Blogging Mom’s endure the constant struggle of an ongoing balancing act: nurturing family needs while keeping the blog fresh and competitive. The struggle rages on minute by minute, especially for parents like me, who are extremely driven to accomplish their to-do list.
Sommer of the Green and Clean Mom Blog cut straight to the heart of the matter in her blog post Mommy Bloggers Are Quitting. One of her favorite bloggers decided to take a permanent break, causing her to step back and reflect on her own situation:
I have not done a good job at balancing my computer time and the divide between work, play and socializing is a hard line to define. It all just sort of meshes together but I have tried to set some boundaries which I believe has made it easier for the family and me but these aren’t always easy to stick to. I admit, I flounder on days but I’m human.
Sommer began investigating what successful bloggers suggest to create a good balance. In a guest post on ProBlogger, Leo Babauta of Zen Habits shared a doable game plan that made her realize her time was valuable. A light bulb went off and she re-arranged her blogging time to be a better match to her personal and business goals. So instead of allowing herself to be consumed, burning out and eventually quitting, she decided to make the necessary changes for success in the long run.
In my particular situation, blogging is an integral piece of our online store. So the question isn’t whether to blog or not, it’s simply how to go about blogging while successfully meeting my family’s needs. I recently found some great advice posted by Adam Singer on The Future Buzz. He offers realistic tips for successfully integrating blogging into your busy life. Several points really struck me, and I’ve made a conscious effort to stick with my passion according to his common sense approach:
- Write what you know, write what flows easily – this should be a joy, as you’re writing on something you’re passionate about.
- Audit your time – to be successful, you should build blogging into the natural flow of your day. To do this, you need to first audit your time. Create a spreadsheet outlining every hour of the day you’re not at work. Logically see where you can fit in 15-30 minutes to blog. What do you do when you get home? If you watch TV, spend hours on Facebook, or surf the web aimlessly consider using some of your free time to help yourself and write instead.
- Your blog and the benefits grow slowly over time if you stick with it – you don’t have to write 10 posts the first week. In fact, you don’t even have to write every day, or every other day.
I’ve found that blogging while handling other responsibilities can definitely be done. It’s not easy – in fact, some days it’s a constant battle to stay focused on my true priorities, and not to give in to those sideline distractions that steal my time and energy. Sometimes I just have to stop and make myself listen to reason – choosing to ignore the draw of a looming deadline, the ideas swirling in my brain, or the Tweets calling my name. Stepping back often to re-evaluate is non-negotiable for long-term success, and will help us avoid missing the target and eventual burn-out.
