Blogger 101: Balancing Blogging and Job

I believe I am not alone in my situation of blogging full-time while also having a full-time job. Crazy right? Blogging in itself is a huge commitment. Think about juggling it with a full-time day job! Yes, crazy indeed. And yet, it does not feel as crazy as I am trying to make it right now. In fact, I am loving every minute of it. I am not saying it's easy... but it's doable. As long as you love what you do, you will find time to do it despite your hectic schedule. 

I work as a blogger and internet marketing manager for My Hair Care. This is an Australian company that sells hair and beauty products. I do a lot of writing and marketing for them. In addition, I am also a virtual assistant for Everything-Everywhere.com. This explains why I mostly do my photo shoots on weekends because that is the only feasible time for me to do so. Once the photos are ready, I can squeeze in time during the weekdays to write the posts.

So, how do I balance work and blogging? Here are some of the things that I do and I hope will be able to help you out as well: 

I create a work schedule. If you're one of those people who hate following routines, don't freak out! I do not want you to write down a list of activities that you have to follow as routine to be able to blog while working full-time. Simply jot down a list of things that you plan on doing for a given day or week. This will provide you with a point of reference for what you need to do. If you can, list them down according to priority (or which you need to get done the soonest). This will organize your mind on what you should be doing first while eliminating the need to rush things. If there is anything that I hate above all, it is having to rush things. I do this for both work and blogging. That way, I do not lose track of my schedule and get everything done on time. Yes, I can be obsessive-compulsive like that!

I take frequent breaks. It does get weirder right? But no. Even science agrees that taking frequent breaks can increase productivity.  However, this study only confirmed what I already knew has worked for me before. When you feel like you have hit a slump or a writer's block, take a short break. I either do some stretching, meditate, or take a short nap. This will help revive my energy. Also, taking some time off from work will help refresh your mind the moment you go back to it. While we're at it, I also advise against multi-tasking. Focus on either your work or blog but neither both at the same time. 

I schedule posts. This blogging feature has been one of my life-savers! As I've mentioned above, there are instances wherein you go through a writer's block. It is frustrating as can be. Hence, I take advantage of days when ideas are flowing in to write more than one post at a time. I also write down ideas of blog posts that I want to make for a given week. That way, I get to produce a minimum of three new posts a week and not have to sit down every single time I need to publish a post. I can get new posts published and syndicated to my social media accounts automatically while I continue with my day job.

I read and read! One way to get inspired to write is through reading. Hence, I spend at least an hour each day to read other bloggers. This provides me with the creative fuel and inspiration for my own blog. The same applies with my day job. As a writer, I also read other blogs to come up with new content ideas and develop my own content from there. It is not easy but it will (hopefully) provide you with the spark you need. 

I make sure to manage my time well. This is very important. If you do not know how to manage your time, you won't be able to do both. Once you have committed to blogging even though you have a full-time job, you have to make sure that every minute or hour is spent wisely. There is no room for dilly dally.

Do you have more tips for balancing your time between blogging and your day job?


Side note: The first installment of my Blogging 101 series for 2015 was featured on Independent Fashion Bloggers site. You can check it and more links here.