You don’t need another list of “101 best side hustle ideas in 2025.” To be fair, the internet is overflowing with “best side hustles” lists.
The problem with these lists is that they can often result in procrastination and failure, because you’re overanalyzing everything, weighing up too many options at one time, trying all of them instead of remaining focused on what actually works for you, or simply have no idea where to start.
If you’re wondering which side hustle to pick to make money this year and supplement your salary, pause and ask yourself this one question:
Would I be willing to commit to doing this consistently for the next 30 days straight, even if I didn’t get paid?
Asking yourself this before jumping into a side hustle idea recommended by a TikTok influencer makes all the difference between chasing shiny objects that are irrelevant to your goals and unaligned with your core values, and actually building something long-term that complements your skills and interests and is consistent enough to make real money without draining your energy.
Why You Need To Consider This Before Launching Your Side Hustle
Here’s why this question works:
1. It forces you to shift expectations. Many people enter the side hustle or freelancing world with a get-rich-quick mindset. They want a fast, easy solution to remedy all their financial woes. They watch the flashy lifestyles of influencers and digital nomads living their best life, traveling the world, working from beaches in the Caribbean or Airbnbs in Bali and they aspire to that lifestyle.
But what they don’t realize or see (which is not showed just as equally on social media) is the background prep, research, two-hours-of-sleep-a-night, rejections, and trying, failing, trying, failing, then trying and finally getting it right, that it takes to get to that level of success in the first place.
You need to be willing to show up and be consistent, because to be honest, unless you’re a celebrity, you’re not going to see traction overnight.
Unfortunately, many people give up just before a breakthrough, when, if they pushed on just a little longer and kept researching and refining their marketing and craft, they could have had a thriving side hustle business.
Side hustles are not a glamorous quick fix
Side hustles are not a quick-fix idea. True, they may be on the “side” (hence the name), but to begin with, they’ll consume your life and you may not see strong financial results instantly. So, only decide to launch a side hustle business if you’re willing to put up with that.
2. It forces you to find the right idea. Asking yourself if you’d be willing to continue with this side hustle once it’s built for 30 days (or even more) challenges you to align yourself with something that you intrinsically enjoy. If you’re only starting something because of the money, because you read somewhere that “these side hustles pay $1,000 a month” then you’re approaching it with the wrong motivation.
Reading about side hustles that pay a certain figure on average is there to act as a pricing benchmark and to let you know what’s available for you to explore and try, not for you to simply jump on the most lucrative side hustle you see merely because it looks financially promising.
To be able to sustain consistency while building your side hustle business, you need to ensure you’re working on something you’re skilled in that you already love doing.
Find the things that give you spark and fulfilment. Those are your best side hustle ideas and you’ll be more motivated to work on them even during seasons when the revenue is dry.
3. It forces you to think long-term. The question pushes you to look beyond a current trend and consider how sustainable your side hustle idea really is. Would it be worth it being consistent if you knew for sure that there’s a high likelihood there’d be no results or growth? Of course not. You’d be wasting your time.
So, to be sure your idea has the best chance of success, you need to research the market and see where the gaps are. What do your potential customers really need? Where are they? What do industry reports say? What about keyword research on Google Trends or Semrush? Is there sustained growth?
How To Know Which Side Hustles To Pick
Try this exercise right now before you leave this article:
1. Write down your three top side hustle ideas that you think you’d enjoy.
2. Based on the criteria listed above (i.e. market research, your skill and interest level, sustained customer interest, etc.) ask yourself, Would I still show up for this every day for 30 days straight, even if I made $0 from it?
If you can honestly answer yes (please don’t fool yourself), then it’s highly likely to be a strong fit.
If not, move on and keep exploring. Or, if everything aligns but the only drawback is that you don’t want to wait so long for results, it’s time to shift your expectations and be real with yourself: Is starting a business really for you? Are you really an entrepreneur at heart?
Easy money hacks and viral passive income ideas are everywhere. But success in these fields only comes to those who pause and ask the right questions, like the one in this article. When your side hustle aligns with your passion, values, skills, and the needs of the market, momentum will build faster than you expected.