Finding Time for Side Projects + Hobbies

For many of us, when when we first start working remotely, we imagine more time for side projects or hobbies! Without a daily commute, it’s easy to think that we will have so much added free time, but it’s easy to just add that time on to our workday. We often discover that finding time for side projects and hobbies is not as easy as we would have thought.

The biggest struggle is often unplugging from our work and then making the transition to focus on other side projects or hobbies. This is another reason why having set work hours can be beneficial when you’re working remotely or from home. By doing this, you have clear hours that are meant for working, and clear hours that are meant for hobbies and other fun projects.

After 6 years of working remotely, here are some of my favorite ideas for putting a plan in place.

Choose 1-3 projects to prioritize

One of the reasons why we don’t follow through with our side projects or hobbies is that we’re not clear. For example, maybe you have 10 different things you want to do, but just feeling overwhelmed and knowing you can’t do all 10 prevents you from starting.

I know that this has happened to me more times than I can count. The way that I approach this is to remind myself that saying no right now, doesn’t mean saying no forever. Just because I don’t prioritize something today or this year doesn’t mean that it’s a no forever.

So, start by making a list of ideas for side projects or hobbies. These can be activities that you’re currently doing, or activities that you haven’t tried but have always wanted to.

Once you have your list, pick your top 3. I know that they might seem equally important, but force yourself to choose. You see, if you have 10 side project ideas and each of them seem equally important, it’s likely that you’ll never start…on any of them.

And I don’t want that to happen to you. Pick three to focus on now, and you can always come back and prioritize other things later on.

Write down the first step

Now that you have your list of 3 hobbies/side projects, write down the first step. And try to make it as simple as possible. For example, if you want to start learning French, your first step might be to download a free app like Duolingo.

I’ll be honest, my first instinct was to say that you should start comparing and researching different language learning programs. However, while that might sound productive in theory, it’s really just a creative form of procrastination. Believe me, I know this because I’ve wanted to learn Mandarin for YEARS but am just now starting.

So, truly make the first step as easy as possible.

Here is an example:

I want to start doing yoga

First step: Get on YouTube and find a Yoga with Adrienne video

Now, let’s move on to the next idea.

Schedule it in your calendar

For me, if it isn’t on the calendar, it probably will not get done. And this is something that I’m hoping to improve upon even more in 2019. If you can make it a habit of putting actions on your calendar, and then following through with your commitments, this will completely change your life.

Here’s the interesting thing. We all have appointments in our calendars to meet with other people. Do we often cancel or no show on these? Probably not, at least not unless it’s an absolute emergency. However, we often don’t show ourselves the same level of commitment and follow through. Therefore, it’s important to truly treat an appointment on your calendar with yourself just as you would an appointment or commitment with a colleague or your boss.

As a warning, this is not an easy practice, so start small. I know that I have struggled with this and especially when I first started, I failed more than I succeeded, but give it time, and just keep going.

Make it a daily or weekly habit

Habits are the lifeblood of success. I believe this so so much, because I’ve witnessed the truth of it. If you really want to change your life, what you really need to do is to change your habits. It’s not easy to learn a new language, start blogging consistently, start going to the gym, etc. But, what’s amazing is that once you make a habit of it, you take out a lot of the thought, doubt, and decision making.

I have a coffee habit. What I mean is that when I wake up in the morning, the first thing that I do is make a cup of coffee. I love it and it’s one of my favorite parts of the day. But what’s fascinating is that I don’t even have to think about it, ever. Why, because it’s a habit that I’ve had for over 15 years.

Habits allow us to reach our goals and to become the people that we’ve always dreamed that we could be. Yes, it takes time, and no it doesn’t necessarily take 21 days to build a habit. We’re all different but for many of us it actually takes much longer than 21 days, but don’t be discouraged, because once it’s a habit, you’re set!

So, think about what the habits are in your life that could set you on the path that you want to be on.

Incorporate accountability

Habits are fantastic….however, many of us need some assistance actually making something a habit, and no, doing something for 2-3 days does not mean it’s a habit.

I used to try to do things alone, but I’ve found that bringing other people into the process actually makes life so much better. Find people who have similar goals or dreams or even just someone who is a natural cheerleader or who will build you up. You can even find someone who wants to take up a similar side hustle or hobby and maybe you can work on it together.

Whether it’s your mom, spouse, best friend, colleague, you just need someone. It might be a text once a day to check in or a chat at lunch or a weekly email. Experiment and find what works for you. The point is that it’s easier to follow through when we know that we are accountable to someone.

For me, this is sooo true with blogging. When it’s just me, I have a tendency to put off writing a post or scheduling a newsletter. However, if I am held accountable by a friend, I am definitely more likely to get it done, because I don’t want to let that person down.

Track it

The next step is all about tracking. When we first start something it’s easy to feel discouraged, as though we’re not making any progress. I know that I still feel this way more days than I can count.

Because of this, tracking is key. For example, I love to do this in my calendar. I like to open up my monthly calendar spread. Then, in big silver sharpie, I make an X on the days that I do yoga. My goal is 3 times per week and I love the feeling as I make one of those big X marks.

Another way that you can do this is in a notebook or in Evernote. If your hobby or side hustle goal is to start a profitable blog, then write down each of the steps that you are taking each week such as, writing blog content, sharing content on social media, etc. Even if it’s only 10 minutes, keep track of it. Remember, even 10 minutes a day adds up to over an hour over the course of a week.

Then, take a few minutes at the end of every week or month and see how far you’ve come. Read over your progress and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

Reward yourself

Finally, show yourself some love! In today’s world, it’s common for most people to waste away their lives on social media and Netflix, so the fact that you are using your free time for a new hobby or side hustle is amazing! That is definitely something worth celebrating and being proud of! Yeah!

It doesn’t need to be anything crazy or expensive. In fact, one of my favorite rewards is actually one hour of Netflix! I’ve found that when I watch tv sparingly and only do it after I’ve done something productive, I actually enjoy it so much more.

Other rewards that I love are a coffee at Starbucks, a dinner out with a friend or family member, or a new book.

It’s good to use rewards that you’ll really look forward to without being overly indulgent. Each person is different so try out a few different rewards and see what works best for you.

Well friends, that’s it. So now it’s up to you. Don’t put it off any longer. Get started on that side hustle or hobby and make it happen! I’m right here cheering you on. And you can see a summary below of each of the points that I mentioned above! Here’s to happy hobbying and side hustling!

Finding Time for Side Projects + Hobbies When Working From Home or Remotely