piling up, or you may just not be seeing the results you thought you would. You might want to take a break from your work for a day or a week, but then you’re back at square one.
But here’s the truth: your hustle doesn’t have to be perfect. It needs to be the same all the time. You don’t have to feel driven to stay consistent; you just need a strategy that works even when you’re not at your best.
You might need this article on bad days. Let’s speak about ways to maintain working hard even when things get tough.
Know That Motivation Isn’t as Important as You Think
Motivation doesn’t last long. It comes and goes. People who are good at hustling don’t depend on it; instead, they make routines and procedures that operate even when they don’t feel like it.
In his book Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days, Chris Guillebeau talks about how important it is to make progress every day, not be flawless every day. You don’t have to do anything large every day, but you do have to do something.
Sending one email, scheduling one article, doing one follow-up, or looking over your data for five minutes are all little, consistent activities that add up.
Make a “Bare Minimum” Routine
Don’t try to push yourself too much on days when you’re low. Instead, stick to your bare minimum routine, which is a brief list of one to three tasks that keep your side business going.
Here’s an example of a side job as a freelancer:
- Answer one question
- Give a tip or offer on LinkedIn or Instagram
- Change one part of your portfolio
Your bare minimum regimen should take no more than 30 minutes. The point is that anything is better than nothing, and it helps you stay consistent.
Use Technology to Automate Tasks
Automating some portions of your business is one of the best methods to safeguard it from days when you don’t have a lot of energy. Let platforms do the hard work for you if you sell a digital product, teach a course, or handle affiliate marketing.
- Set up emails ahead of time with ConvertKit or Mailchimp
- Canva + Buffer/Later: Put all of your social media posts in one place
- Shopify or Gumroad: Sell without having to do anything yourself
- Calendly and Zoom: Make it easier to book clients
The $100 Startup says that the less stuff you have in your system, the stronger it gets. Automation lets you help clients even when you’re not online or too busy.
Reconnect with Your “Why”
We can lose our drive when we forget why we started. Ask yourself:
- Was it to get rid of debt?
- Do you want to quit your 9 to 5 job?
- Want to send your kid to college without taking out loans?
- Spend more time with your family?
Write that reason down and keep it where you can see it, such as on your phone lock screen, your laptop wallpaper, or your wall. When your tank is low, your “why” is what keeps you going.
Make the Lows Normal
People don’t talk about this enough: awful days happen. There are days when even six-figure business owners want to give up.
Don’t make large judgments if today is bad. Just do the very minimum, take care of yourself, and try again tomorrow. Not from intensity, but from showing up, even if it’s not great.
Create a Hustle Environment That Helps You
You don’t need to have unlimited willpower. You need a place that makes it easy to stay on track. Ways to construct this:
- A hustle buddy: Someone to talk to every week
- A place to work that makes you feel good, even if it’s just a small desk corner
- Timers for Pomodoro or concentrate music
- No phone time while you work
Little modifications in your space can make a big difference in how much energy and attention you have.
Use Old Wins Again
When you’re low on energy, it helps to remember what has worked in the past. Check out:
- Positive messages from clients in the past
- Screenshots of positive reviews
- Your first notice of payment
- A piece of material that attracted a lot of people to interact with it
Use those gains again or share them again. There’s no reason to start over if you’ve already made something useful.
Don’t Break the Link
Use a calendar to mark every day you do something for your side business, just like Jerry Seinfeld does to stay productive.
The goal? Don’t break the link. A simple action is all it takes to keep the streak going. This visual feedback can be really helpful for keeping things consistent over time, especially when you don’t feel like doing it.
Don’t Feel Bad About Taking a Break
This one doesn’t make sense, but it’s very important. Rest is a component of the hustle, not a vacation from it.
Burnout kills more dreams than being lazy ever did. Take the whole night off. See a movie. Take a walk. Fill up your energy tank so you can come back stronger.
Side Hustle preaches that steady growth is better than big growth that ends in failure. It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon.