hr bartender

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LinkedIn News recently published a survey that said one third of U.S. employees have at least one side hustle. It could be working part time, running a small business, driving for a rideshare app, etc. In the article, they were asking for input on how people make time for a side hustle when working full-time. 

It’s a valid question but I would expand on it. In addition to side hustles, people attend school. They decide to earn a license or credential. Some individuals have large caregiving responsibilities. Maybe an employee has taken on a volunteer role that demands a lot of time. Honestly, as I’m typing this … extra time commitments could also involve taking on an extra project at work in addition to our regular work. For example, working on a special project in addition to your normal job. 

So, the question really becomes how can a person work full-time and still do something additional that has a large time commitment – and do it well? Here are a few things to keep in mind before taking on those large time commitments:

Determine if the commitment is temporary or permanent. Sometimes, we might take on an extra commitment for a few weeks or months knowing that it will end at some point. Other times, we have to take on an extra commitment indefinitely. Obviously, the considerations for taking on a temporary commitment could be different compared to a more permanent one. 

Try to find out how much time is involved. I think one of the reasons that people are often unsuccessful with extra commitments is because they didn’t do their homework. I recently spoke with someone who was starting a new job, going to school, and trying to get their HR certification at the same time. I’m not saying it can’t be done but that’s definitely tough and will require a huge amount of discipline. 

Discuss the commitment with family and friends. When I’ve taken on big projects / commitments, Mr. Bartender and I discuss it first. That way, if I have to work late or miss an event, we both know why. It’s tough to miss out on family events, birthdays, holidays, etc. but discussing it before taking on the commitment can allow people to talk through what’s truly important.

See if there are aspects of the time commitment that are negotiable. This kinda ties into the last point about discussing the commitment with family and friends. Maybe there’s an important event coming up that you want / need to be a part of. Can you talk with your side gig and say, “I’m happy to do this but I need to know that I can have off for this event?” Or “I’m happy to work on this provided I’m able to keep Friday nights with my family.” Now, the answer could be no to these requests, but you would know that in advance and can decide accordingly about your participation. 

Regularly evaluate the value of extra commitments. I will admit that there are some extra commitments we can’t calculate the ROI on, like caregiving. But there are many we can. This doesn’t mean that we should drop them. It does mean to make sure that whatever time you’re giving to something that you’re getting what you want out of it – money, learning, relationships, etc.      

Many people work full-time jobs and do other things. They do it because it brings them something they want or need. Managing an extra time commitment takes planning and discipline because whatever we do, we want to do it well.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Honolulu, HI
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02/03/2025 – 12:04 /Sharlyn Lauby
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