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Balancing A New Blog With Your Full-Time Job

The bloggers currently in the market make it seem so easy, like all you have to do is take a couple of pics, throw some filters in, drop a line or two and voila! You're a blogger! Except wait... turns out there's a lot of work involved behind the scenes most people are not privy to.
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From Instagram to fashion magazines, bloggers are rapidly growing in the niche of brand ambassadorship and everyone wants a piece of the cake! The bloggers currently in the market make it seem so easy, like all you have to do is take a couple of pics, throw some filters in, drop a line or two and voila! You're a blogger! Except wait... turns out there's a lot of work involved behind the scenes most people are not privy to.

It takes some time for a blog to fully develop and to grow and that is one thing most people don't tell you. They don't let you know that behind every photo are tiresome hours of editing, or that every post requires hours of research. So when do you get this done when you also have a full-time job that actually pays the bills? After all, though initially the blog can be a great hobby and a substantial secondary income, it might not be enough for you to drop everything to run after it. Unless you're a debutante whose parents have the oil and gas market cornered...

There are a few things one can do to ease the transition between blogging and a full-time job. Or at least to help organize life into more manageable time periods. When I started this blog, I didn't have much for a guidance system except for what I saw online and what my friends told me they liked. I wish I had someone to tell me what to do, what not to do, and what would be a huge waste of my time. The tips below are some of the things I learned along the way that might help you save some time if you're considering delving into the blogging world.

1. Learn to delegate online as best you could. Use current tools designed to help with time management, such as content and post scheduling to cut time off manual inputs.

2. Pick up a new hobby. Photography is a great way to make your blog stand out and will also help you up your visual styling. Blogging will not feel like you're work if you spend some of the time teaching yourself a new task.

3. Sign up for webinars and read articles, A LOT. The more you learn, the more backup you will have for your opinions and the richer your content will become. Your brain is your tool now so keep it sharp!

4. Make time for exercise and relaxation. Clear your mind in any shape or form you can find really. Blogging and working can feel quite stressful if you don't have some "me time" so hit the pavement or just shut down and meditate in a sauna, whatever floats your boat. Your serene, non-rocking boat.

5. Don't take yourself too seriously. I honestly can't stress this enough. Blogging should be fun and even if you end up doing it full-time one day, none of us are sending rockets to new planets here! Unless you're blogging for NASA then by all means be as serious as you wish...

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