You decided to become a full-time blogger, a recognized expert and a go-to person in your niche. You imagined of working at home, spending time with your family, travelling and taking vacations when you wanted and to be worry-free of financial issues.
So what happened?
All of a sudden you realized that after having a day job and a family, the time seems to fly by - and there is never time for blogging!
You came to the conclusion that it is going to take ages to reach that pro blogger status - something you so much wanted.
The thought of quitting the blogging game crossed your mind and now you are afraid that you have to spend the rest of your life in your stinking cubicle job.
Needless to say, you are frustrated, confused and even angered.
The leverage that the full-time bloggers have
Although I have never felt like quitting, I can easily imagine that these thoughts are crossing a new bloggers mind. I have also been envious for those those full-time bloggers and internet marketers who can spend all day doing what they love.
The one major distinction between a full-time blogger and a part-time one is … time.
Those full-timers can focus their whole day for blogging activities. Sometimes their total amount of time per day (for example 8 hours) for blogging is way more than what you have for the entire week.
How unfair is that?
Many missing pieces of the puzzle
The biggest issue when it comes to a part-time blogger (with a family) is the fragmented time for blogging. In addition, it is very common that as soon as you reach the flow state, your family members may interrupt you when you work.
On top of that, there are pressures set by your spouse too; Instead of spending time on the computer, your wife/husband insists that you should spend more time with him/her and the kids.
These issues make you very frustrated - on the other hand you are still passionate of becoming a full-time blogger and on the other hand you feel guilt, when you are not spending time with your family.
You are between a rock and a hard place!
It’s time to plan, invest and communicate
Let’s face it: Finding time for your blogging activities may sound very hard when you have a day job and a family, but it is not impossible. It takes just some strategic thinking and open communication.
First, you need to know your “why” - why are you are a blogger? What are you trying to achieve with your blogging?
It is mandatory to answer to this question, because otherwise you are going to have a hard time to keep on blogging when obstacles are thrown on your way.
I even suggest, that you write your “why” to a piece of paper and place it where you can see it every day (especially when you are working on your computer). This way you are constantly reminded why you started blogging in the first place.
Second, realize all the tasks that you are doing related to your blogging and take a critical look at them: Can I create a system so that my blogging activities are executed the same way every time?
When you create a system, you can also ask, could something be outsourced, eliminated, automated or optimized? By asking and answering these questions, you are going to save time.
Third, develop your habits, so that they support your goals. Ditch bad habits and replace them with good ones. You will soon realize that this makes you even more productive than before.
Fourth, communication is the key - especially when your family is concerned. They need to know what you are doing and why are you doing what you do. Communicate this explicitly with them, so that nobody has unclear expectations towards you.
Fifth, hire a coach. Now, I know that the biggest obstacle here is the money - coaches are not inexpensive.
On the other hand, you can reach your goals much faster, when you have someone advising you and tell you what to do (and what not to do) next.
Your time-saving blueprint
It’s time to put all the pieces together to a solid blueprint, so that you can maximize the time you have:
1) Schedule a time block - say 1.5 hours on next Sunday. If you know that the rest of the family wakes up around 9 AM, then schedule your block to start by 07.30.
Take the DISC assessment test provided by Anthony Robbins. You have to sign-in to his list to get the test, but on the other hand, you have a very powerful tool at your disposal and it may change your life (it changed mine!).
As a result of the test, you are going to have a personality profile, which tells about your strengths and other useful information about you. You can use this information as a basis for your “Why”.
Another great benefit of taking the test is that it can give you hints regarding the topic to write about. For example, my results showed me that I have very strong time management skills. That lead me thinking that this would be a perfect topic to explore even further, so I became a time management blogger myself.
2) Take another 1 - 1.5 hours (again when your family is sleeping or napping) and put all those blogging related tasks (for example when writing a new blog post) in a one big list.
Then, put those tasks in the order of execution and start to figure out what can be outsourced, optimized, removed or tweaked further.
For example, one minor tweak I did to my blogging process was to start writing my posts directly through Google Docs interface.
Earlier, I wrote them on Word 2010 and the copied them to Google Docs (my wife proofreads my documents there). Although this was a minor change, it will make a time-saving difference in the long run.
3) Develop your habits. Six of the most profound ones I have formed are:
a) Having a daily work plan
b) Waking up early
c) Knowing my next action
d) Asking myself: “Should I be doing this or can this be taken off my task list”
e) Batch-process like a mad person
Having a daily plan is crucial. First, I have list of all my projects in a big list (a backlog). Then, I extract tasks from that backlog to my daily tasks lists the night before.
