![The Lost Reverse Time-Shifted New Year’s Eve Episode [LNIM206]](https://www.latenightim.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Depositphotos_25565783_xl-2015-1080x675.jpg)
Mark's promised New Year's Eve episode arrived two weeks late, and the reason why holds a powerful lesson for every side hustler. When your day job bleeds into your personal time, your business suffers. Here is how to set boundaries that protect your most important work.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
- Why the pandemic blurred the lines between work time, family time, and side hustle time
- The “pay yourself first” principle applied to time management
- How to set and defend boundaries around your side hustle
- Practical tools for protecting your most productive hours
Episode Summary
This was supposed to be the New Year's Eve episode, but it arrived almost two weeks late. The reason? A customer-related issue at Mark's day job consumed the time he had set aside for recording. That experience became the lesson itself.
Before the pandemic, most of us had a natural hard stop from work. We physically left the office and people recognized the day was over. But working from home during COVID-19 blurred those lines. The demands of the day job pushed back into dinner time, into evening hours, and into the time reserved for building a side business.
If you are a side hustler, you have to set boundaries.
Mark draws an analogy from personal finance. Financial advisors say you should pay yourself first when you get a paycheck. The same principle applies to time. You get 24 hours every day, and if your side hustle is important to you, the first thing you should do is allocate time to it before everything else fills up the calendar.
Use your calendar as a tool. Block off specific hours for your business and treat those blocks as non-negotiable appointments. Ask your family for help protecting that time. Communicate what you need so the people around you understand why those hours matter.
Set those boundaries. Protect them. Your future business depends on it.
Key Takeaways
- Remote work erased the natural boundaries between your day job and your side hustle
- Apply the “pay yourself first” principle to your time, not just your money
- Block dedicated side hustle hours on your calendar and treat them as non-negotiable
- Ask your family for help protecting your business time
- Boundaries are not selfish. They are essential for making progress on what matters most
What's Changed Since This Episode
Mark recorded this episode at the end of 2020, when remote work was still a relatively new adjustment for most people. Since then, hybrid and remote work arrangements have become permanent for millions of workers. The boundary-setting advice Mark shares here has become even more relevant as the lines between work, home, and side hustle continue to blur for many entrepreneurs.
Time-blocking tools have become more sophisticated since 2020. Apps like Notion, Google Calendar, and dedicated focus apps now make it easier to protect dedicated work blocks. The core principle Mark teaches, however, remains unchanged: if you do not actively protect your side hustle time, everything else will consume it.
Resources Mentioned
Related Episodes
If you found this episode helpful, you might also enjoy:
- LNIM207 — Accomplish Your 2021 Goals in Nine Simple Steps
- LNIM197 — Staying Productive During A Global Pandemic
Listen and Subscribe
Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or drop a comment below.
