Juggling Blogging with a Full Time Job

I've seen a few posts along these lines floating around, but each one seems to be a little different as everyone has different tips and ways of juggling so I thought I'd share mine. I don't actually find it that difficult to manage both a blog and a full time job as blogging is something that I really enjoy doing so I don't see it as a chore and I'm also an organised person by nature! Here's how I do it:

Planning
I almost always plan my posts in advance. I write a list of all the dates in the month that I need to publish a post and assign a post to each - sometimes they'll switch around or things will change if I decide to write a different post last minute, but having them all written down helps me know when I need to have a post ready by. I put a mark next to each post when they're ready to go and then tick them off when it's published - so satisfying! (I'm a loser I know). I know some people are against planning posts and would rather just sit down and write on the day, but I think different things work for everyone and planning is what works for me!

Lists
You can never go wrong with a good list! I make a list for each post I'm writing with things I need to do for it such as photos, text, proof reading, adding links etc. Having a to do list for each post keeps me organised and means I don't forget to do anything and won't have a last minute panic!

Back up posts
I always have about three back up posts floating around that could be published anytime, just in case something goes wrong with one of my planned posts or if I don't get a chance to finish a post in time. If I have a free day I'll sit down and write out a few posts to have on standby. I find these so helpful as it takes the pressure off knowing that I have posts there ready to go if they're needed.

Be realistic
When I first started blogging I decided to post twice a week because I thought that would be manageable to fit around my job. I think it's much better to underestimate how much you'll be able to post because you can always start posting more if you feel like you can (I've recently started posting three times a week). If you're realistic about what you can achieve on your blog it makes it seem much more manageable plus you will produce better quality posts. I know some people post daily while having a full time job (hats off to you if you do!) but that would definitely not be realistic for me!

I hope some of these tips helped - what are your tips for blogging and having a full time job?

Amy x

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