I try to focus on most valuable project at a time, but sometimes I feel easy to move on many fronts at the same time (this depends of the tasks/projects of course).
Early wake-ups (somewhere between 5 AM to 6 AM during the weekdays, 7AM - 8AM during the weekends) have enabled me to write blog posts, e-books, record videos and do bunch of other miscellaneous stuff. If possible, try to get to bed earlier so that you can wake up earlier.
Knowing your next action is also important - especially when you are working at home. For example, sometime ago I came back home from work and I realized that my wife and son were having a nap. It took me like 2 seconds to realize that this a perfect time to work on my projects.
In fact, I was able to get 1 hour of uninterrupted working time related to my blogging tasks. So when an unexpected time block occurs, you should know what action to take immediately.
To make sure you are working on right tasks, ask yourself: “Should I be doing this right now? Or could I remove this off my task list?” There is nothing worse than working on a task that doesn’t support your goals in any way.
Finally, I try to batch-process my work as much as possible. For example, if have written many guest posts, I try to get them proofread all at once - not separately.
4) Set a schedule for your work and communicate that with your family.
Let them know that you are working for example between 8 PM and 9 PM every evening and you shouldn’t be disturbed (unless there is a family emergency).
Have a mutual understanding with your spouse and your kids.
Explain why you need to work on your computer and why you may be unavailable for a certain time of the day (with the exception of family crisis of course).
5) If you have money, go ahead and hire a coach. Search Google for testimonials about the person you a hiring.
Hire a person who has a proven track record of achieving things (he/she is not just talking the talk, but walking the walk too). Remember, that your coach can take you to your goals much faster than what you would be capable of doing yourself.
Takeaway
With these simple tips, I have been able to keep my productivity levels relatively high - even when I’m working full-time and having a family.
I understand that the combination of blogging, full-time work and family may not be the easiest at times, but I also know that it is possible to find a balance between blogging and your family.
Over to you: How are you handling the blogging while having a day job and a family? What tips would you give to your fellow blogger in a similar situation like you? Let us know and let’s make each other’s lives a bit easier!
Timo Kiander, a.k.a. Productive Superdad, teaches WAHD superdad productivity for work at home dads. If you want to improve your blogging productivity, grab his free e-book, 61 Ways for Supercharging Blogging Productivity.
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Hello Timo Kiander, Very well explained pain of part time bloggers. I was thinking that these are only my problems, But after reading your post, I can assume that these are the problems related to all part time bloggers.
I am working full day and also want to become a successful full time blogger. But as you said time and family pressure are main hurdles which sometimes make me feel guilty. But I never think to quit blogging. You time saving blueprint will help me a lot.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful post.
Hi Veer!
Thank you
Yes, there are a lot of people who have issues with their time. They want to become successful bloggers but they struggle with the available time.
However, becoming a successful blogger is possible - even if doing it part-time.
Glad to hear that you found the blueprint valuable!
Cheers,
Timo
Hi Timo,
Some think its harsh, but when I decide to have a family, It will not take over my life, I still need to blog. I could never adjust to not being able to do what I love, so there would always be time allocated to this task..
Nice post!
Simmeon,
I think that there is still a chance to do what you want - even if you have a family.
Of course, it’s a matter of balance too and you need open communication with your family, so that they know what is going on.
In fact, you could check out the interview I did recently with Craig Jarrow of TimeManagementNinja.
We talk about the blogging balance and hopefully you’ll find it interesting - check it out!
http://www.productivesuperdad.com/interview-blogger-craig-jarrow/
Cheers,
Timo
Tony Lum says
Hi Timo, I’ve been pretty much following your posts and it is mind blowing every single time. Thanks for the great insight, it is very enlightening for us.
Hi Tony!
Thank you - this is very nice to hear
Thanks!
Cheers,
Timo
This is an excellent post, I’m sure for those that work full-time outside the home, it can get challenging to find the time needed to post. I am lucky, even though we have 5 children who are 11, 9, 8, 21 months, and 9 months old and I am a full-time college student, and run 2 businesses, I have all the time in the world.
I just blog throughout the day, research, post, etc when I can. There are downtime’s throughout the day and this is when I do my “work”.
Victoria,
Thank you!
