What it takes to blog while having a full-time job

alancing a full time job and blogging is a challenge and don't let anyone lie to you and make you believe it is easy (peasy lemon squeezy). Blogging itself requires dedicated time and concentration, which you don't have as much after 8 hours of work or more.

I've started this blog in February 2020 while I was working a part-time job and had plenty of time on my hands after I got home from work. Not to mention we were in lockdown due to COVID-19 from March till May, during which I was working from home. At that time, blogging and working were possible and not energy draining.

As of October 1 of 2020, I got a new contract and started working full-time. Same organization, same position, just more working hours. I believed in myself and my organizational skills to make it easy for me to balance full time job and blogging. Guess what? I wasn't prepared for this at all.

I love my job, I love the organization I'm working in and I was so happy when they offered me a full time contract. But, I also love blogging and how it brings out my creativity. 

I want to keep my full-time job and I want to continue blogging, but it has been a struggle this past months. I'm still getting used to being in the office full time, and when I come home I'm drained and I don't want to look at the computer anymore. Creating one blog post takes time, and sometimes you just don't feel creative at all.

Then come the weekend and you want to do all. See your friends, take a walk, spend some quality time with your family, run errands, relax … The list just gets longer and longer, and sometimes blogging isn't even on it. I wanted to give up so many times, but then in the morning, I'm like "no quitting, you just need to be even more organized" and it goes on and on.

Did I mention that I also have an Etsy shop with printable planners? I got my hands full. I love creating printable planners, maybe even more than I love writing. And when I have any spare time I use it to promote my shop on Pinterest, to create new products, or to just update the old ones. OMG, I'm a busy woman :)

I'll stop this rant and get to the point.

Don't beat yourself up, have a rant and then start planning?

Yes, planning is everything, and if you read my blog you know I loooove planning. I also wrote about keeping an editorial calendar so you can plan your posts and promotions. And, I also know that it is not always possible to keep everything as planned. But, you owe yourself to not quit and keep trying. Planning in advance can make the difference and keep you away from the dreaded "What am I going to post?" dilemma.

Take a moment, or 15 minutes, and write down ideas and what your next blog post can be. (I know that other bloggers say that consistency is the key, and that you have to publish x amount of posts weekly, but common, full-time job and blogging consistently is a full-time job.) Then, set a pace for your posts. 

It is perfectly ok to publish once a week, it is also perfectly ok to write two posts in one week because you had time and inspiration. You can always schedule the second post for next week and, voilà, you have one less thing to worry about.

Create a schedule that works for you

This is where planning gets handy. You can always dedicate a day in a week when you are going to work on your blog: writing, promoting, etc. Let's say you realized that Wednesday is the "easiest" day you have during the week and that you can spare some time for your blog. When you plan your week, block a few hours on Wednesday to write a post and schedule everything you can. Also, write this down in your editorial calendar.

The whole idea is to use your time wisely and to make a balance between your full-time job and blogging.

Use time spent in commute

I take the bus to work and I need around 30 minutes to get from home to the office. Sometimes, I'll just have a random burst of inspiration on the bus and if I don't write it down as soon as it hits me, it's gone forever. Ok, maybe not forever, but it's gone. So, I'll take my phone and use one of the notetaking apps to "write it down". You can use Evernote, Google Keep, Notes, whatever works for you, just don't let that idea go away.

If you don't take a bus, but a car, you can use one of the voice memo apps on your phone, record your idea and then listen to it later when you have time to write down your ideas.

This is actually a good way to balance your full-time job and blogging, you need to commute to your office every day, so why not working on your blog while doing that.

Use your plan B

Don't freak out just yet, you know what they say: if plan A doesn't work, you can always go to a plan B or any other letter of the alphabet. What does this mean? If you don't have any fresh ideas, you can always go back to your old posts and update them (it is good for SEO), promote them a little bit more.

Be creative with your time.

Don't give up

However low you may feel, remember this: don't give up. Believe in what you are doing, believe in yourself and your blog. 

Enjoy this time while it is still a hobby! 

Hobbies are supposed to be fun! 

This isn't a race, it's a marathon. 

And remember, you are not alone in this. There are more of us balancing full-time job and blogging.

This story was originally published on my blog.