How to Find Time for a Side Hustle When You’re Already Busy
Key takeaway: You don’t need to find huge amounts of free time to build a side hustle. Small, consistent pockets of focused time can quietly create a very different future.
If you’ve ever thought about starting a side hustle, you’ve probably also said these words…
“I’d love to… I just don’t have the time.”
It’s one of the biggest reasons people never get started.
And I completely understand why.
Life is busy.
Most of us already have a full-time job.
A family.
A home to look after.
Bills to pay.
A dog to walk.
Meals to cook.
Friends to see.
Somewhere in between all of that, we’re supposed to exercise, sleep properly and somehow find time to build a better future.
It can feel impossible.
The good news is this.
You probably don’t need as much time as you think.
I Never Had Spare Time Either
People sometimes assume that anyone with a side hustle must have lots of spare time.
That certainly wasn’t true for me.
Like many people, I’ve always worked full time.
I’ve also built side hustles.
I’ve gone to the gym twice a week.
Made time for date nights with my wife.
Walked our rescue dog, Mavis.
Read books.
Worked on this blog.
Tried to eat better.
Tried to sleep better.
None of that happened because I suddenly had more hours in the day.
It happened because I became much more intentional about how I used the hours I already had.
The Time Budget
Most people create a financial budget.
Very few create a time budget.
Yet time is arguably our most valuable resource.
Every week you receive exactly the same amount.
168 hours.
Not 167.
Not 169.
- 168.
The question isn’t whether you have enough time.
The question is where those 168 hours are going.
I started looking at my week in the same way I looked at my bank account.
Every hour became an investment.
Not just something to spend.
That one shift in thinking changed everything.
The Life Audit
Here’s a question I’d like you to think about.
If someone followed you around for the last seven days, what would they say your priorities were?
Would they say:
Family?
Health?
Learning?
Building your future?
Or would they say:
Scrolling your phone.
Watching television.
Complaining about not having enough time.
Please don’t read that as criticism.
It’s simply about awareness.
Because awareness is where change begins.
My Why Became Stronger Than My Excuses
There was a time in my life when things were very different.
I’ve experienced financial struggles.
Career uncertainty.
Some very difficult periods emotionally.
Those experiences taught me something incredibly valuable.
I never wanted to find myself back in that position if I could help it.
Today, my motivation isn’t simply about earning more money.
It’s about creating more choices.
More financial security.
More flexibility.
More freedom.
When your “why” becomes strong enough, it becomes much easier to protect time for the things that matter.
The Spare Hour Principle
Here’s something that changed the way I think.
Imagine you found just one focused hour.
Three evenings each week.
That’s roughly 150 hours over the course of a year.
Now ask yourself…
What could you build in 150 focused hours?
A blog?
A qualification?
A side hustle?
A healthier body?
A new career?
An emergency fund?
Probably far more than you imagine.
The mistake many people make is believing they need twenty hours every week before they can begin.
They don’t.
Small, consistent effort nearly always beats occasional bursts of motivation.
Stop Waiting for the Perfect Time
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is this.
There is no perfect time.
There will always be another reason to wait.
Life will always be busy.
There will always be birthdays.
School holidays.
Work deadlines.
Unexpected expenses.
Family commitments.
If you wait until life becomes quiet before starting your side hustle, you may end up waiting forever.
The perfect time rarely arrives.
The best time is usually now.
Or at least this week.
One small step is all it takes to begin.
Doom Scrolling Is Quietly Stealing Your Future
I’m not against social media.
Far from it.
It can be a brilliant way to learn, stay connected and build relationships.
But it can also quietly consume hours without us even noticing.
Five minutes becomes twenty.
Twenty becomes an hour.
An hour becomes several hours over the course of a week.
Over a year, that could be hundreds of hours.
Imagine what you could build with those same hours.
A blog.
A second income.
A professional qualification.
A healthier lifestyle.
A stronger financial future.
The issue isn’t social media itself.
It’s using it without intention.
