There are only so many hours in a day, and if you’re a working mom who is also an aspiring blogger (who also lives a fit lifestyle!) finding time to do it all in can get stressful. Taking a nearly impossible schedule and strategically breaking it down to work for you is the first step to running your day and not letting the day run you {one of my favorite quotes!}.
1. Plan Specifics
Plan. I by plan, I mean specifics. Not, I need to post on Wednesday. Not even, my Wednesday post is going to talk about push ups. More like, my Wednesday post is going to cover the basics of an effective push up and 3 push up variations to crush a quick workout.
2. Plan ahead
Know that you’re going on vacation? Moving? Anything life event that has the potential to prevent you from posting needs to be part of your planning. This way, posts can be drafted in advance and scheduled to go when you have other engagements.
3. Secure a guest posters
In cases such as the above (vacations, moving, etc) where it can be planned for, it might be worth it to seek out a guest poster. I recently moved and totally regretted not seeking out a guest poster for this week (#newbloggermistakes). If I reached out via Twitter or Facebook groups, I’m sure I could’ve found someone, and it would’ve taken so much pressure off during an already stressful time!
4. Brainstorm
Don’t underestimate the power of brainstorming–the kind where you jot everything down on paper, or a doc to come back to later. Often, when life gets crazy, your brain can’t just conjure up a post idea when you need it, so having a bank of ideas is crucial. I recently downloaded Dragon Speaking app on my iPhone to record anything that pops into my head during my 45 minute (each way!) commute.
5. Have a flexible writing schedule
Gone are the days where I woke up early and had a dedicated, uninterrupted block of writing time where I would come out on the other end with a quality finished product. Now, I often write in 5-15 minute increments throughout the day or over the course of a few days. It may not be ideal, but it’s what has to work right now for me.
6. Post less
No blogger wants to do it, but when time is an issue, I’d rather work on one one quality post per week than start churning out low quality pieces for the sake of posting. Never compromise your integrity.
7. Don’t stress
You know all those great post ideas? Don’t focus on how they’re not getting done, instead focus on when they will get done. Remember that you are still a blogger–you just have a different schedule. Often, your current situation isn’t going to last forever and your schedule might change soon enough. But in the meantime, be positive, be productive, and make your schedule work for you.
There may only be 24 hours in a day, but learning how to leverage them to your advantage, and making some tweaks to your goals, can set you up for a successfully balanced blogging life.
What’s your top tip for fitting it all in?
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Replace ‘mom’ with ‘dog mom’ and we are basically twins 🙂 Thanks for these tips! I’m in the same boat. I find that planning ahead has been the key. We’re going away for 21 days with no access to internet or wifi. I’m trying to get all my posts done ahead of time. Man, has it been busy!
Amanda recently posted…Hemp Hearts Chili {giveaway}
Definitely a lot of planning, late nights, and early mornings!
I wish I had time to create posts way in advance, it would be so much easier! I have to ask about guest bloggers though. What really is the benefit? I know that I don’t nearly as many views on my blog when I have a guest posting. What is the point?
I suppose a new blogger looking for exposure in the hopes of gaining some social followers and notoriety may be interested. Clearly, I never have time to be a guest blogger, but wish I would have asked. I have seen others ask and successfully secure guest bloggers. I’ve enjoyed meeting some new people that way.