To those who failed at a side hustle: Common traits of people who don't let that experience go to waste
"I guess it was a failure after all."
Words you never imagined when you started your side hustle might suddenly cross your mind.
You spent time.
You spent a little money, too.
You studied.
Yet, you didn't get the results you wanted.
When you have an experience like that, you might feel that "that time was wasted."
But is that really the case?
Even after experiencing failure, there are people who can start walking again.
On the other hand, there are people who close their hearts, saying, "I will never try again."
The difference is not in talent or ability.
It might be in how you perceive failure.
Today, I would like to look back at that experience from a slightly different angle with you, who feel you have failed at your side hustle.
The moment you stop when you feel you've failed at a side hustle
When people think they have failed, they try to come up with an answer immediately.
"It wasn't for me."
"I didn't have the talent."
But that conclusion might be a bit too hasty.
Looking back at yesterday's sales report over and over again
Confirming that the numbers haven't changed, and
I close the screen again.
Even though I know the results won't change no matter how many times I look,
there is a part of me that still hopes.
I hesitate again before pressing the post button.
"What if there's no reaction again?"
The more that anxiety grows,
the scarier it becomes to post anything at all.
Closing my smartphone when earnings don't grow.
When the time I put in doesn't connect to results,
I lose track of what to believe in.
Before I know it,
I find myself opening the side hustle screen less and less.
If you are currently feeling like you're the only one not succeeding because you aren't getting the results you want, please know that you are not alone in that feeling.
Failure in a side hustle can happen to anyone, and there are underlying reasons why it is difficult to keep going.
At times like these, the article "People who can't keep up a side hustle aren't weak-willed. The real reason they quit" might resonate with you, as it collects the voices of others struggling with the same thing.
The moment when the reason for not continuing a side hustle overlaps with the feeling of failure
Even events you consider failures,
when looked back upon, can sometimes lead to the experience of "not being able to continue."
Surprisingly, there are common threads behind that.
A morning where you feel anxious because work isn't progressing as planned
You made a plan.
But in reality, things don't go as scheduled.
When days like that continue,
you start to think, 'I'm no good.'
A night where you feel down comparing yourself to others' success stories
Every time you see someone else's achievements,
you become overly conscious of where you currently stand.
But that person must have also had a period of time before they saw results.
Sometimes we compare ourselves without seeing that part.
Time spent feeling confused by the gap between what you want to do and the actual work involved
You wanted to turn what you love into a job.
But in reality,
it's a series of steady tasks and trial and error.
Sometimes you get tired of that gap.
If you blame yourself, thinking 'Maybe I have a weak will because I can't keep going,' that assumption might be a little off.
Not being able to continue a side hustle isn't just a matter of willpower; it is also significantly influenced by a mismatch in work style or environment.
The content of the article 'People who can't continue a side hustle don't have a weak will. The real reason why you quit,' which addresses such complex reasons, might lighten your mood.
A time to understand yourself without blaming yourself for feeling like you aren't cut out for a side hustle
When you fail,
the words "I'm not cut out for this" come to mind.
But is that really the correct answer?
Moments when you feel your personality or daily rhythm doesn't match your side hustle
You are too tired at night to concentrate.
You are not good at working silently alone.
Such characteristics,
might be a matter of compatibility rather than ability.
The screen where you hesitate to post because you feel "not cut out for it"
Once you fail,
the next step becomes scary.
Even though it's just pressing the post button,
sometimes your hand stops.
The inner turmoil of being confused by the difference between others' success stories and your own
Even if you try the same method,
it doesn't mean you will get the same result.
That is precisely why,
it is important to find a way of proceeding that suits you.
If you are currently losing confidence, thinking "maybe I'm not cut out for a side hustle," it might just be that you haven't found the way of working that suits you yet, rather than the work itself.
There is no need to blame yourself; it is important to accept the differences and think about your next step.
The article "To those who feel they aren't cut out for side hustles: It might not be the work that doesn't suit you, but the way you work," which encourages such a shift in perspective, will gently support your feelings.
Realizations that make the experience of a failed side hustle look a little different
As time passes,
the way you see failure also changes little by little.
"I am where I am today because of that."
For some, the day will come when they can think that.
Time to look at the memory of failure more calmly
Things that were painful at the time,
once you have a little distance,
can sometimes be seen as lessons.
A moment in the night when you can think, "It doesn't have to be perfect"
It was painful because you were aiming for perfection.
Just realizing that,
will make your next challenge a little easier.
Moments when your heart feels lighter as you remember small successful experiences
The day you made your first post.
The day you received your first feedback.
The day you made your first sale.
Not just the failures,
There must have been such an event.
The moment your feelings about a side hustle change with a small step you can take starting today
A fresh start,
doesn't always have to begin with a grand resolution.
Small actions,
will change your feelings little by little.
Look back at the ideas you saved in your drafts
"So this is what I was thinking."
Your past self,
can sometimes help your present self.
Proceed with entering information even while feeling unsure in the pricing field
Even if you don't know the right answer,
try entering it once.
That experience,
will lead to the next step.
The moment your finger reaches toward the post button just a little
It's okay if you can't press it.
"Maybe I should try pressing it"
The fact that you were able to think that is a change in itself.
Things to know to turn a side hustle failure into your next step
You cannot eliminate failure.
However,
you can turn failure into a meaningful experience.
The feeling of looking forward while reflecting on past failures
Don't let it end with just regret.
Taking the time to think about what you learned from it
will lead to your next challenge.
A search screen at night, looking for a path to try again
"Maybe I'll give it another shot."
If you can feel that way,
please cherish that feeling.
Time to learn from failure cases and find your own pace
By knowing about other people's failures too,
"I wasn't the only one"
is something you might think.
That becomes a great support for trying again.
If the experience of failure is weighing heavily on you right now and you can't take the next step, that feeling is very natural.
Failure in a side hustle happens to everyone, and what matters is how you start walking again from there.
If you feel like you want to organize your experience a little more and look for hints for a fresh start, the CTA for the collection of failure cases will gently push you forward.
Summary
The experience of failing at a side hustle
is never a waste.
Whether it becomes a waste or not
depends not on the fact that you failed,
but on how you perceive that experience.
Understanding the reasons why things didn't go well.
Finding a way of working that suits you.
Not seeking perfection too much.
Such small realizations
will support your next challenge.
If your past failures are still weighing on your mind, it is okay not to carry that burden alone.
Try reading through case studies of failure to see what kind of walls others have hit and how they overcame them.
You will surely find hints within them that lead to your own fresh start.