How I Balance Blogging With A Full-Time Job

Bodysuit: Forever 21 | Pants: Missguided | Purse: Foley + Corinna | Sunglasses: Forever 21 (similar) | Shoes: Charlotte Russe (similar) | Bandana: Mendocino (similar)

I’ve recently been getting a ton of questions about blogging, such as what I use to shoot my pictures, how I edit, and how I grew my Instagram so fast. So I thought it would be fun to start a mini blogging series where I answer some blogging questions I’ve been getting.

One question I have been getting a lot of lately is if I blog full-time and if not how I balance blogging. I’m sure so many blogger babes know the #struggle of trying to run a blog and trying to pay the bills. So, I’ve decided to share how I balance blogging, work and life today on the blog!

Be prepared to schedule blog work before and after work (and even on your days off too!)

First and foremost. Blogging is a lot of work. I would say it’s even hard work! Between shooting pictures, writing posts, responding (or trying to) respond to comments, answering emails, picking out clothes, styling flat lays, and everything in-between it just ain’t easy! But, like all businesses, consistency is key to success!

When I first started blogging I would read how some bloggers would spend 80 hours a week working on their blog. Which I actually thought was a joke! As ignorant as that was. At the beginning, I thought I would spend a few hours a week on my blog and that would be enough to grow it! Truthfully, if you want to grow your blog, a few hours will not cut it! I would estimate that I spend about 40 hours a week on just my blog and social media alone!

So how do you fit more hours to work on your blog into the day? What works for me is working on my blog first thing in the morning and right before bed. I wake up at 6 am and spend some time off my phone with just my husband. We take the time to talk to each other, read our daily devotional and enjoy breakfast together before our work day starts. Then from 7 am to 8:15 am I usually spend working on my blog and social media, preparing it for the day!

After my work day, I like to do my chores, walk my dogs and get dinner going. I find time to unwind after work is the best for me to get my creative juices flowing before my nighttime hustle. I usually start my nighttime blog work at about 9:30 pm and finish up between 11:30 pm and 12 am!

These times work really well for me. But, I’d definitely say find times before and after work that you feel most inspired and ready to work. This will look different for everyone. Whatever time that ends up being, stick to it and make it your routine.

As for shooting looks, we usually do that over 2 days. Most weeks, my blog pictures are done Sunday morning around 7 am. We love shooting early in the morning because it allows us to have a full day off together after getting our blog work done! It’s a really great way to get our blog pictures out of the way and to enjoy the day and catch up on life! I also shoot my looks I’ve worn the week before that are what I call my ” Instagram #ootd”. We shoot these after work in the evening and occasionally on our second day off!

I do all my editing on Sunday and try to write all the posts for the week on Sunday too! I’ve also committed myself to a new blog post every Monday, Wednesday and Friday because it’s the most feasible with my work schedule. I would love to blog every day but I just don’t have enough time for that! But, picking what days you will have a new post up and committing to it (I have mine on my Instagram bio, so all my followers know they can expect a new post then) helps you stay on track to posting on those days!

Be consistent and schedule yourself

Consistency really is key and having yourself on a schedule is essential! I’m a business owner already, so this came naturally to me. But if you aren’t used to making your own schedule I’d encourage you to try this for your blog, and see how much easier it is to get stuff done! I personally don’t write my blogging schedule out down to every detail. But, I do use a planner to write down days Qais and I work on the blog, and what exactly we will be doing.

I also use Wunderlist to help me organize myself more efficiently. Wunderlist helps to remind me about upcoming collabs, daily to-dos and anything out of my usual routine that I can’t forget to do! This holds you accountable for finishing your work and Wunderlist even has a calendar to schedule due dates.

And if you work with your husband or significant other on the blog, let them help hold you accountable. Qais always knows my blogging to-do’s and will remind me to finish something, or even offer to help if I’m a little jammed up with work! It doesn’t hurt to work as a team on your blog!

Keep focused, make goals and be patient

Working 40 hours a week at your job and then coming home to work on your blog isn’t always fun! I mean, at first, it is. But like anything, with time things start to fade and you ask yourself “should I really keep blogging?”. The answer is YES!

Blogging is not a race. And don’t make it one. If you haven’t received any collab offers or made any money off your blog. Don’t worry. Trust me it will come. My whole outlook on my blog was to work hard quietly and let the content I produce do all the talking. It may take months before you get your first collab or dollar. But, that is okay! Blogging, to me, is about passion. Passion fuels your blog and will eventually lead it into a business naturally. If that’s where you want to take your blog!

Don’t compare yourself to other bloggers and where they are in their career. Focus on your content. Focus on your goals and work hard patiently. Make realistic goals for yourself such as “in 6 months I want to have 6000 followers on Instagram”. Then make smaller goals to help you get to your bigger goal!

And how does this all help with balancing blogging and working? Well, keeping focused will help you stick to your schedule and why you started blogging in the first place. Making goals will be your motivation to keep you going when it feels pointless. And, of course, patience is key to any successful business or blog.

I hope this post helps any blogger babes needing a little motivation to keep them going! I also love getting questions about blogging or social media, so please feel free to DM me or email me any questions you have!

xo Lauren