7 Ways to Start Ghosting Your 9–5 While Building Online Income

Let’s be honest...most of us dream of escaping the 9–5 grind.

But quitting your job cold turkey isn’t always realistic. Bills don’t stop. Families still need support. Responsibilities don’t just disappear.

The good news?

You don’t have to quit tomorrow to start moving toward freedom. You can begin ghosting your job, building an online side income quietly and steadily, so that when the time comes, you’re ready to walk away on your own terms.

Here are 7 ways to start building your foundation for self-employment while keeping the safety of your current paycheck.

The first step is a mindset shift.

After a long day at work, most people collapse on the couch, scroll on their phone, or binge Netflix. If you want freedom, you have to reclaim those hours.

• Swap one hour of TV for one hour of content creation, research, or skill-building.

• Wake up 30 minutes earlier to work on your side hustle.

• Batch your weekends, one for family/fun, one for building your future.

Remember: You’re not adding more work, you’re investing in your freedom.

Not all side hustles are equal.

Driving Uber or delivering food may make extra cash, but they still trade time for money.

To ghost your job, focus on online income streams with leverage.

Some of the best options:

• Affiliate marketing – Promote other people’s products and earn commissions.

• Content creation – Build a YouTube channel, podcast, or blog.

• Digital products – Create ebooks, templates, or music tracks that sell 24/7.

• Freelancing – Use your skills (writing, design, editing, marketing) to generate income on your terms.

Choose one path, learn the basics, and stick with it long enough to see results.

Think of your side hustle as a training ground.

You’re not just making extra money, but you’re building the skills that will carry you into full-time self-employment.

Skills worth mastering:

• Digital marketing (social media, email, ads, SEO).

• Content creation (writing, video editing, design).

• Sales & persuasion (understanding what makes people buy)

Every hour you put into these skills compounds. Even if you fail at your first attempt, the skills you’ve gained are priceless.

You don’t need a fancy website or brand to start — but you do need a place where people can find you.

Start with the basics:

• A professional Instagram account for your side hustle.

• A basic website or landing page (you can build one in under an hour with tools like Word Press. I use system.io )

• A way to collect emails (so you’re building an audience you own).

This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about planting your flag online so your foundation is ready to grow.

(The link for system.io is an affiliate link which helps my website grow with no extra cost to you. The FREE option is a great start for any new business.)

Ghosting your job isn’t just about making money, it’s about security.

If you plan to eventually leave, build a financial buffer while you’re still employed.

• Save 3–6 months of living expenses.

• Keep your debt low.

• Use side income to fund your tools, education, or ads, not your daily expenses.

This way, when you’re finally ready to take the leap, you won’t feel like you’re jumping without a parachute.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking they need huge results right away.

You don’t.

• Publish one blog post per week.

• Upload one YouTube video per week.

• Send one email newsletter per week.

• Reach out to one new client per week.

Consistency beats intensity. A slow, steady presence online will do more for your freedom than burning out after two months of “hustle.”

If you treat your side income like a hobby, it will pay you like one.

If you treat it like a business, it has the potential to replace your job.

That means:

• Setting goals and tracking progress.

• Reinvesting some earnings into growth (better tools, ads, training).

• Taking yourself seriously — even if no one else does yet.

This mental shift is huge. You’re not just an employee with a “side gig.” You’re an entrepreneur building your exit plan.

Escaping the 9–5 doesn’t happen overnight.

But if you quietly and consistently ghost your job, by reclaiming time, building skills, and laying a foundation for income, you’ll be ready when the moment comes to walk away.

👉 Remember: Every hour you put in now is an hour invested in your future freedom.

If you’re ready to start your journey, consider using System.io, which is what I use to create funnels, this website, capture emails, create an email campaign, and even make a digital store to sell digital products.

It's actually FREE. Then, once you grow a big audience and you need more features, you could always upgrade later, like I did.

Your 9–5 doesn’t define you. It’s just funding your escape plan.

Start ghosting your job today.