Rachel of Small Notebook asks, "How you prioritize your time with responding to comments, visiting other blogs, and writing your own content? I like blogging, but if I’m not careful it can take up way too much time and I want to strive for balance."
Photo by Dave Shea
Blogging is more than just writing. Add all the feed reading, topic researching, photo selecting, social networking and promoting, and comment moderating – blogging can unintentionally become a full-time job.
Here are a few tips I've applied in my own life to set healthy parameters around my time spent blogging and my time in "the real world":
1. Keep a notebook handy. Post ideas come at the most random times, and if you don't write them down, I promise you will forget them. By having your place to jot notes with you at all times, you can dump it out of your brain and move on to getting dinner ready.
2. Close out other programs on your computer. When you're writing, compose the text in a simple program like TextEdit or Notepad, and close Firefox, your Twitter app, your email client, and anything else that serves as a distraction. You can reopen them when you're doing the non-writing part of blogging.
3. Designate official blogging times. It helps to not try to blog while also trying to balance your budget, clean out your desk drawer, check e-mail, and use StumbleUpon. Use set times to blog, and blog only.
4. Make daily, specific goals. Instead of having one giant upcoming post loom over you, put it in your to-do list that you will research for such-and-such post idea today, then write it tomorrow, and then edit it the next day.
5. Write out a blogging calendar. My post topics are usually set on a calendar a month in advance, but I still stay flexible for those sudden post topics, such as when a commenter asks a great question, and you want to answer it right away.
6. Have a stockpile of timeless posts. Slowly try to accumulate simple posts about things that can be used at any time (in other words, not newsworthy topics). Then when you're slammed with everyday life busyness, you can post and still keep your blog fresh while tending to your "real" life.
7. As you're perusing Flickr to use for your post, "favorite" any photos you like that could potentially be used in a future post. Lately, all I've needed to do to find the perfect photo is go to my favorites collection.
8. Set realistic goals. If you're a stay-at-home mom to three kids under 5, you're not going to have scads of time to post an in-depth article every day. Currently, my goal at Simple Mom is to post three times a week.
9. Cut the online clutter. Unsubscribe to blogs that you don't love. Select only a few social media networks to involve yourself in, and don't worry about missing out in the rest.
10. Take a day off. When blogging starts to gets stressful or obsessive, step away from the laptop and get some fresh air. The blogosphere will manage just fine without you for 24 hours, and you'll get some much-needed perspective.
What little things do you do that provide sanity, balance, and perspective amidst the blog-writing busyness?
__
Tsh is an American mom living overseas with two kids under 3, and she writes about life hacks for home managers at Simple Mom. She also has a deeply passionate affinity for coffee made in her French press.
Loading ...
Great tips (and I love that photo, too)! I've found closing distracting programs (like Twhirl and email) to be very helpful.
If I had a laptop, I could be so much more productive. I told my husband I would just block out time and go somewhere with free wi-fi to write. Someday . . .
When I started my second blog, I decided on a posting schedule (M,W,F) and cut back to Tue & Thu for my first blog (one bag nation). I never try to post on the weekend anymore, but it's a great time to write a few drafts.
I'm still struggling mightily with the balance issue. My daughter is a busy first-grader, I have a part-time "real" job, I need to exercise, keep up the house and last but not least spend time with my husband (oh yeah, him!). It's hard!
A few weeks ago I was having what I called "sensory overload". I couldn't go to sleep for thinking of 140 character twitters, blog posts, blog photo's, and on and on. I finally had to disconnect from a few of my favorite places for a few days.
When I did the great disconnect, I felt sure I would make it no more than 2 or 3 days. However, I've been sick plus planning a class reunion and it has been 2 weeks since I "logged out" of a few places.
I am in the process also of getting a new blog and social site up for my school district and I'm in a time crunch. But, I've already made up my mind, as soon as I get these 2 or 3 big things out of my way, I'm going straight to twitter for an entire day, lol!
As a new blogger, I really appreciate these tips, thank you! I currently set aside my mornings (M-F) for blogging and I too keep a notebook for ideas (my best ideas come when I'm jogging on the treadmill or in the middle of the night when I can't sleep!). I plan my posts ahead one week in advance for now, but I love the idea of planning a month ahead.
Too funny! Just today I wrote out my blog & photo (I'm a photographer as well) priorities and worked on my daily and weekly schedule to figure out when to "fit it all" in. I am a homeschooling, stay at home mom to 3 kids and there are times in the day I can blog but most of the day is consumed with homeschooling, meals & homemaking. Photography happens all the time!
I loved what you had to say and especially agree that you have to pick and choose what's important to you. What social networks to be involved with etc.
What works best for me is scheduled time each day to do particular tasks. First, a 1/2 hour after breakfast, before chores and school to check my email and RSS, and approve comments on my blog. My goal is to leave one meaningful comment on one of the blogs I read. Something to help me connect to others bloggers and have them (and their readers) connect to me – like I'm doing right now.
After lunch I have a one hour "mamma's writing and tea time". My 9, 7 & 5 can keep themselves busy for this amount of time (not much longer though!). This is when I write blog content. I love to write and am always jotting down ideas in a notebook I keep so this is a very productive time. Most days I'll also publish the post at this point but sometimes I work on posts for days, publishing little ones in between.
At night after I read to the kids and they are in bed at 8:30 I do everything else. I try to wrap up by 10pm, with varying degrees of success. Blog maintenance (links, look and feel stuff) or maybe more time consuming upgrades. Choosing from the days photos for future blogs and exporting those, sometimes editing photos. A little bit of social networking stuff. Mostly evening is more photo stuff. And also checking RSS one more time and leaving little comments on friends blogs and such.
Sometimes I have more time for the extras on weekends but I don't count on it as that is family time.
My general rule though is to put time limits on things and work hard at getting the most I can accomplish in that time and not working till I "get it done". It's never done, just like the laundry.
Good luck and have fun balancing your new hobby with "real life"