HELLO FRIENDS & HAPPY FRIDAY!

I meant to have these blogging tips published every Monday but a few things came up – such is life, and all the more reason to kick off the series with a topic I’m sure many of you guys can relate to: HOW TO BALANCE BOTH YOUR BLOG & YOUR FULL-TIME JOB.

Three years ago I was in college and balancing schoolwork and my blog wasn’t as difficult as the balance I still have to work at today with my full-time job. My following has grown tremendously since starting and with that comes the demand of having a profitable business: answering emails in a timely manner, scheduling post dates for brand collaborations throughout the month and into the next, and determining when I’ll have 10 minutes to eat something.

Yes my friends, with success comes a non-stop routine of working around the clock. But hey, if you love what you do then that’s all that matters…despite the two hours of sleep you might have gotten last night. Kidding, kinda.

My blog is NOT my full-time job, yet. Although that’s the future goal I have set for myself, I’m not financially or mentally ready to step out on my own just yet. I work at an executive search firm (head hunting) specializing in placing director & senior level + candidates for fashion, luxury and beauty positions in the retail industry. That means from Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm my focus is divided between managing my job (which I absolutely adore, another reason I’m not ready to leave) and finding time to address my blog’s demands.

SO HOW DO YOU BALANCE BOTH YOUR BLOG & YOUR JOB WITHOUT GOING CRAZY?

HERE ARE SOME TIPS I’VE COME UP WITH THAT COULD DEFINITELY HELP

PREPARE YOUR POSTS/INSTAGRAMS IN ADVANCE

This means working on weekends and weekday nights, folks. Rarely do I draft and publish a blog post in the same day – I try to get half a week’s worth of blog posts finalized during the weekend or a few nights before so all I have to do is click & share them on social media. Sacrificing a few hours of your Saturday/Sunday really isn’t that bad if you think about substituting blogging in for watching tv. If you’re an early riser, dedicating the first three slow hours in the morning to getting a post or two done will feel really good come the following week.

You can “schedule” your posts on certain blog platforms that can assist you in making sure your published in case you can’t find the time to manually do it. I occasionally do this but find having more control over my posting time satisfies my dedicated organization. If you know you have a busy day ahead at work or will be traveling, then scheduling your posts is a great tool to use in your favor.

DETERMINE WHICH FREE HOURS/BREAKS WILL BE DEDICATED TO BLOGGING

Do you have to be in the office early? Use that first hour of organization to check your email or publish your blog post. Lunch breaks can also be used to your advantage for the same purpose. If you commute via public transportation (i.e. train/bus/ferry), think about taking your laptop with you so you can work on the way. Before I lived in the city, I would commute from New Jersey and even invested in getting a Macbook Air to work from so my bag was lighter to carry. Rather than spending the time sleeping, I was actually more awake and way more productive by the time I got to work because I was focusing on my blog.

Working right when you get home while your brain is still somewhat active can also benefit your scheduling. No one really wants to pick up and work again once dinner is eaten and those comfy clothes are on, so don’t even put yourself in the position to drag yourself from the couch to the computer. You won’t be as productive.

PHOTOGRAPH ONE WEEK OF OUTFITS AT ONCE – (5) OOTDS

If you’re a fashion blogger and post regularly from Monday-Friday, determine which free day you can shoot all your outfits for the week ahead. I use my weekend mornings to photograph all my looks and then free hours to edit/draft. Shooting any content you have planned for the week ahead in one day does take some dedication, but you find yourself having more hours to enjoy other weekend pleasures at the end of the day.

GET A PLANNER & MAKE DAILY TO-DO LISTS

I’m a firm believer that the written word is retained far more than the typed/printed one. Writing out manageable “to-do lists” allows me to see my day at a glance and plan accordingly, determining what is most urgent and what can be focused on later. Like grade school, I still use a planner to schedule and coordinate my weekly activities – but instead of homework, my planner is used as an editorial calendar for scheduling blog post dates, press preview appointments and special meetings. I find keeping it all written down allows me to remember and refer back easily at all hours of the day. Plus, I can easily take my planner with me by keeping it in my bag for those moments it’s needed during the day.

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Disclaimer: These tips are designed to help you organize your time and ease the demands faced daily from both jobs, but they are not going to work on their own. YOU have to be willing to put in the work, the time and the discipline to use these tips to your best ability. If keeping up a blog was easy, then everyone would do it. That’s why you’ll be successful: your passion outweighs the demands ;]