Have you ever wondered how some people cope with managing more than one job or
responsibility at a time? I used to think they had some kind of super powers! Excuse my ignorance; Hubz always says I have the most imaginative mind ever!! LOL!
Recently though, I have discovered that the major thing that keeps them going is the fact that they are passionate about what they do. That and the aspect that humans are actually classified as the most adaptive species, making it easy for them to adjust to situations that they would ordinarily not think they can adjust to.
Well, that being said, I want to share a few tips that work for me as I run my day job alongside blogging part time. Sometimes, I am cut in between not wanting to quit my day job to blog full time but still wishing I could devote more time to blogging. Can you relate to that?
So what then?
I read somewhere that your blog is your baby… but I will modify the statement to this…
… Whatever you can’t leave alone and expect that to survive by itself is your baby.
So as far as I’m concerned, even your day job is your baby as well. The key now is striking a balance to make both babies happy and satisfied, without showing favoritism… which is a huge productivity killer!
ü Fortunately or unfortunately, I work within close proximity to my place of residence, so using my commute to plan or edit a post or two leisurely is definitely way out of the question for me. So I just utilize my notepad to type in a phrase or two when I have a brainwave, which surprisingly, usually occurs more frequently during those morning hours than other times of the day. Is that normal?
ü Multi-tasking is a normal thing with my work and even as a mum, but I find that it just doesn’t work for me yet in blogging. I come back from work totally exhausted and still manage to start going through my never ending to do list, from attending to the kids to fixing meals and getting ready for the next day. It’s no surprise then that when I finally settle down to type a line or two for my next post, I’m already feeling completely overwhelmed. I mean, I’m only human right? This is where the passion aspect sets in and takes over.
However, so as not to break down, I limit my posts to once a week or twice occasionally, when I feel up to it. Still working towards publishing more frequently but that can only happen if I were Miraculous Ladybug or some other paranormal fiction character like that. Please don’t ask me who Miraculous Ladybug is! I’m not sure I can really explain… I just know my daughter enjoys watching Disney channel just because of Miraculous Ladybug and she wants her 6th year birthday cake to depict that character.
Of course, if she doesn’t give me a fool proof reason to indulge her, she’s not having any of that.
Initially, I didn’t think it was possible handling all this but nowadays, I try to concentrate one day at a time and sometimes, I refer to it as a ‘Now you see it, now you don’t’ kind of feeling.
ü Weekends, Friday nights to be precise, is my ideal time to publish a post. The reason is that I can really afford to have a lie in on Saturday mornings, when I’m not going to work or market that is.
Most times, it’s preferable to wait for the kids to sleep off or I will have lots of assistants to reckon with, typing the posts for me and all.
#Phew!
I can’t wait for this phase to fizzle out and have them become more grown up and independent.
ü For the record, it’s pretty impossible sometimes to do all this consistently, have a full time job and have an actual life… but I believe it gets better with time.
ü One more thing! It’s very important to remember to set boundaries. There should be time for everything, from your day job to family time, me time, blog time and God time. For instance, as tempting as it may be to check page views and comments, they should be kept at bay when you are supposed to be spending time with your kids or something.
That being said, what extra activities or side job do you have going on for you? How do you make it work by joggling them up? Please share your tips with us in the comment section below.
XOXO
Yours Truly.
Nikimandi
