When you’re first starting out with your blog, chances are you’re juggling a lot of responsibilities at once. And the vast majority of you are growing your blogs while working a separate full-time job!
And let’s be real—blogging takes a lot of time and energy.
It can sometimes feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done, but it can feel so rewarding to put the work in and watch your blog grow over time.
If you’re in the phase of juggling your blog with a full-time job, these tips might help you learn how to manage it all just a bit more effectively.
1. Use tools to make your life easier.
When it comes to blogging, there is a lot of information to keep track of.
You have to plan out your content calendar, organize your expenses, create beautiful pins for Pinterest, and more. I’m getting a headache just thinking about it all!
Here are a few tools that can help keep you organized and working towards your goals:
Asana
Asana is a project management tool that works really well for bloggers. It helps you manage blog posts, social media scheduling, and other administrative tasks.
I personally love to schedule out my content calendar on Asana, and I can easily shift blog posts around as needed if life gets in the way.
Want to learn more?We also really love InfluenceKit and CoSchedule. They all have different features, so be sure to shop around and evaluate which one will work best for your workflow.
Grammarly
I don’t know about you, but I don’t personally have anyone else proofreading my blog posts. And writing posts at 11pm on a Thursday night inevitably leads to lots of spelling mistakes… anyone else with me?
But that’s where Grammarly comes in.
You can install the Grammarly browser extension for free, and it will automatically check the grammar and spelling of all your blog posts. Yes, please!
Canva
One of the most important tasks when blogging is sharing your content on social media, and Canva helps you create amazing graphics to do just that—no graphic design experience required.
We actually make the graphics for our blog posts here on Food Blogger Pro in Canva! It’s a really versatile platform, and they have tons of templates you can choose from if you’re just getting started.
2. Batch related tasks together.
There are so many tasks involved when it comes to blogging.
You have to brainstorm content ideas, do keyword research, shoot photos, respond to comments… the list goes on and on.
But that’s where task batching comes in! Instead of jumping around from task to task, focus on working on only one area at a time.
Spend a few hours filming three YouTube videos or writing four blog posts for the month. And during that time, really focus on the task at hand. Don’t let yourself peek at your email inbox or post on Instagram Stories, and I guarantee your productivity will improve.
Here’s an overview of what a few nights a week could look like when task batching:
By streamlining your process when working on your blog, you will end up creating even more content in the long run.
3. Connect with other bloggers.
Now more than ever, creating a support system is so crucial.
Working at home on your blog week after week can start to feel really isolating. And, at the same time, many of us don’t have any people in our personal lives who understand our blogging struggles.
Luckily, there are so many other bloggers out there going through the same thing, and it can be so rewarding to connect with others in your niche.
Here are a few simple ways to connect with other bloggers:
- Comment on their latest Instagram and blog posts
- Attend a blogging conference (even virtually!)
- Join a blogging-specific Facebook group
- Find a local blogger meetup group
- Collaborate and troubleshoot with other bloggers who are working towards similar goals (like we do every day on Food Blogger Pro!)
4. Don’t compare yourself to full-time bloggers.
But, while you’re connecting with fellow bloggers, it’s really important to make sure you’re not comparing yourself to bloggers who do this for a living.
Full-time bloggers are able to devote 40+ hours a week to their blogs (even more if they have a team working for them), and that really adds up over time!
While you can get inspired by these full-time bloggers and learn a lot from them, don’t let yourself feel jealous of their posting frequency or website design.
Give yourself grace and be content with where you are at in your journey. If your goal is to ultimately work full-time on your blog one day, take it one step at a time and actively work towards that goal without comparing yourself to others.
5. Give yourself grace and take time off.
This has been one of my biggest struggles throughout my own blogging journey, but I think it’s the most important tip to remember.
For the longest time, I felt guilty whenever I watched a new show on Netflix or spent a weekend without even looking at my blog. But over time, I’ve come to realize that rest is crucial to keep my blog going for the long haul.
If you find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of work you have for your full-time job, don’t be afraid to put your blog on the back-burner for a week or two. It’s not going anywhere!
I think one of the best ways to approach this is to take time off consciously—schedule in some downtime every Sunday or one week off each quarter. Find a rhythm that works well for you and stick with it.
Taking that time off will help keep you inspired and motivated to keep creating amazing content and growing your blog year after year.
What about you?
Do you run a blog while working a full-time job? What are some strategies that you use to balance both?
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Hey Leslie! Thanks for this post. I was so happy to see it as I resonate with the weight of it all sometimes – full-time job that I love and the slow build of a blog. I love Canva, use Tailwind, and I have found that batching tasks really helps a lot.
