The Builder’s Challenge: My Journey to Earn ₱100K Through Freelancing

Why I’m Starting This Challenge Now

There’s this strange feeling I’ve been carrying for a while.

It’s not that I’m ungrateful. I’m actually proud of how far I’ve come.

I tripled my income since switching careers. I have a stable night shift job. I get to spend more time with my family.

But still something inside me feels… stuck.

Not because I haven’t been learning.

I’ve bought courses. Read books. Watched videos. Saved PDFs.

But if I’m being honest?

I haven’t taken consistent action.

I kept putting things off, telling myself I’d start “when I’m ready.” But the truth is, I was scared.

Scared to waste time. Scared to fail. Scared to try something and fall short of the vision I see for my life.

That fear kept me playing small.

And it made me forget one of the original goals I had when I started working from home:

To eventually transition out of the night shift and design a life that felt more aligned.

A life where I could work on my terms. Do meaningful work. And build real income through skills, not just hours.

But I won’t get there just by learning. I have to build.

That’s why I’m launching a new challenge.

Not to impress anyone—but to prove to myself that I can follow through. That I can be consistent. That I can build something real with the limited time I have.

And I’m sharing it publicly not just to keep myself accountable, but to give others permission to start too.

🚧 The Rules of the Challenge

🟢 Goal: Earn my first ₱100,000 (using this system)

⏰ Timeline: 3–6 months

⏳ Schedule: 2-4 hours/day (sometimes up to 6 on weekends)

📚 Focus: Learning, applying, documenting

📵 No-nonsense: Just pure execution

It’s not about building a consistent 6-figure income overnight. It’s about stacking real skills. Creating proof. Building income slowly but surely.

This challenge is for anyone who’s juggling a full-time job but still wants to build something of their own on the side. If that’s you I’m with you.

🧠 How I’m Approaching It

I’m following a simple 4-step roadmap:

1. Pick a market

2. Do market research

3. Find a painful problem

4. Offer a solution

I’ll be using insights from a freelancing course. It’s time to stop hoarding information—and start implementing it.

I’m not sharing what course I’m using (for now), but I will be sharing what I learn from it every week.

Because this is about building momentum not selling anything. Not perfecting everything.

Just showing up, experimenting, and sharing the truth of what it looks like to build from scratch.

The Plan: How I’ll Build This ₱100K Side Hustle (In 4 Hours a Day)

I’m not going all-in or quitting my job. This is a part-time experiment designed to prove what’s possible with limited time but high intention.

Here’s what the roadmap looks like for the next few months:

📍 Step 1: Pick a Market

First step is all about market research. I’m asking:

• Who do I actually want to help?

• What problems are people already trying to solve?

• Which groups align with my skills, interests, and energy?

No jumping straight to offers. No shiny service ideas. Just understanding real people first.

🧠 Step 2: Study the Problem

Once I choose a market, I’ll go deeper. What are their real pain points? What’s stopping them from getting results? Where are they stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated?

Finding people who have a big problem that they want to solve and desire an urgent solution.

This part matters more than people think.

And you can’t solve a problem if you don’t take time to understand it.

🛠️ Step 3: Craft a Simple Offer

No fancy funnels. No complex packages.

I’m starting with a simple 1:1 service based on what the market needs.

Something small enough to test. Something valuable enough to charge for.

This will help me build confidence, get client results, and eventually refine or expand.

⚡ Step 4: Focus on Speed + Simplicity

I don’t have 40 hours a week to do this.

I’ve got 2–4 hours per day—sometimes less.

That means I’ll be ruthless about focus:

• One market

• One offer

• One way to get clients (probably manual outreach and just get some initial conversations as a start)

No overthinking. Just consistent action.

🧱 Step 5: Stack Wins, Week by Week

I’m treating this challenge like a sandbox.

Each week, I’ll be:

• Documenting what I did

• Sharing key lessons and mindset shifts

• Breaking down what worked (and what didn’t)

I’ll also be applying what I learn from the freelancing course I’m following—without naming it for now.

My only job?

Get small wins.

Stack momentum.

Don’t stop.

🔄 What’s Different This Time

This isn’t the first course I’ve bought.

It’s not even the second.

I’ve collected PDFs, modules, roadmaps, and videos like trading cards over the years. Each time I thought:

But the truth?

It wasn’t about the course. It was the fear underneath:

• Fear of failing publicly

• Fear of wasting time I didn’t have

• Fear of finding out I’m not good enough

The difference now?

I’ve stopped waiting to be “ready.” I’ve started acting despite the fear.

This time, I’m documenting everything. No pretending. No gatekeeping. Just sharing the real process wins, setbacks, mindset shifts, and lessons.

Because if this helps even one person take action on their own dream? That’s already a win.

✍️ What to Expect Each Week

Every week, I’ll drop a short issue with:

✅ A quick recap of what I did

📘 One core lesson from the course

🔧 What I actually implemented

⚠️ Any roadblocks or mental battles I faced

💡 One actionable tip you can use

This series won’t just be inspiration, it’ll be a field guide you can follow, adapt, or learn from.

Especially if you’ve got a full-time job and only 1–2 hours a day to spare.

🪞 If You’ve Been Waiting to Start…

You’re not alone.

For months, I waited for more time… more clarity… more motivation.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

If you’ve been stuck in your head, scared to start, or tired of watching others move while you stand still—this is your sign.

You don’t need a full plan.

You need a first step.

I’m building this in real-time with limited energy, unpredictable schedules, and a whole lot of trial-and-error.

And if I can do it, so can you.

Let’s build this together.

— Ric

💬 Reply and let me know what side hustle, project, or goal you’re working on—I'd love to hear your story and support however I can.