5 Must Try Productivity Hacks For Every Side Hustler
You’ve been there, I’ve been there, we’ve all been there, juggling between our 9–5 and our passion projects. We try to squeeze the most out of every minute without burning out, but most of us fail.
Hey 👋 , fellow side hustler! Today I felt like writing something very close to my heart (and my calendar haha) — maximising productivity. You’ve been there, I’ve been there, we’ve all been there, juggling between our 9–5 and our passion projects. We try to squeeze the most out of every minute without burning out, but most of us fail. But the good thing is, my friend, you are not alone. It’s a tightrope walk, but with some tried and tested productivity hacks, we’ll be able to navigate the waters more smoothly. And, along the way, I’ll introduce you to a few free but useful tools, perfect for all you side hustlers and digital nomads out there.
Morning Routines and Magic Potions 🪄
Yes, you read that right. Starting your day right and having an established morning routine is like drinking magic potions. Morning routines can elevate your energy and mood and set a positive tone for the rest of your day. They don’t have to be crazily complex routines, but simple things like yoga, meditation, reading a book, listening to a podcast, making breakfast for your wife and kids (if you’re the type of person that enjoys cooking) or simply enjoying a cup of your morning brew in silence, can energize you. It’s all about creating your sacred space in your comfort zone, a space for your mind to breathe and relax before getting into the hustle mindset for the rest of the day.
Another common reason for burnout is due to lack of an adequate support system from your close family. Let me be brutally honest with you fellow hustler, my wife was not a big fan of me starting a side hustle in the early days. She watched me hustle and grind all day, and she felt like family time was being compromised, and she was right. So I highly encourage/recommend you to try and incorporate family time somewhere in your day. I usually take an extended morning routine time, from 7 am to 10 am on weekdays, that way my wife and son don’t feel like they are being prioritized any less.
I hate the Pomodoro Technique, here’s something better 🍅
For people who are not aware of the classic time management method “Pomodoro technique”, it is a method involving taking short breaks of 5 minutes after working for 25 minutes and then after 4 cycles, taking a longer break to recharge. I’ve tried and tested this approach, but to be honest, it only works for certain types of tasks and people. My issue is with 25 minutes. When working on SaaS side hustles demands a lot of research and focus, the timer going off every 25 minutes just brings my concentration level down to zero. I then find myself context-switching during the break and it’s very hard for me to get back my concentration levels to optimum levels. I think, especially for SaaS projects, 25 minutes is too little. What I recommend instead is using a 90-minute timer. This works best for me, as it involves less context switching and more focused hours.
I use Pomofocus for my Pomodoro timer needs. It’s free to use on any device and you don’t have to install it on your device.
Prioritize, Prioritize and prioritize 🔢
A good rule of thumb that I follow daily is what three things can I do today that will move the needle for my side hustle the most. Not all tasks are the same, in the context of a SaaS side hustle, some of the tasks are painfully repetitive but require very minimal cognitive load and some tasks are easy to get done but require a lot of research and cognitive load to get done. A perfectly groomed priority list will have a mix of these types of tasks, ranked in descending order of their ability to push the needle. Focus on the tasks at the top of the list before even bothering to look at the items at the bottom of the list. It’s all about focussing and working on things that truly matter and pushing all the rest to a backlog that can be addressed in the future.
I use Trello for backlogging and prioritizing my tasks. They have a generous free plan which is easy to get started and would suffice most side hustle needs.
Digital Detox, does it work?📱
I know, it’s a trend now on social media to digitally detox, but do you understand why it is important? Our mind is built in such a way that it is constantly looking for triggers and “new things”, so every time you scroll on Instagram or TikTok, every time you get a notification, you get a slight dopamine rush in your head. When you get notifications regularly, your body will enjoy this rush of dopamine, and when you stop getting notifications, you’ll start craving them. It’s a vicious cycle. This can be addicting and can lead to dangerous levels of addiction.
Few things we can do to avoid this:
Set your device to silent mode
Set specific times during the day to check your emails and social media
Consider using time limiting apps or websites to limit the time spent on social media apps
I use RescueTime , an offline time-tracking app with great features and a free plan.
Automate and Delegate
Sometimes it’s best to automate the boring repetitive stuff and delegate things which don’t bring you joy. For example, I had to create ads for social media and I don’t like making ads. I tried doing it but ended up wasting so much time, that I could have otherwise spent on building my SaaS. I’ve made the mistake and learned from it, so I don’t want you to be repeating the same mistakes that I did. Also, another important thing to note is that doing things that you don’t enjoy will also lead to burnout. So it’s always best to delegate where possible and don’t be afraid to do it.
Platforms like Its My Bio can streamline your online presence, making it easier to manage all your links and information in one place. It’s a game changer for digital creators and hustlers, saving you precious time to focus on things that matter.
And there you have it friends, 5 must-try productivity hacks for supercharging your side hustle journey. These are just my top 5, but there’s loads more to discuss in my upcoming blogs. Implementing even a few of these can significantly make a difference in your productivity, focus and energy. Happy hustling!
Thank you for reading!
Sanjay.