Tips for Blogging and Working Full Time

Happy mid-week everyone! Today’s blog post is something I wanted to talk about for a long time – tips for blogging and working full-time.  It’s a question I get asked quite frequently when my readers find out that I have a full-time job, aside from blogging. I wanted to share some of my tips that have helped me along the way to stay organized and on top of the million things that I have going on. I hope that it helps those of you who have always wanted to start your own blog, but feel discouraged. As much as it is SO hard sometimes, no matter what – I try to devote some time to my site, even if it’s a few minutes a week.

KEEP A PLANNER

I’m sure you heard it over and over again, but keep a planner and stay organized! For myself, I like to keep a calendar of upcoming events, posts, campaigns and other blog-related things to make sure I’m not double-booking my day.  Another main reason is to realistically look at your month as a whole and ask yourself, “is it doable?” Writing things out has always helped me keep a piece of mind, even when I was in school. Everything just makes sense on paper; who can relate? It could be the most inexpensive planner from your corner drugstore or if you want to get fancy, you can get the cute planners like this one.

If you don’t like to carry extra things with you (like me, on some days) – just keep a log of your events and things on your phone calendar.

HAVE BACK-UP CONTENT

This has been my holy grail! Because I can only shoot content on the weekends (weather-permitting and if we don’t have family events), I always try to have back-up content. It’s always my luck that the weather doesn’t cooperate with us on weekends. Whether it be for the blog or for Instagram, I develop content as much as I can on good days, and keep them around for a rainy day.  For this back-up content, I try to keep it simple and neutral.  That way, if I’m posting an outfit that I shot a few weeks back – I know I won’t have a problem waiting so long because classics never go out of style.  I used and abused this method toward my last month of pregnancy.

SHOOT MULTIPLE LOOKS IN ONE DAY

Whether I’m shooting some looks with Alex or meeting my photographer, Lisa, I always try to shoot more than one look a day. Now that we have two kids (ah!), it’s easier for me to meet with Lisa while Alex stays with the kiddos.  I’ve shot up to 5 looks a day.  This lasts me a few weeks, since I don’t post on the blog everyday.

Side note: Alex has been my number one supporter throughout this entire “blogging career.” I swear, without his help – it really wouldn’t be possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

WRITE DOWN/PLAN YOUR OUTFITS

I’ve found this to be most helpful, especially when I have to shoot multiple looks at one time. I use the Notes app on my phone to write down every article of clothing and every piece of accessory I plan to wear for that specific look – down to sunglasses, earrings, etc. I’m sure you get lots of packages in the mail from PR firms and brands that you intend to work with; it can get overwhelming.  I write down everything I need to shoot and think of ways to incorporate into my outfit that I will be shooting. Then, it’s super easy to pack everything and load it up (by outfit) when you’re shooting! Yes, it is hectic – but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

UTILIZE YOUR LUNCH BREAK

I’ve used up my lunch break for lots of things blog-related. Whether it’s catching up on emails, responding to comments on the blog and/or Instagram, or even shooting some content – you can accomplish a lot in one hour! Since I don’t work far from a few favorite retailers, I’ve also scooped up some items that I would need for a specific campaign and/or upcoming blog post. I feel most accomplished when I start drafting a blog post during my lunch break, then when I get home – all I have to do is add photos and schedule the post to publish!

DON’T KILL YOURSELF

This is perhaps the most important tip, in my opinion. DO NOT OVERWORK YOURSELF. There have been plenty of times, and I mean plenty, where I had so many things planned out; for example, on my lunch break and then just said to myself – I need a breather! I just postponed it till the next day. You need to pace yourself! Make time for yourself and for your family.  Remember, that your blog is a part-time obligation and/or hobby.  And remember, that you are truly ahead of the game maintaining two careers and leaving people wondering how! It’s all about time management and staying true to yourself. When you feel like giving up (yep, that’s happened to me plenty too) – remember why you started your blog in the first place. We all need a social media break every now and then, and there is nothing wrong with that.

I really, really hope that you take something away from today’s post! I hope that you found my tips for blogging and working full-time somewhat helpful.  Are any of you blogging and working full-time as well? I would love to hear some of your tips too! Please leave a comment below and as always, thanks for reading. Xox.

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*Original outfit details can be found under my Monday Office Memo: Professional Maternity post.