How I’m Going To Turn Side Hustling Into A Full-Time Income In 1 Year

I’m on a journey of discovery, perhaps some would say a mid-life crisis to create an income through what the millennials call side hustling!

I have worked more or less the same job for my entire career and have always intended to retire from my current job early. Although I am not quite ready to stop working altogether I feel it is time to work for myself rather than someone else.

I view work as just another activity which makes all of the other activities that I enjoy possible and all the better because my work activity pays for them. So why not make my actual work activity more enjoyable and begin side hustling?

So…side hustling?

I have never really felt the urge to personally interact with social media, that was up until now. So what changed?

More recently I have read increasingly about hobby bloggers who have started with the intention of earning a small side income and monetised their blog to such a degree that they have given up working for someone else and their social media marketing has become their full-time employment.

Is this only possible for the twenty-thirty somethings who have an exact handle on all things social or can a complete (and somewhat slightly older) novice breakthrough in the world of side hustling?

Writing is definitely an activity that I enjoy so can I actually turn my writing into a work activity? Don’t get me wrong I use the internet regularly to shop online, do research and book travel etc what I don’t do is anything socially. I don’t have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.

Surely regardless of age, within us all there is a streak of entrepreneurial spirit ready to be released, it’s just a question of finding the right opportunity to let it out.

I am ready and prepared for the next adventure in my life, so can anyone be successful side hustling?

My goal over the space of the next 12 months is to discover whether it is possible to go from no social media experience at all to actually generate a regular income; Project 365.

I am well underway with research mode and as a recap,
I have conjured up my blog name; The Social Media Virgin.
I have developed my plan and timeline.
I have bought my chosen domain name and hosting from Bluehost which I found to be the most cost-effective plan with hosting priced a $2.95 per month. Sign up now with this exclusive special pricing here.

Other blog tips you may be interested in:

• How to buy a domain name
• Instagram Novice – getting started

Beginning my Side Hustle 

And after much reading and deliberation have made the decision to use WordPress, primarily so I can gather an email list, look more professional and have the capacity for future growth.
I have spent £16.06 so far (£11.04 for 2 years domain name & £5.02 on first month of web hosting)
I have created my email account, Twitter and Instagram and amassed a handful of Instagram followers.

FOLLOW MY INSTAGRAM HERE

I feel I am really making good progress and while I have set up the income and expenditure accounts I really need to get to grips with understanding how to make best use and take advantage of social media.

Is it too late to catch up or even overtake the social media whirl if you have been lying techno dormant for years?

Project 365

Well that is exactly what my next 12 months learning experience is going to be all about. While relishing the fact that I am due to take early retirement in the next couple of years from my career of 30 years, I am looking for a new venture to fill my days when this landmark moment arrives. So can I equip myself within the next 365 days of sufficient social media expertise and knowledge that I can embark on a new career as a professional income generating blogger when the time comes?

Related read: T minus 22

I will be documenting my progress and hopefully my meteoric rise and more likely a few dismal failures throughout the coming months, interspersed with some of my more regular lifestyle activities. I’m currently on countdown to Black Friday shopping in Vegas! So you won’t want to miss out on that experience with me.

I have received coaching on publishing photographs on Instagram and have downloaded an app called Planoly to help organise my photos before publishing.

Having thrown out into the ether a random selection of photos I am testing the water to determine what seems to work well, the photo of my dog is currently winning! I have established my first 26 instagram followers in the space of 4 hours so as they say from small acorns etc etc. I need to work on determining the right hashtags to use with each of my posts so a bit more reading is planned.

Thank you to esejantablog, you are my very first follower! and I really appreciated that, so I will continue to follow you even if you eventually give me the dreaded cold shoulder of social media, the ‘unfollow’.