For me, one strategy is the (almost) daily reminder to myself that I’m in it for the long haul and to enjoy the process. Like the mindset stuff.
And I avoid direct comparisons to bloggers who have been doing it for years and years because then I just end up feeling inadequate. Thanks again! Would love to see more like this. Love it😄
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, April!
I love the idea of reminding yourself daily that you’re in it for the long haul. Having a good mindset is key, and like we say here at FBP, it’s all about 1% infinity — finding ways to continually improve every single day over a long period of time.
Definitely let us know if there are any other topics you’d like us to cover! 😊
What a timely article! Though I’m currently not working a “real” full time job, I’m now a stay home mom with an infant & 5 year old, while working part time (10 hrs/wk), and learning about blogging + starting my blog. It’s so overwhelming most of the time. My trouble is finding the time to learn everything that goes into it alongside actually contributing to the blog. I feel like I only have time for 1 step of the process but there’s like 50 steps so it might take me 3 weeks to do 1 post! Trying to find a rhythm and see what works best though. One thing I do is utilize my wait time in the school pick up line. Instead of getting there just before pickup and slowly rolling through the line for 20 minutes, I get there at 1:20 so I’m one of the first few cars there. The baby falls asleep and takes his nap and I get some work done or watch one of FBP classes.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the article, Anna! Props to you for getting it all done, and I love how you’re making the most of your time at the school pick-up line.
Like you said, it’s all about finding your own rhythm and figuring out what works best for you. You’ve got this!
Thanks for the reminders and great advice on the comparison point. I find myself sliding down the rabbit and feeling demotivated. But you’re right. It’s best to stop comparing and remember every journey is unique.
By the way, love your photography Leslie. Looks beautiful! What backgrounds do you use for such light and airy photography?
I’m right there with you, Anna! I find myself falling into the comparison trap time and time again, and I have to remind myself to stay in my own lane and focus on my own journey.
And thank you so much — that’s so kind of you! I actually just bought two wooden boards from The Home Depot and painted them white, and they work well enough. I’m looking to upgrade to some fancier backdrops soon, though! Do you have any that you like to use?
I did the same. I bought 5 boards, those big MDF 2′ x 4′ boards and painted them different colors. I considered buying nicer backdrops but I noticed they’re very expensive for what they are, and I start to recognize the same boards and patterns on other food blogs.
I decided I’m happy to paint so I’d rather make my own. I have a whole post about this in the Food Blogger Central group when people asked me what paints I used, etc.
I’m happy with how they turned out and find myself using my marble pastry slab 50+% of the time anyway.
Did you paint with just plain white paint? Or did you add texture and mix it with different colors?
That’s awesome! I definitely think creating your own custom boards helps give your photos a unique look and feel.
I just painted my boards plain white, but I really want to experiment with adding texture and different colors. I’m hoping to make some more more boards later this year!
Thanks for the tip, especially about “batching”.
I have a FT job, so it’s very challenging for me to come up with a consistent publishing schedule. So what I have been doing is focusing on different tasks each day of the week for one blog post.
So what it looks like is Monday {writing day}, Tuesday {menu planning day}, Wednesday {food shopping day}, Thursday {meal ingredients prepping day}, Friday {cooking & photoshoot day}, Saturday {photo editing, finalizing and publishing day}, Sunday {sharing and engaging day}.
While that seems organized, I can’t seem to complete one blog post for the week….it’s looking more and more like one post a month. Do you think this is good? Do you think if I did the tasks more in batches, I would be able to publish more content consistently?
Thanks again!
Jocelyn
I’m glad the post resonated with you, Jocelyn! It really sounds like you have batching down, and I think that’s such a great way to structure your week.
When it comes down to it, quality content is key. If that means you’re only able to produce one really good blog post per month, I think that’s okay! Plus, the more content you create, the more you will refine and improve your process over time.
Especially since you’re juggling your blog with your full-time job, it’s important to cut yourself some slack. It sounds like you’re doing great! 😊
Good stuff! The tips were spot in, especially give yourself some slack.
I carefully track my monthly session progress vs my goals and sometimes get frustrated with the slow organic process.
I have to remind myself that it takes time and patience.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, John! Giving yourself slack can oftentimes be the hardest thing to do, but it’s so, so important.
Just keep working towards your goals little by little each day! You’ve got this. 😊
Thank you for this wonderful piece… It feels encouraging to know that you can strike a balance between college or work and still grow, however when starting out as a novice blogger or anyone else juggling between jobs really requires a lot of effort.
Thanks For sharing.
Thanks for reading — we’re so glad you enjoyed the post!