How Do I Choose the Right Side Hustle for My Skills and Interests?

So you’re sitting there, scrolling, mind half-numb from a listicle that promises “45 Side Hustles to Make $5K This Month!”—and you feel like you're drowning in glittery ideas that make absolutely no sense for you. Babysitting? Nope. Dropshipping? Sounds illegal-adjacent. Voiceover acting? Maybe. Do you need a studio for that? Whatever. The point is—it’s exhausting. Finding your side hustle shouldn’t feel like trying to choose a meal when you’re already starving and the menu’s written in another language.

I remember one night—foggy brain, half a cup of chamomile tea, Spotify’s “Focus” playlist doing absolutely nothing for me—I sat down to “find my side hustle.” Whatever that meant. Ten tabs open. One was an article titled something like “Turn Your Passion Into Profit,” which sounded inspiring, except I wasn’t entirely sure I had a passion. Does rearranging my pantry for fun count? Because I do that. A lot.

Anyway. Let’s start messy: you’re not looking for a hustle. You’re looking for a fit. And sometimes? That fit isn’t neat. It’s not all “marketable skills” and spreadsheets of niche keywords. Sometimes it’s that weird thing you do when no one’s watching. Like—true story—I once spent four weeks illustrating pigeons in elaborate headwear. No reason. Just needed to get it out of my system. Posted one online. Someone offered me $15 for a print. Fifteen actual dollars. And suddenly, my silly little side project became...a thing.

The thing is, people always say, “start with what you’re good at,” which is fine advice—until you realize half the stuff you’re good at you also kind of loathe. Like I can write business emails in five tones of fake cheer, but do I want to monetize that? God no. Just because something pays doesn’t mean it’s worth your time. You need to check in with what you can do without feeling like your soul is being vacuumed through your nostrils.

But also—what if you don’t know what you like? What if everything you try just kind of...fizzles? That’s okay too. Try badly. Try half-heartedly, even. There’s this myth that you need to know, from the beginning, that this is your thing. That your side hustle will feel like fireworks and clarity and “omg this is my purpose.” It probably won’t. It'll feel like confusion. Like maybe it’s working, maybe it’s not, maybe you're just playing around on Canva again and calling it branding.

Also—let’s talk energy. I used to fantasize about starting an online shop that sold hand-lettered quotes. Very Pinterest-core. I even made a few mockups. But by the time I finished work, made dinner, scrolled through doom-news, and showered—I had nothing left to give. The idea of opening Photoshop made my skin itch. That was a clear sign: wrong hustle for the version of me that existed on weeknights.

You need to pick something that fits the actual you. Not the imaginary, hyper-productive version of yourself who wakes up at 5 a.m., drinks lemon water, and has a flawless notion dashboard. No. The real you. The you who maybe eats cereal over the sink and hasn’t folded laundry in three days. That person. What can they realistically commit to without falling apart?

Follow your curiosity. Not the big, sweeping “follow your dreams” stuff—we’re not in a Disney montage here—but those little flickers. What do you read about when you're procrastinating? What do you overexplain at parties? What would you stay up late researching, not because you have to, but because your brain won’t let it go?

Sometimes your hustle’s been there all along, just disguised as a quirky habit or a “useless” talent. I know someone who makes niche TikToks reviewing medieval armor in movies. He just landed a sponsorship deal. The internet is weird and beautiful like that.

One last thing. Don’t think of it like a marriage. Think of it like dating. Side hustles can be temporary. You’re allowed to start one, get bored, walk away, and try something else. You’re not locked in. This isn’t your one shot at income and meaning and freedom forever—it’s just a little experiment. And experiments, by nature, are supposed to be uncertain.

So, how do you choose the right side hustle?

Start small. Start weird. Start tired. Listen for the tug of “maybe.” Notice what doesn’t drain you. Follow what sparks a grin. Ignore the pressure to get it “right” the first time. And if all else fails—draw a bird in a hat. You never know.