Balancing Your Blog and 9 to 5 (or other responsibilities) Terri Lomax February 26, 2018 3 Comments Today we’re going to chat about something many bloggers face… balancing your blog and 9 to 5 (or other responsibilities) because chances are, you’re not a full time blogger just yet. Balancing blogging with your day job and your life can be quite difficult. After all, we only have 24 hours in each day and many of us spend at least 6 of them sleeping. Over the course of my blogging journey I’ve always worked. I was grad school at one point and I even planned my wedding and moved cross country with my husband while maintaining my blog. At this point I feel that I’ve pretty much managed to find harmony and I’m going to share my best practices with you… so come in close! Also, if you’re interested in jump starting your blogging journey, sign up for my free blogging webinar, Your Beginner Blogger Blueprint: How to Start a Successful Blog that Gets Read and Shared here. Balancing Your Blog and 9 to 5 Tip #1- Take care of self! Find a self-care routine and prioritize it. It took me a long time to learn this but I’ve realized that no matter how inspiring my content or how big my personal mission is, if my cup isn’t full and I’m not healthy, I’m doing myself and my community a disservice. You have to be here to make an impact so take care of you! I used to spend countless hours on the computer trying to meet an arbitrary deadline and my arms and hands would be sore, I wasn’t eating regularly, and it felt like my body was overworked… Not good! Tip #2- Don’t blog at work I know it’s tempting but it’s important to be an asset to your 9 to 5 while you’re there because 1) you want to keep your source of income, and 2) when (and if) your colleagues find out about your blog, you want them to be supportive and not see it as a distraction from work. If you’re an overachiever like me, perhaps you’ll use your lunch break to get a few blogging tasks done. Tip #3- Integrate your blog with your 9 to 5 when possible Get creative and find opportunities to integrate the two to make work more fulfilling. I’ve been at some jobs where this isn’t possible because of the nature of my role or the fact that my colleagues weren’t very supportive but, I’ve also been in some work places where they celebrated my blog, read my content, and provided me with opportunities at work, that also aligned with my personal mission. Maybe you can write for the company newsletter or create one, facilitate a workshop for your team. This my friend, is called a win win. Tip #4- Simplify your blog strategy If you’re limited on time you need to choose the most effective growth strategies that work for you. Is it really feasible to manage your life, and post 3 blog posts a week in addition to commenting on other blogs and being active on social media? Probably not, so in this case work smarter and not harder. Ask yourself, what am I optimizing for this month? This week? Today? Remember, if you’re just starting a blog, you need to commit to the long haul. Everything doesn’t need to be done right now. Dedicate a few hours a week for blogging to-dos. Make sure this time is sacred and on purpose. No responding to emails, no texting, be strategic and make it a point to accomplish what you’ve set out to accomplish during that time period. I use Google calendar to keep track of self care, fun, and blogging time. Tip #5- Invest in YOU Over the years, I’ve invested thousands of dollars into my personal brand, my development, and my blog. The thing is, it’s important for us to value ourselves enough to invest in the business of us before we ask anyone else to do so. The first few years of blogging may require an upfront investment but if you truly believe in the work you’re doing, put your money where your mouth is. I’ve always allocated money from each paycheck to go toward blogging expenses and just recently I hired my first contractors so I could delegate tasks to free myself up for other pressing blogging tasks. Suggested Next Steps Over the course of my journey I received hundreds of emails and inquiries from men and women who want to learn more about starting a blog. Initially I’d respond to each email, which took a lot of time. I shied away from teaching and coaching because it was new and to be honest, I was afraid of the unknown. There was a huge learning curve and I didn’t know where to begin. What if I fail? What if I’m not good enough? Basically, I created a narrative that didn’t exist and let that dictate my actions… But finally I’ve created a course and coaching program for those who want to learn more about starting a blog and building a brand, to share their story or bring awareness to a cause or topic that ignites their fire. Are you ready to take your blog or brand to the next level? If so, join me for my free webinar, How to Start a Blog that Gets Read and Shared here. Do you have specific questions about starting a blog? Let me know in the comments section. I’m happy to help!
