How To Create A Side Hustle Work Schedule (While Working Full-Time)

Written by: Alexis Schroeder

Publish Date: January 7, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you.

Do you want to learn new skills, earn extra money, or possibly turn your side hustle into a full-time job?

If so, today’s post is going to help you create a side hustle work schedule so you can maximize your earnings and success.

Do you not have a side hustle yet? Read this post here.

You will learn:

  • How to create a side hustle work schedule
  • How to find a side hustle best for you
  • Side hustles you can start today
  • Free tips and resources for getting started on a side hustle 

How To Create A Side Hustle Work Schedule (While Working Full-Time)

Track every minute for 1 full day

Let’s find out how much free time you really have.

That’s why I recommend tracking a regular day to see where you’re spending time. You should include everything in your day of tracking, even if it includes sitting on your toilet on a phone for 30 minutes (yep, I went there). 

This will give a realistic view on how you’re spending your time so you can see where you can make adjustments. Once you have more time cleared up and using your time intentionally, you’ll have more time for a side hustle.

This task might be the hardest part of creating a side hustle work schedule because it’s a a reality check for some of us, but it’s also the most important.

Don’t skip this step.

Take a look at your current schedule

Now that you have your current schedule in place, you can fit in time for a side hustle. 

For example, maybe at night you watch TV from 9pm-11pm. Instead of doing that, you could go to sleep at 9PM and wake up at at 5AM to work on your side hustle.

You could work on your side hustle from 5AM-8AM until you start your full-time job.

Depending on what kind of side hustle you have and what you want your side hustle to become, you should consider treating it like a real job. So if you put down “5AM-8AM work on side hustle”, you should show up and work on your side hustle from 5AM-8AM. 

I recommend having a full-time job + side hustle planner so you can plan out times and tasks for your side hustle all in one place.

For example, if you sell dog treats that you create from your home kitchen, you could show up from 5AM-8AM creating dog treats. Or if you created and sold printables on Etsy, you could work on your side hustle from 6PM-8PM at night.

Related: 10 Tips For Balancing A Side Hustle And Full-Time Job

Eliminate distractions

If you’re already on a tight schedule, eliminating distractions is mandatory.

Here are some of my best tips I personally use for eliminating distractions:

  • Write a list the night before of all the things you want to get done on your side hustle the next day
  • Put your phone on night mode when you’re working on your side hustle (if possible)
  • If your side hustle is at home on a computer, clean up your environment and create a clutter-free workspace
  • Close unnecessary tabs on your computer and only have mandatory tabs open
  • Work in your office if you have one to eliminate people and noises 

Pick a side hustle that’s best for you

Read the post: How To Find The Best Side Hustle For You. This will help you ask yourself questions to determine what kind of side hustle you should start. Then it will lay out side hustles that answer each specific question. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

For example, if you enjoy proofreading, you could become a freelance proofreader and work from home. If you enjoy supporting small businesses and helping them grow, you could become a Facebook Ad Manager and work remotely.

Related: 11 Free Courses That Teach You How To Make Extra Money

How much money do you want to make?

The more time you work on your side hustle, the more money you can make. 

There was a point where I realized I wanted my side hustle to take over my full-time job. In order to do that, I had to cut down the amount of hours I was spending at my full-time job. 

If you’re currently in a similar spot, this is something to think about. Your side hustle can end up making more money than your full-time job and you may want to reduce hours at your full-time job so you can dedicate more time to your side hustle. 

Also, there are some side hustles that have room for a ton of growth potential. For example, working as an online English teaching at VIPKID is great money and there’s always work, but it doesn’t have as much growth potential as starting a blog and making money from it.

Side hustles to start now

  • Sell printables – #1 recommended side hustle for people looking for a low-stress way to earn passive income from home.
  • Pinterest Virtual Assistant – Help businesses shine on Pinterest as a Pinterest manager. Create your own schedule, work for yourself, and work from anywhere in the world.
  • Sell dog treats – Make up to $2,500 a month selling dog treats with this fun side hustle perfect for people who love dogs.
  • Proofreading – Earn $20+ an hour proofreading from home. Be your own boss and set your own schedule.
  • Surveys – Make money for answering simple questions. You can take as many surveys as you want and earn up to $5 per survey.
  • Bookkeeping – Start your own virtual bookkeeping business and earn up to $80,000 a year from home.

Resources for a successful side hustle

Final Thoughts

If you want a side hustle but you have a full-time job, you can totally make it work. Take action and implement these steps I went over today. 

What’s your best tip for making money with a side hustle while balancing a full-time job?

Related articles:

Best side hustles (making $1,000+/month)

  • Sell printables on Etsy – Selling printables is the #1 side hustle to make money. This can be done on your own schedule and turn into passive income! You can earn over $10,000 a year selling printables.
  • Sell dog treats – Make $1,000+ selling dog treats from the comfort of your home. Be your own boss and make your own schedule.
  • Proofreading – Earn $20+ an hour proofreading from home. Great for people who enjoy editing and working from a computer.