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How to run a business with a full time job
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Hustle and grind.
“I dream it, I work hard, I grind ’til I own it.”
If there are any other Beyonce fans out there, then you must know this lyric.
If you dream of your blog becoming a business, then you have to work hard. Success in any field takes hard work and determination. Blogging is no different, but what makes it a little difficult is if you are balancing your blog with a bunch of other things.
Maybe you have a full time job, your blog, a family to support, and a hobby. There is only 24 hours in the day, and sometimes it seems impossible to get all of our tasks done.
I assure you as overwhelming as it feels, it is possible to devote yourself to your blog and all of your other life duties. If you want to be a successful blogger you need to see your blog as your baby because it is your business. Especially, if you aspire to have your blog become another source of income, then it is crucial that you treat it as a business. You should want to put 100% effort into your blog because you want to put your best self out there. Hundreds or thousands of people could potentially read your posts, and you want it to be a reflection of yourself.
So how do you balance work, blogging, and everything else?
Related Post: How to start a blog, the ultimate beginner’s guide
You Have To Love It
Anyone that has been blogging for a while or even just started knows it is not easy. There is so much that goes into making sure you write amazing posts, share your content, and engage with other people. When you have another full time commitment you have even less time to do all of this. So many times you have to devote any little breaks you have to do your blogging tasks, if you do not love blogging then this can get strenuous.
Blogging should not feel like a chore, and if it does chances are it will stress you out more than make you happy. And by the way we all want to be happy. Devoting your time and energy into what makes you happy has higher chances of success. Doesn’t it feel better to genuinely want to do something than to drag your feet to do it? So, blog because you love it not because you think it is going to give you your next big break.
Prioritize
As a blogger in my 20’s, I have had to prioritize blogging over a few social events. I still enjoy myself, but because I love to blog I don’t feel like I am missing out if I decide not to go out. If you know you have to get a blog post out or you really want to do a few guest posts then you should put that at the top of your list. Having your priorities straight may seem cliche, but it will help you organize your time better.
You can even set priorities within your blogging regiment. Social media is a necessity in promoting my blog content, but it can also be a distraction. You go on to engage with a few other bloggers, and then one hour later you are lost in the explore page looking at a post that has nothing to do with blogging. So, before you get lost in social media, make sure you tackle the other tasks on your to do list first by making them a priority.
Have A Schedule/ Organize Time
I was listening to a podcast by Myleik, and she said you cannot only schedule birthdays and big events in your planner, but you need to schedule out your life as well. If you are like me chances are if I do not write something down, I will not do it. I need to write everything down in my planner or my blog journal in order to make sure it gets done.
Having a blogging schedule is SO important. Especially, when you are busy with a million other things to do, you need to allocate specific time blocks for your blog so you stay organized. You should create an editorial calendar with upcoming blog posts for at least the next month, so even if you are having a busy week your posts will already be planned out. Another thing that has helped me is having specific days of the week that I post. I post twice a week on Sundays and Wednesdays. Thus, I have posts topics scheduled in my Google Calendar for those days of the week for the next month. Also, my readers can start to recognize when I publish new content and look forward to coming back to read my new posts.
As independent and fabulous as we are, we have to realize that we cannot tackle everything ourselves. It is too much and too stressful, and that is why there are tools out there to help you. So, use a calendar but also use social media scheduling tools to help cut down your time for promoting on social media. Tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, and Board Booster and perfect resources to make your life easier.
I understand it might seem like you are micromanaging your life when you have every hour of the day planned out and you live inside of your planner. But, it is going to help you so much in the long run.
Related Post: 20 New goals to achieve in business this year
Make To Do Lists
Another fabulous part of scheduling your life is creating to do lists. I am a to do list fanatic, and I feel so unprepared without one. I love the feeling of completing a task and taking it off of my list.
More recently I have been using reminder on my Mac to create to do lists, and I love it because I can make additions or edits quickly and efficiently. Also, if you make different lists they are all different colors, which I like as well.
There are also different types of to do lists; some are ongoing and longer, while others are for one specific day and concise. I keep an ongoing one on my Mac to add things I need to do over time and tasks I do not want to forget. I also keep a daily one that has tasks I want to complete that day. I urge you not to overload your daily to do list because we do only have 24 hours in a day, and you won’t complete your list if you keep adding new things to do. Remember when I said to prioritize? Prioritize the important tasks first on your to do list and make sure those get completed.
Related Post: How to avoid burnout a small business owner
Take Care of Yourself And Your Needs
My final point, which is one of the most important ones is to take care of yourself as well! I know we want to devote every second to our blog, commit ourselves at work, and take care of our friends and loved ones, but if you are giving every ounce of yourself to everything else and not taking care of your needs you will be burned out. There will be nothing left to give, and at a certain point your business that you worked hard for might take the fall.
Schedule time and prioritize your well being as well. Take time to do things besides blogging and working that makes you happy. Many times we feel so exhausted and stressed because we are working so hard and not taking care of ourselves. Your well being is just as important as everyone else’s, if not more important, so make yourself a priority.
Balancing the hustle is not always easy, but it is possible. It shouldn’t feel like work all the time because it should be fun. If you are balancing hustles that you are passionate about then the grind will not be as taxing. Take a moment and re-evaluate a few things. Do you love what you do? Are you as organized as you can be? Are you taking care of YOU? Don’t let your happiness be an afterthought because it deserves to be a priority.
About the Guest Author:I’m Shaina – a city girl studying dance in the Fordham/ Ailey BFA Program. I created a lifestyle blog, The Mindful Rise, to empower young artists, college students, and Millennials that through hard work, a positive mindset, and smart financial habits we can become successful. You will most likely catch me dancing, hanging out with friends and family, and sipping on a cup of coffee in my favorite girl boss mug. Where you can find Shaina: Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | FB Page
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3 Comments
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Great advice Shaina!
I have a full time job, part time job, plus my own biz…ahhh! I’ll definitely keep this list close to me at all times 🙂
thank you Jodi! You sound like a super busy woman! Haha, I so happy you found this helpful 🙂
Hi Shaina,
These are great tips! I have a full-time job, a home business, a family, two furkids, and definitely not a lot of time to do much more than that. I’m trying to organize myself a bit better in the new year so that I can manage more efficiently. Thanks for the tips!
Hey Kayla!
B