side hustles – Page 3 – Take on Life After 50

Sidetracked by the Side Hustles

I have to admit, I’ve kind of lost sight of what I intended this blog to be when I started out.

I’ve looked back on my home page, and see I have concentrated mostly on the side hustle end of it, while not paying much attention to the real reason I started it in the first place.

Granted, the side hustle part has been good because I have received so many lovely comments over the past few months. And for that I am grateful.

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However, that’s not the only reason I’m here.

As the second anniversary of my husband’s passing quickly approaches (less than a month away), I am reminded time waits for no one. On this date two years ago life was good. We had plans; we had a new home; and we were looking forward to growing old together.

Fast forward to today, and I am moving forward with life. I can never say I’m moving on…just forward. I thought I could live in the home we shared forever, but without him it doesn’t feel like home.

It took me a long time to realize that, which is why I will be moving into a new home. I’m not moving to forget him; it’s more so I can continue living. His pictures and keepsake urn will go with me, and be displayed on the mantle.

A person never really knows how they will react to a situation, or how views will change. For me, it has been months of learning who I am, and growing as a person. Truth be told, until you’re in that situation you’ll never be able to say just what you will do.

The acreage I’m buying has everything I want and need. Wide open space; a garage (no more sweeping snow off my Jeep, or plugging in the block heater when it’s colder than minus 20 C); huge windows throughout; skylights; a gorgeous view; a fireplace; a game room complete with pool table, shuffleboard, and poker table; a workshop in the back; mature trees; a huge kitchen; an office with a view; and plenty of space for family gatherings.

It’s all I could ever want in a home. Did I mention the 4 bathrooms and jacuzzi in the master bath? I think I might get lost in it. My hellions (aka Mickey & Merlot) won’t know what to do with so much space, and my dog will need some adjustment time as well. It’ll be an adventure for all.

I’ve struggled with being here alone; sometimes it’s just easier to be gone. I don’t expect anyone to know how I feel, because losing a spouse is different for everyone. I will say this though: if you know someone who has lost a spouse and they decide to move forward, don’t be too hard on them. If I’ve learned anything from the past two years, it’s do what makes you happy. Life’s too short to dwell on what can’t be changed.

So when I post about something other than side hustles, it’s because I’m trying to stay true to my original vision for this site. I’m over 50, and it really isn’t all that bad. It’s a time in life when kids are grown and have lives of their own; and are starting families of their own. (Proud grandma here.)

It’s a time to be grateful for all the things that went right in a day, and learn from the things that went wrong. We’re not perfect by any means; all part of being human. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to just stop and smell the roses, and do what works for you.

I have always done for others; now it’s time to do for me. I love blogging, and I love reading the comments you leave. If I can help just one person when I post, I’m happy. I’m not going anywhere, and plan on continuing my blog for a long time.

Side hustles is how I supplement my widow’s pension, and I will continue to share what I learn and come across. I will also, however, include my opinions and knowledge about life in general.

That said, what are your thoughts on life in general? Do you take it for granted, or live each day to the fullest?

Your Best Posts…All in One Place

Do you find yourself clicking on my posts from weeks ago just to find some side hustle information?

After some searching through a few posts to find out what I have already talked about, I decided there had to be a better way. That’s when it hit me…compile an ebook to make it easier for everyone.

I did just that, which took me the better part of two days. As the content was already written, all I had to do was copy and paste from my post editor. Add in the copyright, disclaimer, table of contents, and some back matter…and done! Each post is in its own chapter, and linked from the TOC. That in itself makes navigation so much easier.

The end result: Side Hustles Anyone Can Do

This is a prime example of how your content can be repurposed. It would have taken me days to write all of that content from scratch. In fact, over the course of when it was written, each post had several hours put into it as is.

If you write articles on your own site pick a dozen or so of the best/most related ones, and compile them into an ebook. By doing so, you’re giving your readers all of your knowledge from those articles in one place. If you have a lot of posts under your belt, consider doing a set of ebooks: Volume 1, volume 2, etc.

Set up a landing page for your new book, and include a payment method. I use PayPal for mine, and use the advanced features so the customer is taken to the download page after purchase. If they choose not to purchase, they are taken to my Tools & Resources page.

My landing page and download page were both done within WordPress. It took some trial and error to get it right, and if I didn’t I do hope someone tells me. (I can’t go through the entire process on my own because my emails are linked to PayPal and it won’t allow me to buy from myself. I can completely understand the logic there.)

Don’t forget to include an About the Author page in the back of your book. This is the perfect place to showcase yourself as a person and writer, plus link to your website and mailing list signup. If your readers like what you write, give them a freebie in exchange for their email address.

You can either sell your new ebook on your site, or publish to online retailers. Be sure to indicate it is previous work republished, as some retailers will not accept content that has been made freely available online.

I have chosen to publish my book only on my site for the time being just to see where it takes me. I’m testing some marketing efforts, and publishing exclusively on my site will give me more accurate data.

Have you considered compiling posts or articles into an ebook? If you’ve done it already, what type of results did you have in terms of sales? Let me know in the comments below.

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Baby Showers, Cricuts, & Life

I honestly don’t know where the time goes.

It seems like just yesterday I was recording Episode 11, yet here it is over a week later and I didn’t get last week’s post done.

I hosted my daughter’s baby shower on the weekend, so that has been taking up some of my time lately. It’s funny how something that wass only going to take a few hours to organize ended up taking days. But truth be told, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I also invested in a Cricut Maker, and have been trying to figure out some of its features. I think making the decals for the party favours was the easiest thing we did, even though it was time consuming. I love how they turned out, and the guests were thrilled to have something they could use for years to come.

As I get better with my Cricut I’ll be offering more items in my Etsy Shops, but for now I just have the decal above plus one more. I have to pay for it somehow. Plus it’s a nice little sidehustle, because I can be creative and not end up with thousands of decals I’ll never use.

I’m working on learning how to create stickers, but so far all I have managed to do is destroy sheets of sticker paper. I’m missing something in the setup of the print-then-cut feature, and I’m not sure what it is. I know it’s operator error all the way.

I have also been getting ready to take a vacation outside of Canada. I’m excited and terrified at the same time. I’ll be travelling with friends who have travelled a lot over the years, so that part doesn’t worry me. I think it’s mostly fear of the unknown; and the fact I’ve only flown a couple times before. And it took me almost 50 years to go the first time.

A short post is better than none at all, and I will try my hardest to get another one out before we leave in a week’s time. Between the upcoming trip and grandbaby number one arriving within the next few weeks, life is going to be a bit hectic. I just hope baby waits until I get back from my vacation.

I’ll close this post with this: how old were you when you went on a vacation outside your home country?

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