“It’s just my little voice that I’ve been missing.” 💭 ~Sara Bareilles
staying afloat when it's hard (#389)
Remember when I told you about starting swimming lessons?
Well…. let me tell you, this stuff is HARD. But it’s teaching me some valuable lessons that apply far beyond the pool. What do I mean?
Here are my current swimming challenges:
Fully submerging my head (apparently, it helps with body alignment 🤷🏾♀️)
Breathing correctly (inhale through mouth, exhale through nose - who knew?)
And yeah, the whole advice is that you should hum while exhaling? You may as well tell me to “put my lips together and blow” cause I can’t whistle either. 😩
Coordinating floating, kicking, and breathing (it’s like walking and chewing gum at the same time, but harder!)
Realizing how out of shape I am? (um, howww do people swim LAPS?)
I am beginning to understand why it’s tough for adults to learn swimming. The instructors are great, but most of the time I’m thinking:
Yeahhhh, I have some anxiety. This is gonna take a while.
That little voice in my head keeps saying, “This is hard. I’ll never get it.”
Sound familiar?
It might, if you’ve ever started a side hustle or tried learning any new skill.
The struggle juggle is real.
But then another quieter voice chimes in:
Jess, it’s only your second class. That makes it Day 2. Give yourself a break. Sure, this is hard, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it.
Doesn’t this sound a lot like starting a side hustle? You’re learning new skills, venturing out of your comfort zone, and wondering if you’ll ever “get it”. But here’s what my swimming lessons can teach us:
It’s hard, but it won’t always be this hard. You’ll figure out the breathing - it’ll become more natural over time. And you won’t even need to think about it.
Speaking of time…this takes time. You won’t become an expert after two classes (or even 3).
You gotta keep going. As Dory says, “Just keep swimming!”
Small progress is progress (yeahhh baby steps!) I’m already starting to relax a tiny bit more in the water.
Whether it’s swimming or side hustling, remember:
It’s new. It feels hard. And it will feel hard until it doesn’t.
What new skill are you struggling with in your side hustle journey? Are you trying to find time for it? Struggling to balance all the things. Hit reply and let me know. Maybe we can be each other’s cheerleaders as we navigate these new waters.
On to the picks!
P.S. If you're feeling overwhelmed in your side hustle journey, remember: it’s part of the process. We all start as beginners. And this stuff is hard. If you need some guidance, check out my Side Hustle Idea Kickstart. It might just be the pool noodle you need to keep your head above water! (yeah I can’t stop, won’t stop with the swimming analogies. I think they work so well! 😆)
Note: This email may contain affiliate links. If you click through my link and make a purchase, I may receive “thank you money” at no additional cost. I only recommend products that I use and love.
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🤓. Tool: Readwise Reader. Imagine if Pocket (the Read It Later app) and Feedly (your one-stop blog aggregator) had a baby, it would be Readwise Reader. This powerhouse tool has become my secret weapon for curating content for this newsletter. Not to mention any highlighting I’ve done can be resurfaced to me via email through the original Readwise service. This post convinced me to give it a try, and I haven’t looked back since. If you follow a lot of blogs and often want to save things to read later in a batch, you might like this.
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11 Ingenious Tips About Side-Hustling From Actual Side-Hustlers
“Decide what role you want your side hustle to play in your life and then pursue with an insatiable desire. Is it a creative outlet? Is it a means to share something you are passionate about with the world? Is it a way to improve a skill you care about it? Is it way to advance in a field you care about?”
#jesspicks has been an incredible creative outlet and has helped me become a better writer and curator.
What role does your side hustle play in your life? Is it meeting your expectations? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
#icymi
😍. Last issue’s top pick: 10 Amazon Prime Perks You Need to Be Using (2nd week in a row!)
🎤. ASK: My goal is to book ONE MORE paid speaking gig this year. If you know of one, I’d love an intro. I talk about side hustles, newsletters, and finding self-care in a busy life. Learn more about my speaking offerings here.
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#lifevibes
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Found this content helpful?
You have more guts than me. I'm a terrible swimmer, but I can't imagine taking lessons at my age. (64) 😁