How to Manage Time: Balancing blogging and content creation with a full time job

So, you want to be a blogger or a content creator? But you want to do it as a side hustle while navigating a demanding job? Welcome to what many of us are dealing with: how do you manage your time, while keeping your full time job on the go and building your passion?

I think it’s a common problem because in the survey that I did at the beginning of the year, here are some of the feedbacks I received:

Consistency

Finding time to blog and create while working a full time job and balancing family.

Deciding what to prioritize.

Time to write

Juggling content creation and time.

Why Time Management is Crucial

You need to have some kind of system or routine in place for both your day job and your blogging or social media. You also need to create time for your family. These are all balls to be juggled, and as we know, family is most important. That is the ball you don’t want to drop. We might not get it right all the time but if we start out with the intention of creating time for these parts of your life, then you have a better chance of succeeding rather than dropping all the balls.

Understanding Your Priorities

Here you need to have a hard look at what is important to you and how much time you want to devote to what. You need money coming in (your day job) but you also need to work on the thing that brings you joy (your content creation). All of that needs to take a back seat though to your family. For me, if I have to sit the whole of a Saturday at a chess tournament because I know that is important to my son, I will do it. But I’ll bring my laptop and a powerbank with so that I can work on blogging stuff in the car or wherever I can find a place to work. I also schedule time in the evening for supper, bath time and putting him to bed while doing my online classes in between.

The other thing that’s important is to get rid of distractions when you are creating content. Try to ignore the phone! Keep your kid busy with an activity or a screen if possible.

Creating a Realistic Schedule

Take a good look at your week and see – when does your family need you? what are your working hours? You will work on your passion projects in between that. For me, I do content creation on the weekend or inbetween classes. I do social media posts in the mornings because that is when I have the time to do it. It might not be the best optimised time but realistically that’s when I can do it.

Ryan Robinson told me he spend the first few years of his blogging journey waking up early to work on his blog a few times a week, while balancing a full time job. That is commitment!

Leveraging Tools and Technology

These days there are so many tools that you can use to help make your life easier:

1. Calendars. I use Google Calandar a lot. I can schedule meetings in it and send zoom links to people, and it’s all connected. It’s also connected to one of my teaching jobs but sadly not the other one, ah well you can’t have everything! I also use a normal diary as well, especially for lists of things I have to do.
2. Planners! I have a lot of planners in the shop to make your life easier. From social media planners to meal planners as well as templates, I hope they can help you save time and get organised.
3. Social media schedulers: There are several out there. Pearl Holdstock uses them (catch her interview coming up soon on the summit I am planning in April). You can schedule in Business Suite (Meta) for Instagram and Facebook. You can use Hootsuite. I used to use Social Pilot a long time ago.
4. AI tools can help you get ideas, outlines and more. This is a topic all on its own and I suggest you catch Ryan Robinson at the summit for all his tools!

Setting Boundaries and Learning to Say No

Deciding how much you can cope with will be the point where you can set your boundary on how much you can take on. This can take the form of volunteer work or even something on your child’s plate that you feel is just another thing we don’t need. This year we’ve ditched technology and now recently decided that Admaths has to go as well. The chess and the tennis is enough right now.

Get support

Putting yourself in a position where you have support, particularly with childcare, is so important. This is the reason I moved back to PE, so that my mom picks up my kid and does the homework so I can work.

Another person who mentioned this was Helene from Pretty Belle, who shared that the best time for her to post was 6pm, when her audience was online, while her husband made supper.

Overcoming Procrastination

It’s never going to be perfect. But as Amanda from BabyYumYum.co.za says, “The universe supports action.” Take that messy action and learn from your mistakes. Just do it.

Finding Time for Self-Care

This is going to be different for everyone, but if you don’t make time for the things that keep you going, you will burn out. For me, Friday nights are my movie nights and I don’t work. I also like to sleep in on weekends. I love baths. I’ve also recently spoilt myself with some skin care and basic base and powder from Clarins that was a bit expensive but it just makes me feel so much more professional.

Staying Flexible and Adaptable

There are going to be times when your plans don’t work out the way you want, especially where kids are concerned. That is where you have to make those alternative plans e.g. bringing the laptop and powerbank to the chess tournament. Kids also get sick and needy. Stuff happens. Give yourself some grace and do what you can.

If what you are doing isn’t working, then you many need to change things up a little. That’s where the adaptability comes in.

Conclusion

Nobody has completely got it right when it comes to balancing it all. So don’t expect it to come easily. Have a realistic framework of when you can work on what, and what time you will be giving to your passion projects as well as when you are going to fit in your family. You may not be able to do it all, but with some plans in place, achieving a life which is filled with the things that matter to you, is what it is all about.

I’d like to hear from other people out there: what are your suggestions? How do you do it?