Running a side business or a second full-time gig can be extremely rewarding, but that doesn’t mean it comes without its challenges. Side hustles are meant to give you extra income and help you with financial independence. 

Running one of these businesses can sometimes feel like running a million business with all the headaches that come along with it. But staying organized while running a side hustle is something as small as breaking up your tasks into smaller pieces and keeping track of what needs to be done at any given time. 

Here are some tricks to staying organized when running a side hustle

Stay Organized By Breaking Up Your Tasks

One of the biggest challenges of running a side hustle is finding the time to complete all the necessary tasks while still maintaining a full-time job or other commitments. To stay organized, it’s important to break up your tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. This allows you to focus on one thing at a time, making it easier to stay on track and accomplish your goals.

For example, if you’re running a blog on the side, break up the task of writing a blog post into smaller pieces. Start by outlining the post, then move on to writing the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Breaking up the task not only makes it more manageable, but it also helps you to stay focused and less overwhelmed.

Have A To-Do List

One of the simplest and most effective ways to stay organized when running a side hustle is to keep a to-do list. This list should include all the tasks you need to complete, along with their deadlines. A to-do list helps you prioritize your tasks and ensures that nothing falls through the cracks.

To make your to-do list more effective, break it up into different categories, such as “urgent,” “important,” and “low priority.” This will help you focus on the most critical tasks first and avoid getting bogged down in less important ones.

Use Trello for Task Management

Trello is a free task management tool that can help you stay organized and on track when running a side hustle. It’s a simple, visual platform that allows you to create boards, lists, and cards to manage your tasks and projects.

With Trello, you can assign tasks to different team members, set deadlines, and add comments and attachments. This makes it easy to collaborate with others and keeps everyone on the same page.

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Set up an email tasker for yourself and your team

Emails can quickly become overwhelming when you’re running a side hustle. To avoid missing important emails and to keep your inbox organized, consider setting up an email tasker.

An email tasker is a tool that helps you manage your inbox by automatically sorting your emails into different categories, such as “important,” “to do,” and “read later.” This allows you to focus on the most critical emails first and avoid getting bogged down in less important ones.

Use a calendar or planner for meetings and routine tasks

Another way to stay organized when running a side hustle is to use a calendar or planner. This allows you to schedule your meetings and routine tasks, such as social media posting or website maintenance.

With a calendar or planner, you can block out specific times for each task, ensuring that you have enough time to complete everything. This also helps you avoid overcommitting yourself and ensures that you’re making the most of your available time.

Don’t multitask

While it may be tempting to try to tackle multiple tasks at once, multitasking can actually be counterproductive. It can lead to decreased productivity and increased stress, making it harder to stay organized and on track.

Instead, focus on one task at a time and give it your full attention. This will help you accomplish the task more quickly and effectively, and ensure that you’re making progress toward your goals.

Conclusion

Running a side hustle can be a rewarding experience, but it requires careful planning and organization to be successful. By breaking up your tasks, keeping a to-do list, using tools like Trello and email taskers, and using a calendar or planner, you can stay organized and on track. And by avoiding multitasking, you can ensure that you’re making the most of your available time and achieving your goals.