A question from Stephanie:
I love this q&a series. I would love to know more about how you fit blogging into your busy life? I am still trying to manage that one.
The short answer is, I don’t!
When I started this blog almost 18 months ago it was with the purpose of sharing tips and tricks regarding our journey to financial freedom. It quickly became much more as I realized I had a lot to say about everything! In the beginning I had a handful of people reading my blog and it was easy to respond to comments, regularly visit other blogs, and answer emails, there just weren’t that many.
Today things are much different. As much as I would like to I cannot answer every email, comment, and read all the blogs of people who visit mine (although I still visit many). I struggle with feelings of guilt because I don’t want to let my readers down by ignoring them or not helping them with a problem. But, my family is my first priority. They come before the blog, comments, emails, twitter, facebook, and everything else I do in my free time.
Free time. What is free time? I once told my friend I can only do a certain number of things well at any given time. It seems if we are doing well with homeschooling and eating healthy the house is a wreck. If the house is clean I am behind on laundry. If the house and clothes are clean and school is going well we are probably eating Lucky Charms for dinner.
So where does blogging fit in to my jam packed life as a military wife and homeschooling mom of 7?
I like love blogging and people have told me they benefit from my posts. It is important to me to make time in my schedule to maintain this site. It is more important that I home school my kids, cook dinner, read my bible, read to my kids, clean my house, and do many other things. As long as I am getting the most important things done in my life then I think spending several hours a week on my site isn’t a big deal, because that is how I am choosing to schedule my time.
Schedule blogging? Yes… even my blog has to stay on a schedule or it would quickly take over my life! I try to write all my weekly posts on the weekend. This usually takes a few hours, since I am writing 7 to 10 posts. I then schedule them to post throughout the week. I do occasionally write posts throughout the week, but since Cora has been born I haven’t had much time to write during the week. I do try to respond to emails (although lately that hasn’t happened) and interact on twitter. But basically I am always behind.
My head is filled with ideas for this site, but because my time is limited many of them might not happen for a while. In the next few months I hope to start a radio show, create a forum for this site, edit several cooking videos, expand the Coupon for Troops program, create a few screen casts, host several more giveaways, plus I have 25 unfinished posts sitting in drafts and a notebook full of ideas!
Here is one tip I have for those of you blogging and struggling with a balance. Do not create pressure on yourself by participating in every meme, obsessing over stats, or relentlessly promoting your site. I can assure you that good, consistent writing will build readership over time. You will receive more comments, over time. A popular blog does not happen overnight (well it can, but those people are spending 60 + hours a week on their site). If the site is not your job then treat it like any other hobby in your life. Work on it when you have time but keep it in perspective.
I try not to sit down at the computer if there are other pressing things that need to be done. How you define pressing is probably different than how I define pressing but I don’t like to sit at the computer while chaos unfolds around me.
So, if there is dirty laundry piled high or dirty dishes in the sink, I am not on the computer until those jobs are completed. I am not going to work on the blog while my kids watch cartoons instead of working on school.
So I guess, what I am saying is that I am always struggling to find the balance. But I much prefer blog guilt to mommy guilt. While I think it is fine to blog and read blogs don’t let it take over your life. Figure out your priorities and decide where blogging fits. If you think it is taking over your life take a break from blogging for a while and reconnect with the world around you.
This post is linking to Works for Me Wednesday.
Great post. None of us can do it all, we just need to do our best at keeping things in balance.
Excellent post. Your solution to blog posting is similar to mine. I have debated whether or not to get all posting done on the weekend. I simply do not have the time during the week to post and therefore my blog suffers.
I am curious. Do you get up super early on the weekend to write your posts? My struggle would be that the weekend is when we have family time and whatnot and how would I need to arrange my Saturdays to block off blog writing time.
I really like your perspective on this.
And I especially appreciate when you say that this is how you choose to schedule your time.
