Money is a strange phenomenon. I don’t know what your first thought is when I mention cash… but to be honest mine is immediately awkwardness and a little bit of anxiety. Or rather, it was.
Entering the job market is daunting. Whether you have studied, taken some years off or jumped straight in – there is a level of confidence and determination you need to learn to really get going. There are a few things that I have learnt as I have started to work.
Diversify
A few weeks ago, one of our awesome bloggers wrote a great post on Modern-Day Hustlers (check it out here). It talks about how in today’s society, multiple income streams is almost essential for us 20-somethings.
The actual definition of Hustle in the Urban Dictionary is:
To do what you need to do to get money.
Multiple jobs is empowering
You would think that working more than one job would be exhausting, degrading or at least somewhat frustrating. But there is no shame in doing more than one type of job. All of a sudden there is no humdrum boredom from a single-office job. Variety is the spice of life. And as millennials, I believe life should be extra hot.
More than one job means that you are safer and the ball is in your court. Employers cannot demand preference over another employer; and you will definitely have your bosses’ respect for working hard.
Time is your best friend
You need to think of time as someone you want to invest into. Throughout your days, there will be that cancelled meeting or space of 15 minutes where you have finished everything you’ve had to do. These are moments where you can put in some extra effort into another area of income. So, in essence, you will be able to fit a whole lot more into your ‘9-5’ work time.
Boundaries and Priorities
It’s important to make sure that you treat all your sources of income as equal – despite which one pays the most. Each opportunity is exactly that – a chance to go further in that area. So make sure that you don’t neglect one area to focus on another too much.
There will be situations that you will have to negotiate where jobs clash, that is when you need to make sure that both bosses are aware of your commitment to them. When that is not questioned, there will always be leeway.
Rest
Don’t forget to put away the phone and relax sometimes. When you are doing a whole lot of different things, you can tend to feel like you’re being tugged in different directions. But giving your brain space to focus on things that are meaningful to you can get you out of that predicament.
Every form of employment has an upside. Sometimes it’s hard to find it, granted, but job satisfaction is essentially up to your attitude. The fulfilment of enjoying different types of work all at once is something that is not only liberating, but very exciting!
If you are looking for inspiration, or need encouragement the best place to turn is God. He knows exactly what you are going through, as well as who he has made you to be. To find out more, click on the link below.