Dec. 30, 2025

177: Why Most People Quit Their Side Hustle

Why most people quit their side hustle is rarely about the idea itself.

This episode reveals why making a clear commitment before you start or launch, to a timeframe or milestone, is a critical factor in staying the course when progress feels slow.

Show Notes

You can catch it on video, too:

Why do so many people quit their side hustle, even when the idea itself isn’t bad?

Today I break down 3 real reasons most people walk away from their side hustle and why quitting is often more about behaviour than talent, motivation, or market demand.

If you’ve ever started a side hustle, put in the effort, and then stopped (especially when the money didn’t show up as quickly as you hoped,) you’re not alone.

You’ll learn:

Why early income is a lagging indicator, not a verdict on your idea
The three most common reasons people quit too soon
How starting too big actually works against you
Why lack of clarity around progress creates unnecessary doubt
How isolation sabotages follow-through
What to do differently next time so quitting isn’t the default response

This isn’t about pushing harder or working longer hours. It’s about setting yourself up with the right expectations, structure, and support so your side hustle has a real chance to grow.

Do you like what you're hearing? Consider giving it a caffeinated thumbs up. We'd really appreciate it!

Need a little (and sometimes big) push to start and stay focused to grow your side hustle? Dive into my online Masterclass: How To Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things.

Share this with someone who’s tried before and is thinking about giving it another shot.

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Why Most People Quit Their Side Hustle

Most side hustles do not end because the idea was bad.

They end because the process became uncomfortable, unclear, or isolating, and the person building it did not have a plan for getting through that phase.

When people tell me why they quit their side hustle, the reasons usually sound practical. It was not making money. Life got busy. Motivation faded. All of those things can be true, but they are usually symptoms, not the real reason someone stopped.

When you look more closely, most people quit for a small number of predictable reasons that show up again and again.

The excitement fades faster than expected

Starting a side hustle is exciting. There is energy and momentum simply because something new is happening. In the beginning, you are focused on possibilities rather than problems.

Then reality shows up.

The work becomes less exciting. Progress feels slower. You run into challenges you do not yet know how to solve. The early enthusiasm starts to wear off, and self doubt begins to fill the space.

This catches a lot of people off guard. They assume something must be wrong, when in reality they have simply moved out of the novelty phase and into the learning phase.

That moment is also when quitting starts to feel reasonable.

Not making a commitment makes quitting easy

One of the most overlooked reasons people quit is that they never decided in advance how long they were willing to stay in the game.

Without a commitment made before launch, every obstacle becomes a decision point. Every setback invites the question, is this really worth continuing.

The more effective approach is to decide ahead of time what you are committing to. That might be a specific time period or a clear milestone, such as:

six months of consistent effort
a set number of conversations
a defined number of offers tested or releases completed

Before I launched this podcast, I made a commitment to myself that I would release 52 episodes over one year, no matter what. That decision removed the option to quit during the most uncertain early months. It is one of the reasons this show still exists today.

When the decision to continue has already been made, your energy shifts from debating whether to stop to figuring out what to try next.

Reason one: Doing too much too early

Another major reason people quit is that they start with a version of their side hustle that is far too big.

Instead of testing a small, contained idea, they try to build the entire thing at once. Multiple platforms. Multiple tools. A fully polished offer before any real feedback.

At first, this feels productive. Being busy creates the illusion of progress.

Over time, the workload becomes hard to sustain, especially when results are slow. People often conclude they do not have time, when the real issue is unnecessary complexity.

Early stage side hustles work best when they stay focused. One offer. One audience. One simple way to learn whether there is interest.

Reason two: No clear definition of progress

Many people quit because they cannot tell whether what they are doing is working.

There is effort going out, but no clear feedback coming back. Without defined markers of progress, everything feels subjective.

This is where money expectations often create problems.

Income usually shows up after learning, testing, and adjustment. When people expect money to appear early, the absence of income feels like failure rather than information.

Early progress might look like conversations, feedback, or consistency. When progress is not defined, doubt fills the gap.

Reason three: Trying to do it alone

Side hustles are often built outside of structured environments, which can make them isolating.

When there is no one to talk things through with, challenges feel bigger than they need to be. Uncertainty turns into self doubt, and people start assuming they are the problem.

Most of the issues that cause people to quit are not unique. Others have faced them before. Perspective makes a difference.