How to Manage Two Jobs

Posted by Leanne Moore on May 10th, 2019

It's a fact in our 21st-century world that someone you know is working a side hustle. Ever more common is the situation in which people are working two jobs. Sometimes people work two jobs because they need a specific, limited amount of money for a particular want or need. Other people work two jobs because they need the income from both to pay the basic bills each month. Regardless of the reason, working two jobs can be tough. It's all too easy to get worn down, burnt out, and depressed. When you never take time out for yourself to actually enjoy something with no end purpose in mind, our minds, spirits, and bodies can't take it forever. Still, we have our needs and wants, and often, those needs and wants cost money. So what's a body to do? 

Take heart, because there is hope! You can implement certain strategies that will help keep you sane while you make the money you need. Listed below are my top three suggestions for staying the course while working two jobs. 

1. Understand that working two jobs is temporary. If you are working two jobs to pay for a specific want or need, know that you won't always be this busy. You'll work until you have the amount you need, and then you can quit one job, focus on the other, and have more time for rest and relaxation. The same goes for those who are working two jobs to make ends meet. It won't always be the case that you'll need two jobs to get by. You can apply for a different job that makes more money or be promoted in your current job. Work your way up into another job that pays you enough to quite your second job. Working hard at two jobs is worth it when you understand that it's a temporary condition that will lead to better things in the future. 

2. Keep Your End Goal in Sight. When you're falling into bed exhausted and waking up feeling even more tired, remind yourself of why you are doing so much. If you need to, post a note on your bathroom mirror or by your coffee pot to remind you why you feel so tired. When you keep that all-important end goal in sight, it gives you the motivation to continue working. 

3. Set Mini-Goals. When our end goal seems too far away to ever be accomplished, you can become overwhelmed with discouragement. At those points, it's important to set mini-goals. What goal can you set a deadline to meet by tomorrow, next week, or next month? That mini-goal should be a smaller step on the road to your larger goal, so accomplishing your mini-goal is also helping you to accomplish your end goal at the same time. But accomplishing your mini-goal gives you a reward much quicker, which in turn will motivate you to continue working. Set as many mini-goals as you need, and accomplish one right after the other. That will give you the boost of energy you need to keep going. 

These are just a few strategies you can implement while trying to manage two jobs successfully. For more tips, visit my blog post about a variety of strategies you can use to keep your sanity while working two jobs.