Forget the ‘Side Hustle’. Do This Instead.

Ah, the side hustle.

Our culture loves to romanticize it, but you and I both know the grind is real.

You know what I’m talking about. It goes something like this: waking up before the sun to get in a few hours of work that excites you before going to your 9-to-5 job for the majority of the day, coming home, pushing yourself to continue working at YOUR thing until late, waking up and doing it all again.

Some days, the promise of time to indulge your dream is enough to get you out of bed in the morning and through the work day with energy. Other days, maintaining motivation is understandably tough.

Let go of the “side hustle”.

In using the words “side hustle”, you are essentially admitting to yourself that this thing that ignites you, that moves you, that fulfills you—is on the sidelines.

And if you keep that mentality, it’s likely it’ll stay there.

Stop thinking about that thing that you want to do more than anything else as “on the side”. In doing so, you’re constructing a pretty little mental box for it and climbing inside.

No more.

Here is my challenge to you.

Before you ask, let me clear something up right now. I’m not denying that what you’re DOING is a side hustle. Look around, THIS was my side hustle when I was working at a law firm during the day and creating Youtube videos at night. There is truth to the term; after all, you are working to bring in money on the side of your current full-time job.

And no, I’m not advising you to quit your job without a plan and hope it all works out wonderfully. Whatever is financially supporting you right now is a part of this vision—not an obstacle to it—because it’s providing for you while you pursue what you REALLY want to do.

What I am doing is challenging you to think bigger for yourself. You don’t have a side hustle. You’re building your empire.

See the difference?

Okay, but why does it matter?

Fair question. Here’s my answer.

Because the thoughts you say to yourself on repeat often become fixed beliefs. Your mind will believe what you tell it, especially when you tell it the same thing over and over.

Are you telling yourself that your passion project will only ever be just that—a project? Or are you telling yourself that it’s going to become your full-time freedom?

How would you feel if the next time someone asked you “So, what do you do?”, you answered with the thing you would usually call your “side hustle” instead of launching into your elevator pitch? What would that feel like?

Commit to building your empire.

It’s about changing our OWN minds about our goals.

It can be scary to admit how much you care about something: how much you’d rather be self-employed, leading a team, or doing the LESS practical and LESS conventionally “stable” job.

It is a great act of bravery to admit to yourself, and to others, that you believe enough in the thing that truly fulfills you to actively pursue it. Building your empire starts with how you speak to yourself about your dreams.

Are you in?