Be Your Own Boss: Enhancing Accountability in Your Side Hustle

It can be easy to dream about starting a side hustle while crunching numbers at your day job; but taking concrete steps toward realizing them can be more of a challenge. Have you found yourself chasing after deadlines with no success? At some point or another we could all use some extra help when it comes to maintaining accountability with our side hustles.

The Accountability Conundrum 

Being your own boss can be both liberating and taxing at the same time, creating the accountability conundrum: an endless game of ping pong wherein you set the rules, enforce them yourself and penalize yourself if necessary – which sounds fun but can become frustrating over time! Let’s find ways we can turn this challenging sport into rewarding gameplay!

Set the Right Goals

Remember how Alice couldn’t seem to reach any destination? She wasn’t very successful because she lacked clear, realistic, and measurable goals in mind when setting your side hustle goals. Setting this as your goal may sound grandiose but is far less useful. Instead break it down – how many products or services must be sold in order for that amount to be achieved by when? Answering these questions will create your accountability map and give you something tangible that you can chase after like a dog with its bone in reach – making working relentlessly towards your end goals the keystone.

Utilize a Web-Based Timecard 

Now let’s talk about an essential tool in your journey towards accountability – the web based timecard. Think of it as your personal, online timekeeper who never loses their temper when punching you in or out. A web based timecard lets you track how much time is being spent on side hustle tasks; but also helps identify where time may be being wasted: social media browsing? Or long client calls when an email would’ve done just as well? Once you understand where time goes you can make better choices – now isn’t it time?

Harness the Power of Accountability Partners and Tools 

Whoever said, “No man is an island” was clearly familiar with accountability. Partnering up with another person (or group of people!) to hold you accountable for your side hustle will give it much-needed momentum. Accountability partners serve as your personal cheerleading squad without all of the pom-poms, providing constant motivation and occasional prods when needed. Knowing someone is watching will help reduce instances of procrastination on tasks and projects that need doing. Of course, if human accountability isn’t your cup of tea there are numerous virtual accountability tools out there too! Project management tools like Asana and Trello make staying organized easier than ever, while habit tracking apps such as Habitica make completing your to-do list an engaging game – so no excuse to procrastinate! Accountability doesn’t mean having someone to blame when something goes awry; rather, it means creating structures to keep yourself focused, on track, and at times even slightly off balance – remember, diamonds form under pressure after all!

Hustling to Hold Yourself Accountable

Holding yourself accountable when running your side hustle doesn’t need to be an impossible feat – all it requires is some goal setting, organization and the right support network. So get out there, hustle hard and remember that being accountable involves becoming your best self as well. Make that your ultimate accountability check!