Yep, downtime is my time
I try to get work done as much as possible then.
It’s a matter of knowing the patterns - when you kids are sleeping and when it’s quiet in the house.
Anyway, I would sure love to learn more about your ways of doing it all with five kids
Cheers,
Timo
Hi Timo, I think you have outlined the differences between being a pro or an amateur blogger
I do think that even a part time blogger can be dedicated and write very insightful posts. Of course, a full time blogger has a lot of time for promoting his blog on social media and all that.
Mariella,
Yes, part-timers can write even better posts than the full-time ones. And believe me, even if you are a full-time blogger, the time sure flies fast (you’ll be surprised how less you get done if you are not focused enough).
Cheers,
Timo
nice post for part time bloggers
Thank you Arul and thanks for dropping by
Amy says
Wow is just the article that I’m looking for. Every time that I get to think of my blogs just makes me pumped up. But after a few hours of writing, I just drift off to blogging to another something. I hope that this hope would really help me. Even when I’m reading hit, I’m already thinking how it wouldn’t work. But I am going to try. Thanks for the great read.
Amy,
Great to hear I was in time!
Let me know if this information was helpful!
Cheers,
Timo
I have a day job, a family but I still find some ample time to blog. The thing is to just split the time properly between your day job and the other activities, and then communicate with your spouse and kids about your schedule so that they can still know that you are there for them despite taking a few hours to blog each day. That works for me.
Carl,
Yep, it’s the communication that is very important.
Being open in what you do is the key in family environment.
Cheers,
Timo
I think blogging from home is really good and it give you complete freedom so you can manage everything as you want.
Rajnish,
Sure, blogging gives freedom, but you have to communicate it well with your family.
It’s mostly about letting everyone know what you are doing on your computer.
Cheers,
Timo
Valuable post. For become an full time blogger its not easy work in my experience while i am writing one topic then much more hard work for me. Once again thanks for posing this great post.
Janmejaya,
You are welcome.
Blogging requires a lot of work and you have to find right between blogging time and family time.
However, I feel that it’s doable with right communication.
Cheers,
Timo
Day jobs are what we really plant o eliminate that is why we are looking for a job that we could do at home. Through having work at home jobs we could earn more than enough to support our family. One way to eliminate distractions like these is having a home office where you can work at ease and far away from any distraction at home.
Hi John!
I’d like to have a true office space in some day. In fact, I believe that this is one of the concrete ways of eliminating the distraction.
Cheers,
Timo
Blogging from home is just like starting and running your own business. It gets many ups and downs but you need to stay motivated. One should clear it out to himself that why does he want to do blogging ?
The thing I believe most which helps me personally in managing time is do what you do your best and outsource the rest.
Kashish,
I agree. If you want to earn a living, it has to be treated as business.
I’m using outsourcing as much as I can. However, I don’t have a virtual assistant yet.
Cheers,
Timo
Jerome says
Great post, Timo!
Selfishness when it comes to blogging was ignored for so long. It’s only now that more people are becoming aware about what real successful blogging is all about, which is mainly GIVING VALUE!
Thank you Jerome!
Yep, I agree, it’s about providing value for others.
Cheers,
Timo
Timo - great points!
People think that bloggers work only 1-2 hours a day. But it’s normal job (in most cases) - there is a lot of things to do and without hard work, we will never see the results…
Thanks for sharing,
Chris
Thank you Chris!
Yes, it’s probably something that people fail to understand.
Even if you had all the day for blogging, time will go fast and you’ll realize that you got nothing done if you aren’t careful. That’s why it is important to have a daily plan to follow.
Cheers,
Timo
Great post! As a full-time writer/blogger and a mom, I can relate! Your tips are very helpful.
Thank you Leah!
Great that you found the article valuable
Cheers,
Timo
This is the perfect post for me because My job is ruining my blogging career. I hope this post can help me.
Hi Atish!
Great to hear you liked the post and it was helpful to you!
Cheers,
Timo
Yes, this is something we all go through. Before starting out working from home, we think it will be easy and we will have lots of spare time due to not having to commute, etc. but gradually we find it is just as tough.
It is definitely easier for full-time bloggers but for part-timers, it can be a tricky juggle for time.
I still occasionally have to start working a part-time job when online earnings fall short. Last few months have been very difficult with new Google algorithms.
-Jean
Jean,
It is true. It’s unbelievable how fast the days go - even if you are a full-time blogger, not to mention if you are a part-time one.
