So… I have been slowly moving into this crazy full time (full time work, business and motherhood). It is bananas, I can tell you…but I love it all and honestly can’t picture life without all the work that goes into these days.
My multitasking is not to be confused with lack of decision…I prioritize my jobs all the time. When friends ask if I wanna hang out, I reply with the usual ’no can do, gotta finish something,’ always. So this post is really to cheer up my fellow side hustlers with the 20 reasons why I love doing it all and I am not planning on quitting any time soon.
Warning: This list only applies if you at least somewhat like your full-time job. There is no price on sanity, so if you absolutely hate your full-time then by all means go do something else…your business, work for another creative, whatever else you feel is a better use of your skills + can help pay the bills.
Now for all the reasons you should keep your full-time job with a smile on your face:
01. You will be more productive
Here is the first thing I learned when I started working full-time on my creative business…the more time you have, the harder it is to do the really important things. Back before I had my side-hustle, I was was a master at wasting time…organizing my desk, ordering pretty things online, taking photos of my coffee, you name it! Even after a full year and countless books on the topic, I still couldn’t focus on the things that really pushed my business forward.
Simply put…. ‘Mo’time, Mo’problem’ when you are a solopreneur!
I did get a little bit better by following some pretty good advice–you can check the list HERE–but the ‘cure’ to my lack of focus only came when I started my full-time back and was working in between meetings again 🙂 Nothing like having 15 min only to make you focus and do the work!
02. You will be more profitable
Not saying you will sell more or make more money, but you will get better at being profitable. Start thinking about what you make in terms of $/hour – so if you, like me, have a great job, you are already taking home something like $80-$100/hour anyways.
03. Learning opportunities on the company’s dime
Working for a company has so many perks, but the opportunity to go to conferences, access to a large library, chances to join women’s groups, etc. are some of the best ways to leverage what you learn at work into your own business and vice versa.
04. Get out of the house
This one you probably won't realize it is a blessing until your 3rd month working from home. So if you haven't worked from home full time, just trust me on that…it is tough! Getting out of the house is so important to keep you fresh, inspired, plugged into trends, and just plain happy. Getting ready every morning might seem like a waste of time, but you will be surprised how negative living in your gym pants can be for you. More to come on routine and habits in a few weeks 🙂
05. Have real conversations all the time
No, I didn't have imaginary friends last year! My full time creative life only lasted 1.5 years so I guess it wasn't time enough to join the looneys. I am talking about REAL conversations…things that matter, that make you grow and share other points of view. When you are home alone with your marketing plans and to-do lists, you are only hearing your own voice. With the exception of my coach (1x week), my clients (every now and then) and a few team members (max 1 hour/day) I had nobody to talk about anything! The fact that my husband just couldn't stay awake while I talked business also didnt help my constant state of solitude and borderline ‘neediness'.
06. Just be inspired
If you are thinking of owning your own business, you will soon realize that small things like spending a morning at a museum or traveling just for fun become everyday trade-offs. You will feel so guilty that you should be using that time to plan out your instagram or the money could go to the new CRM you wanna implement. Just enjoy some real time off and use this time to get truly inspired for your side business now that you have the money!
07. Provide for your family
One of the things that drove me insane was the constant fear I was not going to be able to contribute enough to our family finances. Every investment decision on my business meant less of those pennies for a family vacay or a brand new toy for Warren. Truth is we were (we are) used to a certain lifestyle and not having that big paycheck every week meant big changes for our family.
Sometimes, you know that you are doing something just for a short period of time and that is fine, but when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s time to look at another source of income…that was the last straw on my decision making.
08. Increased focus
This one goes hand in hand with productivity, but there is nothing more rewarding than just crunching some big task in a few minutes and just getting it done. I used to spend so much time planning those big activities and never actually accomplishing them…now, 5,4,3,2,1…done!
*like this blog post here…it ain’t perfect but it is out there and I hope it helps you somehow!
09. Networking with people from other areas
I didn’t realize I was always ‘networking’ until I started going to work and actually having conversations about other things. Crazy how you can get so involved in your business, and creating relationships to grow it, that you actually forget to just ‘explore’ what other people do…legitimately just for fun. You know the ones you don’t have an agenda for are some of the best connections you will make in life.
10. Get your mind out of your work
When I am out of the office (writting this post for example) I am actually recharging for work later on…same goes for the studio. I feel so much more energized to do things for work because I am not working on it all the time and the same goes for the studio…all good vibes, all the time.
11. Make better time investments
Remember how I said I used to spend hours buying stuff online (just to decorate) or taking pics of my coffee…well, those times are long gone. I have 10 min in the morning to get my coffee (and get dressed) so I order over the app and pick up on the way. I also have a capsule wardrobe that helps me get dressed in 10 min or less, but that is topic for another post!
The truth is, because I no longer have the whole morning to ‘get ready’ I actually use the time more wisely and on activities that actually bring me money (getting to work early, getting client work out of the door, etc).
12. Learn how to just do things in a split second
Another bad habit you can’t afford to have when you work full time and have your passion business on a side? Spend hours learning how to do something. I used to spend days (and a ton of money) learning about business, time management, money management, SEO, social media (oh don’t get me started on that!) and for what?? The things that actually brought money to the business were still the same ol’ things…making product, collaborating, being present and socializing with people (on and offline).
13. Learn how to make decisions quickly
14. Take on riskier projects (and better projects too)
15. Get more money for your time
So here is how you need to look at it. Whatever your hourly rate at work is, just make sure you take on projects that will do exactly the same for you or more.
16. ROI
17. Go through all phases of business a lot faster
I was pushed to scale, grow a team and automate way before others simply because I didn’t have the time to work on every little detail
18. Focus on what really matters – sales
19. Look great without feeling like you are taking money out of your business
20. Realize that you can do a bunch more than you think! Lesson for life!
Now I am curious…Do you love your 9-5 or are you itching to go full time on your creative journey?
No judgement, so leave your comment below!!
Work on,
Roberta
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