How to Balance Running a Blog with a Full-Time Job

How to run a blog with a full-time job is a topic I feel like both an expert and a novice at. Simultaneously. A couple of months ago, I fell off the blog bandwagon, big time. Being so unorganized and feeling so behind the 8 ball, I lost motivation. It was difficult to get over this but right now I feel like I’m on track and full steam ahead! I hope these tips help you whether you’re running a blog or another side hobby that you love!

Organize:

Plan ahead with an editorial calendar: I keep my 6 month editorial calendar on Google Drive and without it, I’d be lost. I plan my content ahead several weeks in advance and because I have set topics for set days, it’s easy to fill in content. Of course, things do come up and I may have to bump content to another day but it still makes it so easier to see everything in one spot. It also helps keep content fresh because I can see all the posts as they relate to one another. I don’t want to bore you guys!
Schedule out your social media content: After taking photos, editing photos, and writing copy, sometimes you just want to hit “Schedule” on a post and go to bed. But I’ve trained myself to immediately schedule out my social content after I finish writing a blog post. Lately, I’ve been hooked on Buffer.com for scheduling tweets and Facebook posts. It’s free (!!!) and helps you discover the optimal times to post. Work smarter, not harder, amirite?
Find a planner you love: Now this part took a bit of time. Running a blog is a full-time job in of itself and I couldn’t find a planner that mapped out everything I needed to accomplish in my real life and my blog life cohesively. For a hilarious (sarcasm) week and a half this year, I tried to go paperless. That was cute of me. When it comes to to-do lists, I need to write it out and have the satisfaction of crossing off a completed task. Alicia of Alicia Tenise recommend The Day Designer on her IG, I checked it out. And you guys, I’m in L-O-V-E. There’s only a few of my planner left in stock so you better put the pedal to the metal! In case you aren’t sure if The Day Designer is right for you or you already have a planner, they also offer free printables, check it out.
Set up your day for success: The very first thing I do in the morning is create a to-do list. I jot down virtually everything I need to do that day and put a star next to the items that need to be completed first thing, ASAP. If it’s a super crazy day, I’ll give myself a reasonable time limit that I can spend on each task to keep myself on track. Despite your best intentions and the most awesome to-do list ever, things can turn on a dime and sometimes I leave work accomplishing tasks that weren’t on my list but not checking off items on my actual list. And that’s okay! Don’t beat yourself up, we’re not super heroes. Or Leslie Knope.

Motivate

Running a blog is a major labor of love. I spent about 65-70% of my weekend working on my blog, whether that’s taking photos, editing those photos, writing posts and social content, etc. I’ve sacrificed after-work happy hours to work on this little ol’ blog because I love it and it truly makes me happy. That said, it can be downright exhausting and you can get bogged down. That’s what happened to me a few months ago and it was miserable. I felt lethargic and hated every minute of that funk. Staying motivated is just as important as getting organized when it comes to balancing a blog with a full-time job. Here’s how I stay motivated:

Podcasts: This weekend, I got majorly into podcasts. I had listened to the occasional podcast but just figured I was the type of person who needed to see action and video along with my audio. Until I discovered a couple of podcasts aimed at bloggers and entrepreneurs and I.am.HOOKED. I listened to a couple of Food Blogger Pro podcasts before I set down to work on my blog and guys, I haven’t felt that productive in I don’t even know how long. While this podcast primarily covers topics for food bloggers, the overall discussion addresses principles and strategies that can easily be applied to lifestyle and style blogs. Definitely worth a listen! Also recommended: Mixergy, a podcast interviewing entrepreneurs from all walks of life and all arenas.
Family/Friends: Never underestimate the value of a personal cheerleaders. Or a whole human pyramid of them! From helping with taking photos to offering sage gchat wisdom, my family and friends are rockstars. They serve as my tastetesters, my bad joke editors and my sometimes much-needed reality check. Without them, I’d be completely lost. My family and friends have supported and motivated me through my blog’s best and worst times and for that I’m thankful and very motivated to keep it going.
Creative Tribe: I started DC Girl in Pearls in college as a creative outlet, a fun space amid the serious policy in DC. A big factor in my motivation is simply chatting and hanging out with other creatives. I didn’t realize how much this affected me until I went to a Twitter happy hour a couple of months ago. I was still sort of in that funk but after a couple of hours talking to other people about Twitter, digital strategy and motion graphics, I left that event on cloud nine and my brain practically buzzing with ideas. If I ran, which I don’t, I’d imagine this is what a runner’s high feels like. Being able to bounce ideas off other creatives and have a sounding board is vital to staying motivated. Find your creative tribe, whether it’s in person or online.