Hustle After Hours

5 Tips for Running a Side Hustle While You’re Working Full Time

Journaling and planning my week

Making It Work: 5 Real Tips for Running a Side Hustle While You’re Working Full Time
Because part-time doesn't mean half your time — and that's okay.

Let’s be real — building a business while working a full-time job can feel like living two lives. One foot in your 9–5, the other chasing your passion project after hours. It’s exciting, yes — but also exhausting. If you’ve ever felt pulled in opposite directions or guilty for not doing “enough” on either side, you’re not alone.

Side hustles are often fueled by purpose and possibility, but keeping them alive takes more than passion — it takes permission. Permission to go slow. To do less. To change the plan when life shifts. Because this isn’t a race — it’s a long game, and your energy is your most valuable asset.

1. Time Block Like a Boss

📅 Tool: Calendar Management
Set dedicated times for your side hustle — even if it's just 2 hours a week. Use color-coding, time blocking, or even theme days. Don't underestimate what you can do in focused 90-minute windows. I block my full time calendar as well, I have a side hustle calendar and invite my corporate account so it blocks my time at the full time gig. Additionally Tuesday and Wednesday are my busiest corporate role days, so I focus on hustle M, Th and Friday.

2. Don’t Measure a Part-Time Hustle Against Someone Else’s Full-Time Career

📉 Mindset: Comparison & Imposter Syndrome
Comparison is the thief of joy — especially when you’re in different seasons. You might see someone posting daily and feel behind, but they don’t have your same obligations. Honor your own bandwidth.

3. Define What “Part-Time” Really Means for You

⏳ Reality Check: It's Not Always 50/50
Your availability will shift — maybe summer is side hustle season and Q4 is survival mode. That’s not failure; that’s strategy. Build flexibility into your goals and recognize when to pull back without guilt.  My time fluctuates with my full time career and I adjust quarterly, I have more time in the Spring and Summer for my hustle and I’m busier in the winter so I cut back some knowing I can do more in the spring.

4. Set Small, Weekly Wins

🏆 Project Management Tool: Break Big Projects Down
Instead of “launch a website,” set goals like “write homepage copy” or “book 1 client call.” This keeps momentum going and gives you frequent confidence boosts.  

Pro-tip if you are setting up a website remember not to compare to more experienced people.  Keep it simple in the beginning maybe just a home page, contact page, and overview of your service.  Down the road you can expand or even hire someone to help up level up your website.

5. Build a Maintenance Mode Plan

🛠️ Sustainability: Know When to Coast
Have a checklist of the bare minimum to keep your business visible when life gets busy. (Think: one post a week, one client check-in, one monthly invoice). Maintenance is still momentum.

Closing Thoughts

Running a business part-time isn’t a lesser version of full-time — it’s a different rhythm. You get to define what success looks like in this season. Remember setting a goal without a plan is just a wish. So create a check list and just focus there to start. Monthly you can expand and add categories. Consider this a phased approach.