main hustle not side hustle
Side Hustles

Focus On Your Main Hustle, Not Your Side Hustle

Want to know the best way to make some extra money? Hint: It’s the full-time job you already have. Sometimes, you have to put your passion project aside and focus on your main hustle, not your side hustle.

Of Dollars and Data had a great post recently about this very thing at the macro level. While he was mostly ranting against entrepreneur twitter niche, in which successful entrepreneurs brag on how easy it is to become an entrepreneur while often shitting on anyone who’s not at the very least attempting entrepreneurship, his point remains. The fact is, the best way for most of us to make extra money is to focus not on our side hustle, but on our main hustle.

And I say this as someone who’s made exactly zero dollars on this side hustle. (Less than zero if you factor in paying for web hosting, but I digress.)

What’s the Quickest Way to Make an Extra Grand?

Think about which scenario is more feasible. Are you more likely to earn a $1,000 raise from your existing job or career path, or to make $1,000 on whatever your side hustle pursuit happens to be? Chances are, it’s your main hustle, not your side hustle that will propel you to further gains in the immediate future.

Ramit Sethi has all kinds of helpful tips about asking for a raise and negotiating your salary, areas in which I struggle greatly and have yet to put his advice into practice. But there’s some sort of psychological bonus in earning money on your own. I have a more emotional reaction to winning $2 on a scratch off lottery ticket than I do when I receive my significantly larger paycheck every two weeks. We tend to take our salaries or regular earnings for granted.

In thinking about how to make more money, rarely do we consider the current position we hold in our career that we’ve worked so long and hard to achieve. You know, the job that we beat out several other candidates for. And if we do, we think about it in terms of leaving that existing position for another one with a different company as a way to earn the salary increase. While that certainly is one way to do it, we do tend to overlook that we can make money for doing essentially no additional work (well, maybe some, as Ramit advises) through our current main hustles.

The “Focus On Your Main Hustle, Not Your Side Hustle” Mantra

In a way, the “focus on your main hustle, not your side hustle” mantra is me explaining away a weeks-long lull in new posts. And make no mistake, I love a good side hustle. There will be times when I dive into Impersonal Finances as if it’s a real revenue-generating machine and try to figure out how to create interesting content and optimize SEO and all that bloggy stuff. But there will be times when Impersonal Finances is the furthest thing on my mind, as it admittedly has been for the last few weeks. Sometimes you just need to focus on your main source of income. Other times I’m just being lazy.

That latter reason is why the entrepreneurial spirit that Of Dollars and Data rails against serves as motivation to many future self-starters. Like most things, the “entrepreneur or else” attitude is borne of good intent. Who doesn’t want to be their own boss? Who doesn’t want to hold their own future in their hands? But the fact is, not everyone can do it. Not everyone should do it

There is a value to a consistent paycheck that has become almost disparaged in certain circles. Focusing on your craft and working toward promotions, or simply taking on additional hours to earn overtime, are far more productive and immediate paths toward making extra money than, say, filling out surveys for hours on end in return for 30 Rapid Rewards Points.

Start With a Potentially Money-Making Hobby

As someone with a new and unsuccessful blog, I especially loved what Of Dollars and Data had to say about his own experience in the world of side hustles:

Since I started blogging nearly 3.5 years ago, I have spent around 2,000 hours writing 195 posts (~10 hours per post).  If you aggregate all of the money I have made from ads and affiliates on the blog over this time period, it comes out to roughly $12 an hour before taxes.

Not exactly a get-rich-quick scheme. And definitely not a higher earning rate than most traditional career paths have to offer.

But there remains that certain pride that comes from earning income outside of the traditional route, which is why a lot of low-trafficked blogs like this exist. The $2 scratch off wins are psychological boosts that allow us to dream of a day when we don’t have to rely on anyone else for our livelihood. And it’s good to have hobbies, especially hobbies that can eventually earn you extra income.

By all means, go ahead. Start a blog. Become a Tik Tok influencer. Sell some shit on Etsy. But in the pursuit of side hustling it’s best not to lose track of the fact that your main hustle remains your best bet toward creating additional wealth.

18 thoughts on “Focus On Your Main Hustle, Not Your Side Hustle

  1. Nice article! I never understood the side hustle mania myself, but to each their own. I’d also add Chris Voss’s “Never Split the Difference” counsel on how to successfully negotiate a raise!

    1. I think there’s something about doing it “on your own,” even if that isn’t necessarily the case. I once heard about freelancing that it’s not as if you have no boss–you actually have several, as every client becomes your boss. There’s also something about seeing a direct correlation between work and pay, which is sometimes lost in the bi-weekly salary pay structure.

      I will check out Voss!

  2. I agree with the general sentiment of this post. However, to me, it begs the larger question as to why so many people feel the need to start a “side hustle” in the first place. One could argue it has origins beginning with the diversion of income and wealth in the U.S. starting in the 1980s. Curious as to what you think.

    P.S. You know who is the absolute worst Grant Fcking Cardone. I even hate saying his name…

    1. There is definitely a gross side to the entrepreneurial culture (MLMs come to mind), but I do think it can empower people to learn something new or take more control of their financial situation. For many, side hustles are a means to an end because they don’t make enough at their 9-5. If you need cash now, it’s easier to drive a few hours for Uber than it is to work hard at impressing your boss for six months in the hopes of a raise.

  3. This is excellent advice. It’s great to have something on the side as a hobby. If it brings you in a bit of money, that’s great. But, as you say, you’ve got a higher chance of success by focusing on your main job. I started a blog as a hobby. I hear of lots of people making money at it but that’s not my focus. But, I’m learning new skills that will help me in my day job. That’s the real value.

    1. That’s a great point Michelle–the side hustle can be something that will help develop your skills in your “main hustle.” Anything you’re doing to acquire a new skill adds to your value. Blogging in particular is a great way to keep your writing sharp, in addition to learning a lot of new skills on the back end!

  4. Thank you for this post. As a new blogger, this is a great reminder. After all, “side hustles” are still things to be done on the side. We can’t lose sight of the main income stream.

    1. Exactly right! I’m relatively new to the blog world myself, but it’s been a nice distraction with the potential to monetize down the line. Looks like you’re doing a great job with your “side hustle” so far!

  5. Great article! I’ve just recently started thinking of side hustles but most opportunities pale in comparison to my 9-5. Through training and job transfers I’ve almost tripled my salary in 7 years.

    1. Thanks Matt! Side hustles are fun, and can sometimes lead to new opportunities in the future, but it’s easy to take that steady paycheck for granted. Especially when your company provides opportunities for upward mobility like yours–that’s awesome that you’ve been able to take advantage of those resources!

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