What Motivates You to Take on a Side Hustle

Have you ever said “it’s not about the money?” I’ve never said that, but many social work colleagues speak this phrase to describe the value of the work that we do. While we take on side hustles to make up for the shortfall in our full-time income, most of us would probably say “it’s not all about the money.”

You are overworked, overextended, underpaid and undervalued, so what motivates you to take on a side hustle?
When I started my part-time private practice, my goal was to have sustainable income that would support sending our daughters to college and would eventually supplement our retirement income. I convinced myself that I took on the extra work because of the money. We simply needed extra money. For several years I struggled to pay my office expenses and rent. I dipped into my regular salary to pay rent and utilities. I never made enough to pay myself on a regular basis.

Ask Yourself a Smart Question

When considering a side hustle, I always recommend that you ask yourself Five Smart Questions. One of those questions is “how much money do I want to make.” Answering this question provides an opportunity to set money milestones that you will work toward. I had not answered this question and I did not meet any of my money milestones in the first few years of private practice.

Because of this, I considered shutting the door, ending the experiment and giving up. I would have done just that if money was my primary motivation for having a side hustle. Through a bit of introspection, I realized that I was motivated by the opportunity to make my own decisions and to be self-directed. The private practice was my project and I had the ability and opportunity to plot my own course. Instead of following other’s plans, I chose to follow my own professional vision.

I moved the location of my office to a space that turned out to be more convenient to potential clients. I also began to focus on Employee Assistance Program (EAP) referrals. I decided how many clients to take, when I would work and how often I would schedule. The outcome was a steady number of referrals. I can now pay my business expenses and we are making use of the increased income.

I love the autonomy I experience in my side hustle. I realized that autonomy motivates me more than money.

Those of us who maintain side hustles recognize that the need for money does not fully describe the underlying motivations that encourage us to start or that keep us going. We may have started with the need to boost our social work income, but soon realized the side hustle represents much more. Think about Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. Maslow determined that in order for an individual to reach a certain level of wholeness, they needed to have explicit needs met. Let’s consider Maslow’s theory as it relates to work and employment, for example.

We work to earn money to pay for basic physiological needs such as food, water, clothing and shelter. These represent our foundational needs. We pay via taxes to have access to clean water, scrubbed air and uncontaminated food. The money we earn also pays for home and property upkeep, health maintenance, maintenance of vehicles and any other safety or security related concerns.

Money, however, cannot buy love or satisfy a need to belong. Money does not create or instill positive self-esteem and cannot guarantee that a person reaches the pinnacle of their full potential. What does this have to do with a side hustle? An underlying motivation for taking on a side hustle may be represented by the very things that money cannot buy. According to Psychologist David McClelland, a few of these may be Affiliation, Achievement, Power or Influence. You may also be motivated by the need or desire for intellectual challenge, recognition, or task variety.

Social workers who are looking to boost their social work income with a side hustle would benefit from a bit of self-introspection. Having clarity regarding your true motivating factors for working a side hustle will give you an important key to creating a side hustle that makes money and is fully satisfying at the same time.

Additionally, knowing your primary motivation for taking on a side hustle can get you through the difficulties that the additional work presents. It can inspire you to stay focused on those tasks that contribute to success. Look beyond the business cards, websites, or business plans and begin by asking yourself five smart questions to gain a greater sense of your motivating factors.

Marcyline Bailey, ACSW, LCSW is the author of Five Smart Questions Social Workers Should Ask if They Want to Boost Their Social Work Income e-book Starter Guide and Planner. These free downloads contain five strategic questions to consider before taking on a side hustle.

“I work with social workers and hard working professionals who want to be happy. I would love to hear from you.” You may join the conversation by commenting on this post or on our Facebook fan page REAL Social Workers Online Magazine or connecting with me on LinkedIn.