I find it frustrating (and a tad insulting) when people say they just don’t have time for blogging, scrapbooking or any other hobby or event. We have all been given the same amount of time, it is how we choose to use it that enables us to do or not do the things we love.
Thanks for choosing to share some of your time with the blog world. I know I truly appreciate it.
Amen!!
Except it seems like there are ALWAYS dirty dishes piled up and dirty laundry piled up, at my house!!
Great post!!
Thanks for this post – I relate so much to your comment about only being able to do a few things well at once! I’m so glad I’m not the only one!!
I appreciate your perspective; blogging has gotten too consuming lately and I need to scale back. I like how you write mostly on the weekends – this needs to be a new goal for me!!
Great post! That is what I have had to do here recently. Blogging and computer time was taking over my life, so I have been on the computer very little. I stress over all of my readers leaving, but if you look at my last post you can see that I have managed to connect with my children which is way more important. I would love for my blog to be my job one of these days because my hubby needs me to bring in money, and I don’t want to do it at the expense of time with my children, however I have a hard time finding a balancing.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, this was an encouraging read for me this evening! It was exactly what I’ve been thinking lately, and the sentence about not sitting your children in front of cartoons to have some time to blog hit home (embarrassingly enough, sigh!)
The Lord’s blessings on you – I’ve been thankful for many of your posts, so thanks for taking the time to write
I guess I’m in the spot of trying to find the balance between blogging, commenting, etc. This came at the right time. Thank you so much for sharing your heart!
Very well said…thank you!
Your blog is an inspiration, thank you for all the time you put into it and thank you for being real.
This is awesome and was a stress relief! I don’t have a huge following because our blog is more family related but I do feel guilty for not posting weekly. I love the line that “I would rather have blog guilt than mom guilt”! Investing in the eternal stuff is what matters far greater! We can’t be everything to everyone….. God Bless!
Great post! I love how grounded you are … especially with a precious newborn one in the house. Keeping life in balance is always difficult — for me, at least. I admire your grace and transparency.
Thanks for answering my question! It seems as though there are so many ideas, opportunities and things to be done when blogging it is never ending. I have more ideas than time, and often think if I just had an extra hour I could get this and that done…I don’t eve want to be so busy blogging that I miss out on real life!
Thank you for this post. I’ve been struggling with my blogging time. I usually have about 2 hours between the time I get home from work and my kids get home from school, and I try to do it then. However, pretty soon we’ll all be home for the summer, and I won’t have that time alone. Also, I feel guilty if I don’t stay caught up on other people’s blogs.
I was good and stayed away from the blogging world for the most part over the long weekend. I have come back feeling rather refreshed since I was out there experiencing life rather than reading and writing about it!
Thank you for giving us a peek into your world!
Wonderful post! I am currently adjusting my schedule since the girls will be home from school for the summer beginning next week. So difficult to achieve the proper balance! Thanks for sharing how you do it.
Fabulous post! I really need to start scheduling my time for blogging, and then just not worrying about it throughout the week.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!
From the outside looking in you seem to strike a good balance.
For the last few months I’ve been trying to preschedule posts on my blog. It’s been wonderful at freeing up time for home projects! Which is good, because that’s what I blog about
Thank you so much for sharing! I stuggle to find balance and feel that I am always behind in my blog
I appreciate the reminder to not participate in everything! There are so many memes out there that are great and I want to participate in but just can not! It’s freeing to realise that!
Blessings on you and your family!
All I have to say to this is AMEN!
I enjoy your blog even if you do not reply to comments.
Your family is beautiful, and you are inspirational!
~Hope
Great post! Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m fairly new to blogging and realizing that it could take up all my time if I’d let it and like you said, I just can’t do everything; my mommy job comes first!
That was so great to read!! I just started a blog like last week, however I’ve been reading a few for awhile now and can tell you first hand how they can take over a life! I have struggled in finding a balance so I was so happy to read your suggestions on blogging, and finding that right balance.
Thanks!!!
Julianne
I get up early and blog before anyone is up most days and then again in the evening
Thanks for sharing…
