A Side Hustler’s Guide For Creating A Game-Changing Morning Routine
Are you a morning person? If so, you understand the magic that the morning can have. Waking up early, having time to yourself, and feeling the most productive. It can bring on an almost euphoric feeling. According to this article from Forbes, what you do in the morning has the power to affect the rest of the day. This is why your morning routine for your side hustle is exponentially important. As a side hustler, you have limited time to work on your business and earn an income. So if you’re a morning person, the couple of hours you have then can be a game-changer for your business and your income with the right routine.
Why is a routine important for a side hustler?
Routines are how we develop habits. When we are consistent with our routines, we apply structure to our day that prolongs that consistency out of habit building. And for a side hustler, consistency is everything. It is so much easier to get off work and watch 4 hours of Netflix in the afternoon. Or decide to sleep in before starting our day or our 9-5 job. Side hustles require us to re-lable what use to be free time and change it now to additional work time. Which isn’t horrible if we love what we’re doing.
This is why having a routine for a side hustler is key. It not only protects you against the side hustle burn out. It protects you against the side hustle downslide as well. With a well-crafted routine, you can show up more consistently within your business, get more done and create a normal work schedule that you can more easily adapt to. For a side hustler with limited availability, this structure can be truly transformative.
the morning side hustler
The morning side hustler is someone who works on their business first thing each day, or each working day. If you find that you are more productive in the morning, take less time to complete tasks and are more energized, then you are most likely what is categorized as a morning person. And for side hustling, this is absolutely the time you want to strike!
The morning side hustler would much rather work on their business before going to their 9-5 or starting their day than at the end of their day. And although the mornings can get early, the sleepy sacrifice is far less painful than working at the end of the day when they feel most drained. Does this sound like you? If so creating a side hustle morning routine may be the perfect way to go!
keeping it simple
When crafting a side hustle morning routine, the first thing you want to do is keep things simple. Remember the goal of your routine is to maximize efficiency, productivity, and consistency. Therefore, you want to keep your routine simple at first and then build off of it as needed.
A simple morning routine can start with you waking up at the same time, stretching, and writing out what you need to do. Don’t feel like you need to add in all the fixings of yogalates and herbal tea before you get your eyes open. Creating something simple at the beginning that you can repeat until it turns into a habit is a more sustainable way to build a more in-depth routine as you continue on.
creating work blocks
Working blocks are an amazing tool that you can use as a side hustler to maximize productivity and get more accomplished in less time. A working block is an allotted amount of time set aside for work. Instead of working on 5 projects in one day from the hours of 9-5, choose to create working blocks and be more specific with your time. Create working blocks no longer than 2 straight hours and dedicate them to specific tasks.
Working blocks are great when you set timers. This $12 cube timer from Amazon is one of my favorites because you can face the timer to various sides and create 5, 15, 30, and 60-minute working blocks instantly. There can also be different types of working blocks. You can set aside and create a working block for lower priority tasks such as administrate to-dos. You can also create working blocks for high-priority, high-concentration tasks.
When creating working blocks for your morning routine, be sure to consider what type of work you want to accomplish first thing. If you are a true morning person and your brain is at its best in the morning, consider creating a working block for higher priority, higher concentration tasks. Then you can accomplish lower priority tasks in the evenings such as admin work, inbox support or schedule organization.
habit stacking work with life
When creating a morning routine for your side hustle, be sure to make your routine fit your current lifestyle. You can do this through habit stacking work and life tasks. Habit stacking is the act of pairing something you do every day with a new habit to form something new entirely and be consistent. For example, if you drink a cup of coffee every morning, consider habit stacking that first cup of coffee with organizing your to-do list or outlining the next blog post.
Habit stacking work assignments with life assignments also creates a great way to truly get the most out of your mornings. You will leave your morning routine feeling more accomplished by focusing on more than just business. Plus incorporating a few lifestyle morning habits such as coffee, stretching, reading and making breakfast can truly help get you out of bed earlier.
staying consistent
Consistency is key for any routine. And with a morning routine, consistency is everything. The true secret to nailing your morning routine is being consistent. Remember to start your morning routine off simple. Perhaps you check your email each morning at the same time and then complete one blog post. Also keep in mind the realistic time window you have for a morning routine.
By completing this routine on a consistent basis for your business, you are bound to create a behavioral shift. This in turn will pay your business back over and over again. Remember a way to also keep your morning routine simple, therefore consistent, is to not overdo it. Take it from a regular 4am’er. If you are devoting the morning to your side hustle, it’s important to maintain a healthy boundary. Know your body and what is healthy for you. Perhaps 7 early mornings a week is an easy path to burnout. So consider meeting your most ambitious self in the middle and taking on a little less to preserve more.
side hustle morning routine ideas
There are so many ways to hack an awesome morning routine for your side hustle. Check out a few ideas below that you can implement inside your morning side hustle routine.
- Work ahead to prep your morning, like setting the coffee pot the night before
- Get a clear understanding of everything you want to accomplish inside your morning work block
- Charge your phone in another room and set an alarm clock like this one to wake you up instead
- Use a timer and create a non-stop working block. Pssttt…watching the countdown can be helpful!!
- Incorporate tiny morning habits into your side hustle morning routine like water & stretch breaks
- Have clear start and stop times for your morning routine
- Pair your tasks for your side hustle with the complementary energy level you have in the morning. I.E. if you’re more focused in the morning, don’t try to force admin or low-focused tasks into your routine.
how to begin creating your side hustle morning routine?
If you’re a side hustler who does their best work in the morning then a routine is a must. Having a firm morning routine can be one of the best things you do for your business. I personally cherish my morning routine because it’s the rare nugget of time that I have throughout my day where I am solely focusing on myself and my business. My day is filled with distractions and responsibilities so when I carve out time specifically for my business, I cross off my to-do list and also dive into my own version of self care.
If you’re ready to start creating your morning side hustle routine, then say no more!! Download my FREE routine templates and planning sheets for side hustlers to get started! This download will help you carve out your side hustle time each week and clearly assign tasks to those times. You don’t need 40 hours a week to build a profitable business. Your side hustle can earn a wonderful income with the allotted time you have. Begin growing something mighty inside these smaller pockets of time and use a tried and true routine to help you get there faster!
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