by Araminta Star Matthews, ME-ATD VP of Communications

Transitions are exhilarating, exhausting, and often underestimated. They carry the weight of possibility—new coworkers, new roles, new rhythms—and the strain of adjustment, especially when the gig economy has already taught us to keep more than one iron in the fire in order to ensure our long-term longevity? Well, let's just say it's easy for that rubberband to stretch so far it snaps back and takes out an eye. If you’re stepping into a new job while still managing multiple gigs, you are essentially trying to master the art of walking on a tightrope while juggling flaming swords. Don't get burned (out). 

Personally, I know this balance--or better put, perhaps, I'm learning it. Many of us are learning this rhythm. We take on freelance contracts, part-time teaching, side hustles, or creative gigs to make ends meet or to nourish our sense of identity in ways a single job cannot. But when a new “primary” role enters the picture, the dynamics shift. Suddenly, the scaffolding of your time and energy has to be rebuilt. If you don’t pause to consider how, you risk burning out, missing opportunities, or even undermining the success of your new venture.

Three Cautions

1. The Overcommitment Trap

When starting a new role, it’s natural to want to prove yourself—to your boss, your team, and even yourself. I personally have a knack for spotting something I just know I can make more efficient if I just spoke up and volunteered a few hours of my time. Add in gig commitments, and you might find yourself saying “yes” too often. Overcommitment is the fastest way to dilute your energy. The consequence? Neither your new job nor your gigs get the quality attention they deserve, and you end up stretched so thin that cracks begin to show.

2. The Financial Mirage

The gig economy teaches us to chase after every dollar. But when a new job brings steady income, there’s a temptation to hold onto all the gigs just in case. On paper, the numbers may look wonderful. In reality, exhaustion, lack of recovery time, and overlooked details in your primary role can cost more than those extra dollars earn. Financial security matters, but clarity about what’s sustainable matters more.

3. The Identity Tug-of-War

Gigs often feed parts of our identity—a creative outlet, a community connection, a core element of our personal identities, or simply the pride of independence. Starting a new job can spark internal conflict: “Am I abandoning my passion projects? Am I giving up freedom?” Without reflection, you may cling too tightly to every gig, not out of need but out of fear that you’ll lose yourself.

Five Ways to Survive (and Even Thrive)

1. Conduct a Gig Audit

Before stepping into your new role, list all your side gigs. Ask yourself: Which ones give me energy? Which ones drain me? Which ones matter financially, and which ones matter to my spirit? With which ones do I most identify? This audit helps you identify which gigs to prioritize, pause, or let go. Think of it as pruning a plant: trimming some branches allows the rest to flourish.

2. Redefine Success

Success during a transition doesn’t mean “do everything perfectly.” It means sustaining the commitments that align with your goals while leaving breathing room for growth. Redefine success in this season: maybe it’s giving 100% to your new role while maintaining only one meaningful gig. Maybe it’s keeping gigs on hold for six months and revisiting them later. Redefining success prevents guilt from being your constant companion.

3. Design Boundaries—Then Defend Them

Time boundaries are not luxuries; they’re lifelines. Block your calendar for rest, family, and creative recovery just as you would for meetings. Communicate boundaries to gig clients: “I’m taking on fewer projects this season” or “I can’t respond after 7 p.m.” A boundary defended once saves hours of resentment later. Make absolutely certain that self-care is on your to-do list every, single day and fight to keep it there like a mother-bear. It is true survival. 

4. Lean on Routines, Not Willpower

Willpower is a limited resource, but routines create scaffolding. A morning ritual, a weekly check-in with yourself, or a Sunday planning session can stabilize you amidst shifting demands. When you automate small things—meal prep, a standard invoicing system, or a fixed “shutdown” ritual—you save energy for the bigger tasks: showing up with focus at your new job and passion in your chosen gigs.

5. Nurture Your Non-Work Self

The biggest danger of juggling a new role and multiple gigs is the erasure of the self that exists beyond work. You are not simply a worker; you are a whole person. Protect small joys: an evening walk, an hour with a book, coffee with a friend. These “non-productive” moments sustain the resilience you’ll need for long-term success. Remember, your worth isn’t measured only in output—it’s measured in your wholeness.

Closing Thoughts

Transitions are liminal spaces: uncomfortable, disorienting, but also ripe with fecundity and personal growth. Entering a new job while holding multiple gigs is not just about surviving; it’s about consciously shaping the kind of worker—and person—you want to be.

If you ignore the cautions, you may find yourself overcommitted, financially strained despite more income, or in an identity tug-of-war. But if you heed the warnings and take practical steps—auditing your gigs, redefining success, setting boundaries, establishing routines, and nurturing your whole self—you can turn this transitional moment into a launching pad.

Remember this: You are more than your jobs, more than your gigs, more than your resume or CV. You are the author of your own rhythms. And with intention, you can write a transition story that doesn’t just carry you into your next role—it carries you into a more sustainable and fulfilling future.

Araminta Star Matthews is the Vice President of Communications at ME-Association for Talent Development. By night, she is a graduate professor for educators expanding their skills at the University of Maine and with Maine Educator Consortium, and an undergraduate professor at UMPI as well as both KV and YCCC, and by day she is a professional author and a World Languages teacher for 8th graders!