That’s why you need to focus and have a daily plan in place.
Cheers,
Timo
Hey Timo
Thanks for this wonderful share. Being a full time blogger can be a good career option in present times. What one can do is to continue it with their job initially and when they feel the have established it fully can go for a full time career. One can work with ease at home and it also offers great flexibility.
Richa,
You’ll definitely need a time when you are transforming from your day job career to a blogging career.
It’s doable since so many people have done it. However, it requires work and a solid plan to follow.
Cheers,
Timo
Life become more and more busy nobody has time to waste. It’s really too difficult to give time to each and everything so proper planning is required. Give time to your work and develop habits to complete task.
Ayesha,
Sure, it’s important to have a plan in place. This helps you to focus on right things the next day.
It’s also important to finish what you start, so that they won’t be occupying your mind. The sooner the task is done, the better.
Cheers,
Timo
maintaining a schedule will definitely help. My day routine goes with my college and studies. I spend the nights for blogging and my online life.
Hi Koundeenya!
Yes, having a schedule helps a lot. It’ll make sure that you have a solid structure in your day and helps you to plan your daily actions too.
Cheers,
Timo
I am a blogger, a freelance writer, and a full time mom. I know how difficult it is to fit all these roles. Sometimes i get pulled from all sides as i try to balance duties, career and my passion for blogging. You have given some great tips which i am sure, many in my position are sure to find useful. Thanks
Sure Dipa!
Great to hear that these tips are valuable to you.
And yes, sometimes you need to balance your activities quite a bit, so that things move on smoothly
Cheers,
Timo
I like the “write your “why” ” thing - it really works like a mirror when you are lost in the alley. Great post Timo - I am going to save some of these on a Google Docs and start implementing it.
Cheers from India ..!!
Hi Krinal!
Thank you for your kind words!
Great to hear that I was able to be helpful!
Cheers,
Timo
Hi I am trying to set up blogs part time. It is really time consuming trying to fit it all in as well as my day job and everything else involved in daily life. Great fun though.
Thanks lee
Jan says
Thank you for your post. Time is really the thing that makes blogging and every other chore possible. If you aren’t able to manage time properly (especially with kids around), then blogging will become tedious instead of being fun.
When you are a single parent like me and you have a kid to handle . It sometimes becomes really diffecult to manage things ..
Craig says
My name is Craig, I’m 38 and have a family and 3 children and work a full time job. Its amazing how this article is refelceting my daily life. I never have much time to write for my blog - at the daytime I’m at work programming medical applications,
and when i come home than i need to devote some time for my wife and kids.
So I try to steal an hour here and there, and that is how my blog survives.
I wrote down all of you tips and I’m going to try to apply them. They seems very important, especially scheduling a small amount of time when the family is a sleep.
Zara says
My husband says “do one thing and do it well”. That is hard advice to live by in the world where there are more things to do than time to do them. I needed to stay home since I was finding that going to work was actually costing me in daycare. But, like most am finding that I have no time for my original intention, working out the house. It seems like my work has become the house. All that time I thought I would have has flown out the window. Thanks for reminding me about priorities and what I need to do to really have a career at home. I actually need to work from home. I now know where my focus is. Thank you!
Hi Zara!
Great to hear that I was able to help you
Cheers,
Timo
Timo Kiander recently posted..Expert Time Management Interview: Personal Productivity with Thanh Pham of AsianEfficiency.com
This is the usual problem of freelancers and work at home mom. Their kids are sometimes wanted their attention and needed to be taken care of.
Hi timo
The problem with having enough time for doing blogging is a big issue foe everyone. No matter how many hours a week you can put aside it never seems enough I think the big thing is to just be as productive as possible with the time that you have. Good time management is the key.
Thanks lee
Hi Lee!
Yes it is. That’s why you should figure out the key areas to focus on and ignore the rest.
Cheers,
Timo
Meredith says
Hi Timo,
Thanks very much for your article. I talk to many people who have difficulty juggling work and home life, and this is often a source of burnout and stress. I appreciate how you have outlined specific ways to manage part-time blogging. Each of your 5 strategies for becoming more efficient with blogging are very solid and I think will make a big difference for people. Thank you for being part of the conversation for empowering people to create a more fulfilling life :).
Cheers,
M
Hi Meredith!
You are welcome! I’m glad to hear that my writing was useful.
Cheers,
Timo