Planning
How much thread is on your week
Before taking on side work, it helps to know how much free time a week actually holds. The number is usually smaller than it feels.
Start with waking hours
Take the hours you're awake in a week. For most people that's around 110 to 115.
Take out the fixed thread
- Working hours, including breaks and travel
- Meals, cleaning, shopping and family care
- Rest you won't give up: exercise, friends, a quiet evening
What's left is the free thread
Write the number down. For many people with a full-time job it's somewhere between 8 and 15 hours, spread unevenly across the week.
Leave slack
Plan side work for no more than about two-thirds of the free thread. The rest covers late shifts, illness and the things nobody plans for.
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