You guys! I’ve found it. A side-hustle that actually brings in passive income. It’s called “Retirement”. 

My social media streams are constantly flooded by people advertising a side hustle that will make me a zillion dollars every month for life or at least get me out of the day job. It’s called passive income. You don’t actually build a better mousetrap. You just design one. Then, you sell the plans through an online course or a website.  People buy those plans for years to come. The money just rolls in without you doing another ounce of work. But the thing about a side hustle is this: It is a hustle. You have to manage the website. Post the ads. Tweak the graphics when they start to look outdated. Research other people’s mouse traps. So. Many. Things.

You can spend so much time on the side-hustle you lose the life you have while seeking the life you want. That may work for some people, but it didn’t for me. My side-hustle is writing books, and I mostly do it for fun. Also because a bunch of people seem to enjoy reading them. But, it will never be passive income for life.

Wendell and I decided a few years ago that we didn’t need a fortune to retire. It’s a good thing, since we didn’t have a fortune. We needed a plan and a lifestyle that fit our budget and goals. For us, that was a fairly easy decision. We want to live simply in this season and invest our time, energy, and money in relationships. So, we are downsizing, We are moving to another state and creating an apartment in a multi-generational house with our son and his family. We are taking only the things that spark joy, and  we are weighing options for supplemental income to cover things like hunting trips and writers conferences. (I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.)

This is working for us because we did hustle in our career years. So, our retirement income on plain ‘ole Social Security is pretty livable. That isn’t true for lots of folks, and probably won’t be true for future generations. What is true is that most of us can make choices now for a better tomorrow.

Maybe you really love your side hustle and it gives you energy and joy. Then, go for it!

But, if it is wearing you out, maybe you should turn that hustle into a hobby.

Maybe, instead of spending every night and weekend trying to develop The Big Idea, you go find a better job. It doesn’t have to be your heart’s desire. It just needs to be honest work, something that pays enough to provide for your family, gives you some time off for vacations, and allows you to put a few dollars aside from every pay check for emergencies and future plans. (Check out the Mike Rowe Foundation).

It helps if the job has Kingdom purpose, but honestly most jobs do if you look closely.

My dad worked for decades in a factory where he supervised women who wound those little wires around toaster burners. Not very glamourous or world-changing. But the conversations he had with those workers and the influence of his example in their lives was eternal. And, when he retired, his little farm was still waiting with a place to raise calves, watch deer, and sit with his sweetheart on the front porch.

So, do that. Change the world from your cubicle, counter, computer, or car just by being a nice person. Decide in your heart to enjoy every day, not just the weekend.

The goal, my friend, is not to create wealth that requires no hustle.

The goal is to develop a life that lets you be free in Jesus every day. 

Let me know how it goes.