(Today is a guest post from my good friend Jim Woods! He just launched a new book called “HIt the Mark!” co-written with Erik Fisher.)

The life of a sidehustler is challenging as you only have so much energy, time, and focus you can give to your work. As you make decisions during the day, your energy bank gets depleted and your body needs rest.

Whether you are an early bird or a night owl, at some point you will run into issues with focus, energy, and time management.

Here are 5 steps you can take to maximize your sidehustle:

1. Gauge your energy levels and act accordingly. When you are tired, 20 minutes worth of work could actually take you 45 minutes or even an hour. So to maximize your time, go for easy wins. Tackle some of your email—delete, archive items you know you don’t need. Clean up your cyber office—and while you’re at it, clean up your physical office so you can start fresh the next morning.

2. Focus on what matters the most first. Don’t put it off for later. Interruptions love to pop up when you don’t attack the work immediately. Bad habits are hard to break—so don’t let giving in to resistance become a part of your routine.

3. Start saying “no” more. Many of us are people pleasers and have made it a habit to say “yes” to things we don’t want to do. This has to stop. Consider this; each time you add another item to your to-do list, the quality of the work goes down. Multitasking is not the answer. Working more hours is not the answer. Boundaries are how you finish your work. Exercise the power of saying “no.”

4. Don’t be afraid to take a break. Fear loves to say you won’t ever return if you take a break. This is a lie. Take intentional breaks. If you don’t, you’ll exhaust yourself completely. Then you’ll get a bad attitude, and you might even start to hate the process–not that I know this from personal experience or anything.

5. Get a support network. You need encouragement as you pursue your dream. Start with your spouse. If you’re not married, get your best friend. And I also recommend the fantastic communities Jon started—30 Days of Hustle and Dreamers & Builders.

I did the sidehustle for over three years and now I’m living out my dream writing and coaching for a living. Keep hustling! You can do it too.

What side hustle tip has worked for you?

(For more great work from Jim check out his site and follow him on Twitter: @JimWoodsWrites)