It can be hard to be a working, blogging mom. Maybe you work outside of the house or you work from home. You run a blog. You run a household. You are the glue for your family. Today we are sharing 8 Time Management Tips from a Full-Time Working, Part-Time Blogging Mama from Sarah Brooks of the FrugalMillionareBlog. Time management for a blogger is so important!
Are you a mom wanting to start your own business but have no idea where you’ll find the time? You wonder if it’s even worth it to get started when you’re knee-deep in the throes of motherhood? I have two toddlers—ages three and two—and a full-time job. I’m also a part-time blogger and freelance writer. If there’s one thing I’ve learned by managing all of my obligations, it’s that you will find a way to make time for what’s important to you.
Right now, my top three priorities are my family, my full-time job and my side hustles (mostly, my blogs). I don’t spend a ton of time with friends and my house isn’t always spick n’ span clean, but I’m doing very well with my main obligations. Below are 8 time management tips to help you find more time for the things you wish to pursue.
Prioritize what’s important; get rid of what’s not
I just hit on this: If you want to have more time, prioritize what is important to you and focus on that. I no longer use social media other than for blogging. I don’t see my friends very often at this stage of my life. I cook quick, easy meals for my family and we order take-out a few times a week. My husband does extra chores around the house. I don’t watch television other than in the evenings with my husband. I will be the first to admit I am not superwoman, and I really don’t believe anyone can “do it all,” so quit trying!
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Take care of yourself
Recently, I started exercising just about every day. This has impacted me in so many ways: I have more energy, I’m healthier, I’m happier, and I’m more productive. I also get enough sleep. Almost every night, I’m in bed and asleep by 10 pm. This allows me to be up and at it by 6:00 am, sometimes earlier if I have a deadline.
Set time limits
Writing, for example, will expand to the amount of time you give it. Many other areas in life are like this, too. To add more time to my day, I set strict time limits on all projects I’m working on—including my full-time job. If you’re a blogger, try giving yourself one hour to crank out a post. You’d be surprised at how much quicker you can work if you give yourself firm deadlines and time constraints.
Keep your to-do list short
To-do lists can be necessary, but they can also be overwhelming to the point of wanting to chuck the whole list into the trashcan as soon as you see it. Instead of trying to tackle 10 different tasks on any given day, why not try to tackle three? My to-do list, for example, might look like this: Write one blog post for the frugal millionaire, interact on Facebook blogging groups for 30 minutes, reach out to two bloggers to do a guest post. That’s it.
Get help from your family members
Mamas—you do not have to run your entire household. Your husband can help and so can your kids! Chores like cooking and cleaning should be a group effort. My two-year-old even keeps her room clean, helps me with the dishes and puts away her laundry. Both my daughters pick up their toys before bed and put their shoes and socks in the closet where they belong. If you have a busy schedule (which all moms do), the best thing you can do for yourself and your family is to delegate some of the work.
Get outside help
I’m writing this from my neighbor’s house—it’s my night to watch her kids so her and her husband can enjoy a date. Next week, she’ll watch ours. This type of arrangement would also work for simply getting some alone time to work or rest. If you don’t know anyone who would be interested in swapping babysitting duties, switch off with your partner (he watches them Saturday morning for a few hours and you take them Sunday morning) or hire a babysitter once a week.
Take shortcuts
On weeknights, the crock pot is my best friend when it comes to healthy, quick and easy dinners. For laundry, I’ve never once separated any of my clothes and so far nothing’s been ruined. I pick out my clothes for myself and my girls the night before. I keep my house clean mostly because we don’t have a ton of stuff. Simplify as many areas of your life as you can, leaving you plenty of time to pursue the things that matter the most to you.
See time management tips for professional bloggers >>
Give yourself one full day off
If I can’t relax, I know I’m doing too much. I love my full-time job and blogging is a huge passion of mine, but if I can’t rest for one full day, I know I need to reprioritize my life. Part of managing your time well is knowing when you’re at capacity. I hit capacity when I was freelancing on an almost full-time basis in addition to working full-time and blogging. I ended up dropping almost every single one of my freelancing clients to give me more time to breathe. While my income may have dropped, my level of happiness increased significantly.
Working full-time, raising two kids and blogging can be stressful at times, but I’m pursuing my passions and get to wake up every day excited for what lies ahead. What are your secrets to managing your time while raising a family and working or running a blog?! Share in the comments!
Author bio: Sarah Brooks is a full-time working mom of two little girls living in Charlotte, NC. She runs two blogs – www.thefrugalmillionaireblog.com and her newly-launched mama blog, www.coffeetalkformamas.com. She’s passionate about helping mamas pursue their dreams while in the throes of motherhood. When she’s not working or blogging, you can find her baking with her daughters, binge-watching Netflix shows with her husband, or spending time outdoors.