The 3 Best Reasons Every Employee Must Start a Side Hustle in 2022
If you want to thrive through the change, you must prepare now.
“Change is inevitable.” A phrase we can quote verbatim in the middle of a deep winter night’s sleep.
Over the past year and a half, these words have proven all too true.
We’ve experienced change at an unprecedented pace due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our careers are no exception. While you may still be employed in your dream job, you likely know someone who no longer is. Or you’re employed but hate your job because of the lackluster compensation.
We can’t control change that is thrust upon us by forces outside our control. But we can control how we respond to it. We can let it defeat us. We can let it cause us to doubt ourselves and our abilities. Or we can adapt to the change and choose to grow through it.
Change is most meaningful when viewed as an opportunity.
An opportunity for growth.
An opportunity for new possibilities.
An opportunity to lean into fear and let it transform us.
Here are a few reasons why you should start a side hustle to make money in 2022.
Reason #1 — Inflation Is Rising Faster Than Wages
The supermarket. The gas station. The utility bills. Our hard-earned money seems to be a professional escape artist from our bank accounts.
Inflation is driving up prices at the fastest pace in almost 40 years. We find ourselves thinking about money more than usual.¹
How can we get relief from this rising financial pressure? Inflation seems to be here to stay for a while and our employers don’t seem to have any useful pay increases in the works.
Many of us are even having to cut back on routine goods like morning Starbucks and evening Ben & Jerrys. Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton, says “This is inflation that’s not likely to be insignificant anytime soon, and that’s a problem.”¹
Starting a side hustle this year can be the anecdote to this unfortunate situation.
The good news is that you do not have to be a full-scale entrepreneur to launch a side hustle. Most side hustles do not need large amounts of capital to start. Nor do they need you to know the ins and outs of business. You do, however, need to be intentional about making time for it each week.
Google can be a huge ally to your mission here. Search for “side hustle ideas” and you see a wealth of ideas to get you thinking. But don’t overthink it. Pick something that is doable with your schedule and get started.
Take action on what you can control. The mindset shift that occurs when you switch your focus to things inside your control is massive. Success is never guaranteed with any new venture. But frustration and burnout are likely guaranteed without a commitment to change.
Reason #2 — Quitting Rates Are at a Record High
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a staggering 4 million workers quit their jobs in April 2021. This is the highest recorded quit rate since the year 2000.²
The data is clear. People are quitting their jobs in unprecedented numbers. While you may not be at the point of quitting your job yet, you may be contemplating it.
The rapid upheaval of working norms from Covid-19 threw many of us onto emotional rollercoasters. Burnout. Re-negotiating work-life balance. The grim effects on employee morale from these sudden changes were nothing short of tragic.²
You may find yourself on the brink of quitting now. But you trudge on because you see no way out.
Take a minute to step back from the daily grind and dream. Imagine a future where you are once again in control of your life. You could change the trajectory of your life with the humble beginnings of a new side hustle.
What do you enjoy doing?
What are you super knowledgeable about?
What have you always dreamed of doing but always been too busy for?
These questions can be springboards for helping you find a side hustle. The benefits of a side hustle are numerous. Whether you’re…
- needing extra cash to pay the mortgage or car payment
- looking to transition to more meaningful work
- seeking relief from the burnout of corporate life
No matter where you’re at in life, a side hustle can change your life for the better.
Where could a side hustle take you? The answer may lie in stepping back from your burnout and exhaustion for a moment to dream big again.
Reason #3 — The Number of Americans Online Is at an All-Time High
This is obvious. Painfully obvious, even. Imagine the blank stares if a popular restaurant jammed the cell phone signal during peak dinner time. Obviously, that is against the law. But try and imagine the misery if people only had other people to interact with during their meal.
Only 10% of U.S. adults reported going online “almost constantly” in 2015. Last year that number increased to 31%.³
Our grandparents would have given their fortune to have the exponential potential we have with the Internet. As serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk notes, “Today, the barrier to entry is practically zero. If you have a smartphone and access to the internet, you are in the game.”⁴
Maybe one of your side hustle ideas is teaching guitar. Create a beginner’s guitar course with your unique personality flair and teaching style. Use Instagram or TikTok videos to advertise your course. Or maybe you love oil painting cityscapes. Join painting groups on Facebook. Engage with other painters and people who love collecting paintings. Show genuine interest in others’ work. Post your own work and follow-up with people who show interest. Get creative.
There is no time like the present to start exploring options for side hustles from home.
Make use of the wealth of free information online. Google. YouTube. Podcasts. Webinars. There is so much valuable information available with a few taps and swipes of your thumbs.
Recognize the massive opportunity at your fingertips with the Internet. Don’t be afraid to start small. Be willing to fail and fail forward. And for the sake of your future and the future of those closest to you, don’t let this opportunity pass you by.
The Possibilities Are Endless
Starting a side hustle is one of the best decisions you could make in 2022.
Check out these creative ideas to start exploring the potential that awaits you.
Start your side hustle today. Your future self will thank you.
Sources:
- Inflation climbs 6.8 percent in November, highest level in 40 years, as prices weigh on economy — The Washington Post
- Quits rate reaching record high in 2021, BLS data shows | HR Dive
- 31% of American adults are online almost constantly | Pew Research Center
- Cheering for Optimism and The Internet | GaryVaynerchuk.com
