Creative Teens Side Hustle Edition
We are all familiar with the rhyme’ work while you work and play while you play’. So right from childhood, we know that balance makes for a sound adult. It’s good to have a school life or a work-life, but it’s also essential to learn when to draw the line. Here are some great ways to help you have a balanced work-life, while also maintaining a side hustle.
The expression “Variety is the spice of life” means more than you know. As a student, a full-time worker, or parent with a side-hustle, you have every right to work hard towards your goals, and you can have the best of both worlds when done right. Earning some extra cash from your side-hustle and fulfilling other obligations from work or school can be extremely stressful. But with the right kind of balance, you can achieve it all.
The Fulfillment Curve
Have you heard of the fulfillment curve? This term was first coined from the book “Your Money or Your Life by Dominguez et al.,” which states that there’s a sweet spot that maximizes the feeling of fulfillment when spending time or money on anything in life. However, there will be a point in your life where more spending does not necessarily lead to more happiness, but the exact opposite– your fulfillment decreases. Generally, the fulfillment curve was illustrated concerning money, but like most good blueprints, they can be adapted to every aspect of your life.
As a teen or fledging entrepreneur, it’s best to consider the right course of action concerning your schooling and side hustle — set goals and targets for what you want to achieve with your education and side-hustle. Most importantly, engage in activities you’re passionate about; it’s less stressful; you get to do what you love and earn money.
Plan Your Schedule
For a work-life balance, you also need to plan your schedule; as the saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail.” It’s never too late to start a schedule if you don’t have one. Your routine could be on an hourly, daily, or monthly basis. For a daily routine, you can schedule the first part of the day from Monday to Friday, solely for school activities and weekends for personal development or family time.
How Educators Can Help
Educators can support a school-life balance by creating routines that promote structure but also enable an open space for students in classrooms. Creating themed days could appeal better to varied interests. For instance, to promote balanced and creative teens in my class, I establish routines for students such as Mindfulness Mondays and Rachetdemic Tuesdays where students learn to improve their focus and connect with popular topics impacting their lives. For Genius Hour Wednesdays, I invite an experienced resource person to interact with students. That way, students get to connect academic content with passion projects and potential side-hustle projects.
Tune-up Thursday is a day to review and reflect on progress, or open dialogue. These moments can prioritize soft skills that could lead student to become more effective communicators, problem solvers and more productive in school or with any side hustles.
Fun Friday is a day where I encourage students to take up a creative activity or pursue self-care which we discuss further below.
Set Boundaries
Finally, set boundaries for your side-hustle to avoid burnout. Plan your time, take time off to unplug and relax, or spend time with your loved ones. If that is not possible, you could volunteer; try reading to the elderly or cleaning up rescued animals at the shelter. Volunteer work gives you intrinsic satisfaction like no other. It helps your state of mind and will make you feel better about yourself.
The fulfillment curve is a personal accomplishment of happiness. Embrace your uniqueness and adapt a work-life lifestyle that helps you accomplish all tasks and responsibilities without deleting yourself.