Today's post is all about how to manage your blogging time. If you're like me and are not a full-time blogger (aka it's not your profession), then you know how difficult it can sometimes be to balance everything else you have to do on top of making sure you have consistent, quality posts. I haven't had this blog for long, but the few months I have were enough time to learn that running a blog takes dedication and patience. If I decided to skip one of my Wednesday or Saturday posts, the small group of regular readers I have gathered thus far would most likely decrease. However, sometimes life gets in the way. This is where time management comes in!
During a typical day I have university to attend, coursework for university, studying for exams, everyday errands, keeping up with the other blogs I follow, and trying to find downtime to relax, visit with friends/family, and get a good night's sleep. Currently, I'm enrolled in the most uni classes I have ever taken during a semester so trying to figure out how to fit the extra work from that in my schedule has been a learning curve in itself. But it is doable! There are people out there with loads more on their plate than me yet still manage to keep their sanity in tact.
I try to take a little time out of each day to devote to working on my blog. Whether that is brainstorming for future posts, editing, social networking, or searching for potential products to feature, I make sure that I give my blog proper attention. Yesterday, for example, I had assignments for my calculus and music classes due, but I also knew that Friday is when I devote the most attention to what I'm going to post on Saturday. In order to manage my time wisely I got most of my coursework out of the way ahead of time because, let's be honest, university is my number one priority at the moment. No matter how much I adore running this blog, uni work can't be left until the eleventh hour. However, once I finished all of my work I was free to use the rest of my day to finalize and clean up this post!
I have long days at uni. I'm there from breakfast time until nearly dinner time, but I'm lucky to have a break during the day and I make sure I make the most of it. In addition to my notebooks for classes, I also have one for this blog. It allows me to quickly jot down any ideas or inspiration that may spark throughout the day. Once I'm on my break with my iPad or at home on my computer I can take those little brainstorms and work them into fully developed posts. Having a notebook (or even using the 'notes' section of your phone) has been so beneficial in helping me stay organised and assuring that I won't lose a great idea because I got distracted by something else.
I try to use my downtime for my blog's benefit as well. I like to chat with my friends about what they're loving and drawing inspiration from at the moment. Hearing about these things can be such a breath of fresh air if my ideas are feeling a bit stale. I also have one of my best friends (who also happens to be one of my housemates) proofread most of my posts for me. It's nice to have another set of eyes go over your work after you've been looking at it for so long. It feels good to have people I care about involved in the creation of my posts!
I love running this blog. While it is definitely more of an undertaking than I expected, it's so worth it. I feel a sense of accomplishment with every view because I know how much work I put in to make a post something I believe is worth reading. If I didn't have this blog I might be able to watch a few extra hours of reality shows or wake up a bit later on days off, but that wouldn't be as fun. It's all about learning to prioritize your time around the blog - get done with you really need to get done first, relax if you need to relax, and create content based on things that inspire you.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath and remember that we've all been there. Whether your blog is your job or it's just a hobby you enjoy, everyone has lives outside of their blogs. We all have to figure out the best way to balance our time and the formula is different for everyone!
Sarah xx
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