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How to blog with a full time job, that’s the million dollar question. Does anybody else wish there were more than 24 hours in a day? If you’re anything like me, I feel like I’m constantly struggling to make time for everything, especially since I work a full-time while trying to grow my blog! If you feel this way, know you’re not alone! Today I’m going to go over some tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way that have helped me blog with a full-time job!
(If you’re curious on how to start a blog click here.)
Currently, I work as a Chartered Accountant during the day. Typically my hours are 9-5pm, however, these can extend later. I consider my blog a second full-time job since I pour so much energy into it. It can be hard to balance the two, along with relationships, friends, events, relaxation time, gym, and the list goes on. It’s no secret we live in a world that praises being busy, which pressures us to work even harder. To avoid burnout I follow some easy tips and tricks that help me gain some balance!
Make a Weekly Schedule
This is one of the most important tips I can give. Scheduling your blog, Instagram and Pinterest content on a weekly basis helps save a lot of time and energy. Before starting the week, I plan out when I’ll be writing blog posts, what I’ll be posting on Instagram and I ensure I have pre-set pins on Tailwind. An easy way to achieve some structure is through calendar/scheduling apps, it sounds simple but they’re SUCH a lifesaver! For Instagram planning, I use the Preview App, for Pinterest I use Tailwind and for my blog I just the mac book calendar application!
Using scheduling apps have been a total lifesaver for me. I feel a LOT more organized, which helps me make more time for the people and things I love. I think it’s worth mentioning that making time for the people you care about is so important. When you work for yourself, the lines tend to blur between your work and your personal life. Remember your blog is just a job, friends and family should always be a priority!
Ask for help
Maybe it’s a pride thing, but for the longest time, I wouldn’t ask for help when it came to my blog. I would always try and do everything myself even if it took forever. One thing I’ve learned is that this isn’t efficient. Whether it’s website design, figuring out Pinterest, understanding Instagram, it’s okay to ask for help. Here are a couple things I recommend:
- Fiveer – this is great for anything website related, logos and more!
- Hire a Virtual Assistant
- Purchasing online courses for quick learning
Quality over Quantity
Quality content over quantity. This is something that has taken me some time to learn. Pumping out 7 quick blog posts versus 3 well thought out posts will yield better results, this is proven. It will also take a lot of pressure off of you and free up some of your time. Focus on quality content to bring in readers. This also goes for Instagram, your content is SO important for growth. When someone first discovers your feed, you have about 10 seconds to impress them with your content, so make sure you focus on quality!
To-Do lists
I’ve been using to-do lists as long as I can remember. I use them in my corporate job and in blogging. To do lists help me stay organized so I don’t forget things. I tend to be a bit scatterbrained since I’m constantly thinking of all the things I need to do! Writing it all down definitely helps me stay focused, also there’s nothing more satisfying than crossing something off your list!
Give yourself a day off to recharge
Taking a day off to recharge is something I’ve been trying to do more often. I work my corporate job during the week and then weeknights and weekends I work on my blog. This doesn’t give me too much time to relax. To avoid burnout, I’ve been trying to take a day off here and there. Recently, I haven’t been posting on any sort of social media on Sundays to give myself a break. I highly recommend trying this yourself!
All of these things can help you blog with a full-time job, but it’s up to you to implement them. Trust me, it can seem a bit daunting in the beginning but it’s completely worthwhile in the end!