One of the cool things about working from my coworking space is the ability to meet new people. As of late, I’ve met an aspiring blogger or two who would love to blog full-time, but they feel like they can’t find the time to build their business while holding down a job.
I get it because I’ve been there. I blogged on the side while holding down a job for a few years before I finally decided to take the leap and commit myself to a blogging business full-time.
It is difficult to show up to work 40 hours or more a week and then spend nights and weekends trying to grow your own business. Truth be told, trying to find time for yout business while holding down a job is tough. It was really rough for a couple of years there, but I did learn a few tricks that helped me stay sane and build my business to the point where I could finally quit my job.
Exercise.
This seems really counter-intuitive in an article teaching you how to find time for your business when you still have a job. After all, doesn’t exercising take away any limited time you may have for your business?
It may seem like that at first, but the reality is exercise gives you more energy. When I was working full-time and building my business on the side, I was at either a yoga studio or a mixed martial arts gym twice a week. Unless I was sick and couldn’t make it, it was non-negotiable time.
This actually helped me deal with the stress of essentially having two jobs (a regular job plus a business) and gave more energy which I then used to find time for my business.
Make time.
If you’re having difficulty in trying to find time for your business you must remember that people make time for the things they really want. I’ve coached aspiring business owners with day jobs who get up at 4:30am to get their work done first before heading to their office. I’ve seen people work late nights and weekends. I’ve seen people give up a lot of stuff now so they can reap the rewards later.
While I never did the 4:30am thing (I’m really not a morning person), I did work nights and weekends. I passed on a lot of social events and prioritized my work over going out. Fast forward a few years and I see how it all paid off.
Additionally, sometimes I’d get stuff done during my lunch hour. I’ll never forget the time I did an interview for The Huffington Post while on my lunch break at the office. It was the only way I could do it, and you bet I made it work.
The common theme I’ve seen is if you really want it, then you’ll find the time for your business even if its hard,
Have patience.
Businesses do not happen over night. That’s why it’s important to have patience as you find time for your business while still holding down a job.
Just like I’ve seen a lot of people give it their all and make time for their businesses, I’ve also seen a lot of people quit due to a total lack of patience.
One thing that helped me cultivate more patience as I was trying to find time for my business was to remind myself that the sacrifices I was making were only temporary. I had to really hold on to the idea that eventually I’d be running my business full-time and that all the work I was putting in now would be worth it.
If you can hold on to this thought, you’ll find the time and cultivate the patience you need to build your business.
