Side Hustle University

Chapter Four: Selecting with Confidence

In the next few chapters, we will be going over how to start up your side hustle, as well as what to do after you’ve officially launched, but first we wanted to leave you with a quick chapter on how to feel confident about your side hustle choice.

It’s normal to feel apprehensive when making big decisions, and while we can mimic a certain slogan and chant “just do it,” we also recognize that sometimes that isn’t enough to settle the gnawing uncertainty you might be feeling. Fortunately, there are a few strategies you can employ to help you gain confidence in your decision.

Talk to family and friends

Remember how we talked about the importance of having a solid support system before setting off on your side hustle journey? Your support system is your backbone in times like this! 

Don’t be afraid to talk to your friends and family about your decision. Ask them if this is something they can picture you doing, and pay attention to how you feel when you talk about it. Do you enjoy sharing about your new side hustle, or do you feel uncomfortable discussing it? The former is a sign that you’ve made a good choice, while the latter might mean that you should do a bit more thinking.

Sit on it for a week

If you are still feeling uncertain, go ahead and sit on your choice for a week. During that time you can think about your side hustle and imagine what it will be like, but don’t do any major work to get it started. The point of this strategy is to distance yourself somewhat from the original rush of choosing a side hustle, and to give yourself time to come down from the emotional high that comes from starting anything new. In a week or so, you should be able to look at your side hustle more objectively.

Trust your gut

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. When it comes right down to it, eventually you will need to just trust yourself. If it helps, think about other times when you’ve made important decisions that have turned out successfully.

It is normal to feel nervous when starting a new venture. That nervousness can even be a good sign — after all, being nervous simply means that you recognize the importance of the step you are about to take … and that in turn is a sign that you are stepping in the right direction.

Conclusion

Hopefully, by now you are feeling a little more comfortable with your choice. In the end, if you get started and truly feel as if you’ve made a mistake, you can always start again and try something new. Failure isn’t the big, scary thing that people make it out to be — ultimately, learning from failure is a big part of how we eventually find our way to success.

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