Working full-time and having a part-time business on the go is, quite frankly, murdering any free time and social life you have. But then again, so many of us have a side hustle, so there must be some pleasure in it. According to Bankrate, 28 percent of people aged between 18 and 26 currently have a side hustle on the go.

With so many of us side hustling on our commute, scrambling to find time to manage things during our lunch hours, and rushing home early to dedicate our evenings and weekends to building our own business, it’s important to know how to keep track of everything and still have some time for that thing…what’s it called again? That thing that’s like…umm…work life balance. That’s the one. Let’s see how we can get you some of that balance back.

28% of people aged between 18 and 26 currently have a side hustle on the go.”

Create a schedule

Arguably the most important thing you need to do when keeping track of all the things on your list is to make, and stick to, a schedule. Blocking out the times you are at work means you can plan everything else around it and ensure that you aren’t slacking off in your day job. The last thing you want is to seem like you’re no longer interested in your career, so keep everything else for outside of work hours, and be present and focused when you’re at the office with colleagues.

To create a schedule, you’ll probably want to:

• Get a dedicated diary or calendar, whatever your stationery of choice may be. We don’t judge.
• Sync everything together across all your devices to avoid double booking. It’s the worst when you agree to a meeting at work and add it to your phone calendar, then completely forget about it until the day of, because it’s not duplicated in your email calendar. Oops.
• Block out full-time work, side hustle work, and free time to create a visual representation of how your week should look. You’ll be more likely to stick to it this way.
• Get into the habit of double checking your to-do list every day. You’re probably going to have more scatter-brain moments than the average person who’s only working one job, so it doesn’t hurt to stay on top of everything by giving your list another glance.

Be realistic with your goals

Your side hustle is your baby, we get it. It’s the most important thing to you at the moment, and it deserves your attention when it comes to setting goals that are going to get you where you want to be. Especially if those goals include making enough money to leave your full-time job. However, it pays to be realistic about what you can actually achieve in a day, a week, a month, to avoid burnout and undue stress. While larger goals and dreams are great to shoot for if you have the time, your full-time job will probably be taking up the majority of your day, so planning realistic tasks around this is key. Don’t think of it as a negative thing, you’re more likely to get even more done in the long run if you bite off chewable chunks.

Ask for help

If your side hustle is turning into something that’s actually making you money, and could – dare you even think it? – become successful (queue the emoji with the dollar sign eyes), then you need to start thinking long term. There is absolutely no point in your business suffering because you don’t have enough hours in the day, so don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. You may not be in a position to hire anyone right now, but you can certainly outsource to online services, hire a virtual assistant, find a freelancer on LinkedIn, whatever you need to do to get the job done. You can even start by outsourcing the tasks that you don’t like doing.

Set up a home office

This isn’t for everyone, but if you’re coming home to a microwave meal every night and sitting on the sofa with your laptop on your stomach, then you may be in need of a home office, or at least a desk to work from. It’s a good way for your brain to be in work mode and avoid distractions, and gives you a place to spend those few extra hours in the morning when you wake up earlier to manage tasks. If you want tips for setting up an inspiring home office, check out these 5 ways to create your dream work space.

Sleep, eat, chill

It can be easy to think that sending that one more email every night is more pressing than getting your 8 hours in, but think about how much more efficient you will be at managing your full-time job and your side hustle if you’re well rested, eating healthily, pursuing hobbies and enjoying free time. Don’t plan a week that doesn’t include at least one fun thing to do outside of the house, and always take some time every evening away from your screen to cook, read a book, spend time with your partner, whatever makes you happy.

Are you side hustling right now? Comment with your tips.

Photo by Christin Hume via Unsplash Christin Hume