The Side Hustle Escape Plan - Edition #18
Hey there, Side Hustler đź‘‹
Lately I’ve been finding it hard to stay focused.
Not because I’m lazy. Not because I’m unmotivated. But because the noise never really stops—emails, bills, errands, social media, work demands, family needs… and underneath it all, this quiet pressure to make something more of my time.
I know I’m not the only one feeling that.
Sometimes it shows up as guilt—like I should be doing more, achieving faster, earning more on the side. Other times, it’s frustration, wondering if the small steps I’m taking are even making a difference.
But what I keep coming back to is this: progress doesn’t have to be loud to be real.
That’s what I hope this issue gives you. Not more pressure, but more permission. Permission to grow at your own pace. To experiment with ideas like using AI to simplify your work, or exploring a side hustle that pays well without taking over your life. To learn from others who’ve quietly built something sustainable from scratch—like Tanner, who turned a cruise into a blog that now brings in $3K/month.
It’s not about doing everything. It’s about building the kind of life where your energy feels well spent—and your future feels like something you’re actively shaping.
👉 So read through. Pick one thing. And let that be your next step forward.
🤖 "How AI Can Make You Rich: 5 Smart Ways to Fast-Track Your Financial Independence in 2025"
Discover how everyday people are using AI tools to automate budgeting, boost income, and build businesses — all without needing tech skills. From AI-powered savings apps to side hustles that run on autopilot, this guide shows you how to take control of your financial future with artificial intelligence.
👉 Read the full article on Forbes
🚢💸 How One Cruise Vacation Turned Into a $3,000/Month Blogging Empire
Tanner Callais turned his cruise experience into a profitable blog using SEO and affiliate marketing — now he makes $3,000/month without paid ads.
👉 Listen to the full episode
💼💰 35 Easy Side Hustles That Pay Up to $100/Hour — No Experience Needed
Discover high-paying, flexible side jobs you can start today with little to no skills — from delivery apps to remote virtual gigs.
👉 Read the full list
📌🇸🇬 Do You Need to Register Your Side Hustle in Singapore? Here’s What Every Hustler Must Know
Find out when and why you should register your side hustle in Singapore — and how doing it right can protect your income, taxes, and credibility.
👉 Read the full article
🧠🔥 Deep Work Is the Secret Weapon of Top Achievers — Here’s How to Harness It for Massive Productivity
Learn how to cut through distractions and focus like never before with Todoist’s step-by-step guide to mastering Cal Newport’s Deep Work method.
👉 Read the full article
🚀 Escape Tactic of the Week
🧠Tactic: The Rule of 3 - The Surprisingly Simple Productivity Hack Top Performers Swear By
Master this powerful strategy to accomplish more by focusing on just three priorities a day — and finally gain control of your time and goals.
👉 Read the full article
🧰 Tool Stack of the Week
🔧 Tool: Turn ChatGPT 🤖 Into Your Ultimate Side Hustle Assistant
Use ChatGPT to brainstorm business ideas, automate content creation, draft marketing copy, and streamline tasks so you can grow your side hustle faster with less effort.
👉 Learn more at OpenAI
✨ Quote of the Week
đź’¬ The Man in the Arena.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
- Theodore Roosevelt
It’s that time of the month again. You open another letter from the bank—this one reminding you about the minimum payment due. The credit card balance hasn’t budged, even though you’ve been trying. Rent’s due next week. Groceries keep climbing. And somewhere between work, family, and late-night scrolling, there’s that quiet, heavy thought: “Am I ever going to get ahead?”
You’re not lazy. You’re not reckless. You’re doing your best in a system that doesn’t always play fair. Like so many others, you're not chasing a miracle—you just want a little breathing room. A bit more margin. A way to feel like you’re moving forward, not just staying afloat.
That’s why finding the right kind of guidance matters. Not generic advice. Not hustle-culture hype. But grounded, practical insights—small, flexible ways to earn more on the side that fit into your life as it is. Ideas that help you take back control without burning out or risking everything.
You don’t need to overhaul your life. You just need to face the right direction—and start building quiet momentum towards it.
👉 Here’s where that starts.
Some of the most important decisions I’ve made in my side hustle journey didn’t look important at the time.
They were small things: blocking off 90 minutes to focus, setting up a simple tool to help with content, reading someone’s story that gave me just enough belief to keep going. But over time, those choices added up—and they started to shift what I believed was possible.
If this week’s newsletter gives you anything, I hope it gives you that kind of spark.
Maybe it’s realizing you don’t need permission to start. Maybe it’s learning a better system for focus. Or maybe it’s just being reminded that others are building their way out of the 9-to-5 too—slowly, steadily, imperfectly.
You don’t need to figure it all out today. You just need to take one small, honest step.
👉 So take it. Right now. Choose one article, one tactic, or one idea—and act on it before the day slips away.
You’ve got this.
— Terence
Founder of The S.H.E.P.