“Every day is a winding road. I get a little bit closer.” 🍃~Sheryl Crow
Turns out life doesn’t always respect time blocking. (#445)
For a long time, I thought I had my days figured out. I was a self-declared morning person, knowing that mornings between 7 am and noon were when I did my best writing and felt the most productive. And I knew I could carve out 30 minutes or an hour during that window to work on my side hustle.
And that worked really well. Until it didn’t.
The pandemic shifted many of us to working from home. Around the same time, my caregiving responsibilities increased. I started being called on to help with other things.
My days started to look like:
Taking my grandma to the doctor during those oh-so-precious morning hours.
Getting things done when she sleeps. (the adult caregiver version of “sleep when the baby sleeps”)
Working in pockets throughout the day.
Shifting when someone needs help.
And those time-blocked days I had in my head no longer worked for me.
For a while, I really wished things could go back to the way they were. That I could somehow make the old schedule and structure fit. But the more I tried to force it, the worse I felt.
Eventually, I had to accept that things were different. I was in a new season and needed to find a new way for my days to work.
Because some days could go according to plan. But there have also been plenty of days when grandma has a fall or ends up in the ER, and those plans go out the window.
When you’re in a situation that isn’t easily changeable, at some point, you have to have an honest conversation with yourself about how you move forward.
For me, it became: Okay… my life has plot twists now. Pretty regularly.
Not good, not bad. Just is what it is.
So what do I do with that?
U is for Unpredictability 🌪️✨
(and designing your side hustle to bend instead of break)
Instead of constantly trying to fight the unpredictability of it all, I’m learning to roll with it.
Here’s what that can look like.
Designing offers that work with an unpredictable schedule
I love my Voxer coaching offer because it doesn’t require me to be on a call at a specific time. Folks message me when it works for them. I respond when it works for me. We go back and forth until they have clarity.
Async offers work great when you can’t promise you’ll be available Tuesday at 2 pm.
For you, that might look like:
• Pre-recorded content instead of live workshops
• Async coaching or support
• Products people can buy without you being present
• Email-based offerings that run on your timeline
Giving yourself permission to adjust.
My newsletter used to go out every Saturday like clockwork. Now sometimes it’s Sunday. Sometimes it skips a week.
And that’s okay.
(While I’d love to get back to a more consistent rhythm, I’m also giving myself grace while I figure some stuff out.)
Other ways this can look:
Changing the day you send or post without guilt
Not sending when you genuinely just…can’t
Adjusting timelines when life happens
Building in rain dates or buffer days
For example, I try not to schedule meetings on Fridays. That’s my “what still needs to get done this week that I didn’t handle yet?” day. My built-in buffer.
Work when the energy is there.
I’ve stopped expecting my energy to look the same every day. Even though I wish it would.
Some days I have a lot of energy and work for a longer stretch of time. Other days I ask myself:
What’s my capacity today? What can I realistically get done?
What’s one thing I can do that still moves things forward?
The shift: it may not be possible to work the same amount every day. Work with the energy you have.
Take advantage of technology and flexibility
I try to work wherever life happens. That might mean:
Answering emails from an Uber using my iPhone hotspot
Working from the library when grandma needs to get out of the house
Opening my laptop at the coworking space, kitchen table, or occasionally from bed
Sure, it’s probably not in the productivity rule book. But we do what works for us, yeah?
What are some ways you can use technology to help on those “life is lifin” days?
—
There’s a dance metaphor I love that applies here, too.
When you’re dancing, you keep your knees slightly bent. Not stiff or locked. Just loose. Because when your knees are bent, you can change direction quickly without getting hurt.
Life works in much the same way. When we stay flexible, we can more easily pivot.
And being able to adapt to what life throws at you?
That’s an amazing skill to have.
—
If your life also feels unpredictable right now, you’re not doing your side hustle wrong.
You might just need to design it differently.
Instead of asking:
How do I make my life fit my side hustle?
Try asking:
How can I design my side hustle to fit the life I actually have?
—
💬 Over to you: What’s one small way you could make your side hustle a little more flexible right now?
On to the picks! ✨
P.S. Speaking of designing lives that work for you, next week on March 26th, Saya, Mac & Cheese Productions and I are chatting about all the things. Hope you’ll come and eavesdrop on our convo! Get your free ticket here!
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#sponsor
Your side hustle can be an act of resistance.
#picks 😍
✌🏾. Make Peace with Your Incomplete Tasks:
“At the end of each day, take 5 minutes to write down any unfinished tasks or nagging thoughts. Next to each item, note a specific next step you can take to move forward.”
🛠️. Top 50 productivity hacks. A fun roundup of productivity tips voted on by readers. Some obvious, some clever, some… very internet.
Spoiler: the #1 tip is “shower in the morning even if you work from home.”
📚. A fun, visual way to keep track of the books you want to read.
🌱. A couple of Skool communities I’ve been enjoying lately:
💰. Your First $5K: I grabbed Arlan’s book years ago, and she talked a lot about being underestimated, finding your voice, and remembering that “you deserve to walk through the door of any room you want to be in.” I’m getting a similar energy from this group, which focuses on helping people learn how to make money online using YouTube, sales, and AI.
✋🏾. The Done Era: “For people who are done abandoning themselves, done over-explaining, and done making decisions based on who might be disappointed.”
#icymi
😍. Last issue’s top pick: What’s Working Now: Grow Your List
🌱 Side Hustle Idea Kickstart: My 30-minute mini-course is perfect for exploring possibilities without overwhelm. Instead of pushing you to “go big”, I walk you through finding an idea that fits naturally into your life. Includes personalized feedback from me as you work through each lesson at your own pace.
#classifieds 🗞
9️⃣. What if your next experiment was just $9 away? This bite-sized training shows you how to turn a simple idea into a paid offer. Fast. Fun. Low-pressure.
💌 Say no to overthinking your sales emails. These 15 templates help you write faster, sell easier, and keep your energy for what matters.
🎁. Stop getting “almost right” gifts. This wishlist blueprint teaches you how to clearly (and quietly) share what you want—with low-key scripts + a simple list that does the talking.
(like these? let’s partner up!)
#lifevibes
#supporters ☕️
Thank you, Fonda, Kelly, Melinda, Tawanna, Gia, Lori, Ayana, Krista, Jessica, Annetta, Constance, Tunde, Jen, Michelle, Emile, Bex, Kim, Angela G., Lauren B., Chelsea, Amy, Ricky, Kirsten, Vin, Julie, Nicole, Hmza, Greg, Kristin, Kirstyn, Jess, Cheryl, Krysta, Adrena, Vidya, Kristyn, Danielle, Keyn, Terry, Vanessa, Meredith, Lauren, Meg, Maria J., Chivon, Kim, Luciano, Colie, Chasity, Laurie, Latienda, Collette, Anne, Kristen, Liz, Katherine, Monale, Betsy, Melissa, Lindsay, Jennifer, Kayla, Madison, Rae, Stephanie, Christine R., Christine M., Frances, Hannah, Chris, Brandy, Mea, Kristian, Maria K., Avery, Adam, Barbara, Shenee, Desiree, Lisa, Kandice, L’Oreal, and LaVerne for being #jesspicks supporters!! ❤️
definitely going to not get caught up on days I publish my substack--going with the flow until I find a schedule that works!
Can’t wait for our 1 on 1’ish!