Give Your Phone a Spring Clean
One of the simplest changes I made wasn’t downloading another productivity app.
It was deleting several.
I looked at my phone and asked myself one simple question.
“Does this app help me build the life I want?”
If the answer was no, I removed it.
Games I’d stopped enjoying.
Apps that encouraged endless scrolling.
Notifications that distracted me dozens of times every day.
I also chose to step away from most social media.
Today, I mainly use LinkedIn and X because they support my work, learning and the projects I’m building.
I’m not saying everyone should do exactly the same.
But I do think it’s worth giving your phone a regular spring clean.
Every app you remove is one less distraction.
Every notification you switch off is one more opportunity to focus on what matters.
Remember this:
Attention is your greatest asset.
Where your attention goes…
Your time follows.
Where your time goes…
Your future often follows too.
Never Sacrifice the Things That Matter Most
One thing I want to be really clear about.
Building a side hustle should never come at the expense of the people you love.
I still make time for date nights with my wife.
I still enjoy walking Mavis.
I still go to the gym because looking after my health helps every other part of my life.
I try to eat better.
I try to sleep better.
Those things aren’t distractions from success.
They’re part of it.
If your side hustle costs you your relationships or your health, it’s probably not sustainable.
Instead, look for time that isn’t serving you well.
The hour spent mindlessly scrolling.
The evening spent watching television you weren’t really interested in.
The endless checking of notifications.
That’s where I found many of my extra hours.
You Don’t Need More Time. You Need a Better Plan
One thing that helped me enormously was time blocking.
Instead of hoping I’d “find time”, I scheduled it.
Work.
Gym.
Dog walk.
Date night.
Blog writing.
Learning.
Side hustle.
Rest.
When something is in your diary, it’s much more likely to happen.
We budget our money.
Why not budget our time too?
The more intentional you become with your calendar, the more progress you’ll make.
This Week’s Challenge
Don’t try to transform your life overnight.
Instead, do these five things this week:
- Delete one app that no longer adds value to your life.
- Turn off notifications you don’t need.
- Block out one uninterrupted hour for your future.
- Spend that hour learning, creating or building something.
- Repeat it again next week.
That’s it.
Simple.
Practical.
Achievable.
Final Thoughts
People often tell me they don’t have enough time to start a side hustle.
Sometimes that’s true.
Life can be incredibly demanding.
But more often than not, the issue isn’t a complete lack of time.
It’s a lack of intention.
I’ve built side hustles around a full-time career, family life, walking the dog, going to the gym and trying to maintain a healthy balance.
Not because I had more hours than anyone else.
Because I decided those hours mattered.
Small, consistent actions really do add up.
If you can protect just a few focused hours each week, you’d be amazed what you could achieve over the course of a year.
Before You Go
Ask yourself one simple question:
What could I stop doing this week to create one extra hour for my future?
You don’t need to find twenty hours.
Start with one.
Protect it.
Use it well.
Then do it again next week.
Freedom Check
If someone looked at your calendar over the last month, would they say you’re investing time in the future you want to build?
If the answer is “not yet”, today is a great day to change that.
If You’d Like to Chat
If you’re thinking about starting a side hustle but aren’t sure where to begin, feel free to get in touch using the contact form.
Whether you’re curious about blogging, building an online presence, becoming a Utility Warehouse Partner or simply exploring different ways to create an additional income, I’m always happy to share what’s worked for me, what I’d do differently and some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way.
No pressure.
No sales pitch.
Just a friendly conversation.
Join the Journey
If you’d like more practical ideas on side hustles, financial freedom, careers, time freedom and creating more choice in your life, I’d love you to subscribe to the Freedom Blogger newsletter.
Every week I’ll share honest experiences, practical advice and simple ideas that have helped me, in the hope they’ll help you too.
Because building a better future doesn’t happen in one giant leap.
It happens one small step at a time.
It happens one small step at a time.
A Thought to Leave You With
— Paul Schofield, Freedom Blogger
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