. JUGGLING A BLOG & WORK CAN BE TOUGH, SO WORKING EFFICIENTLY IS KEY .
Having two careers is something i’m really proud of. My working career in media as a communications strategist and consultant, and of course my blog, mediamarmalade.com. But managing to juggle both of these full time ventures is something that takes a lot of effort, work & practice. I’ve been blogging daily for over 4 years now, and in that time i’ve definitely started to learn more about how I best work, how to work more efficiently and how to juggle the demands of two full time jobs. This year the pressures have been high and so being able to give my all to both of these things has been extremely difficult, and finding a way to be more efficient has been essential, so today I thought i’d share some simple tips that i’ve found helpful this year, to hopefully help you too.
. 5 TIPS TO HELP YOU WORK MORE EFFICIENTLY .
#1 A DEDICATED WORKING SPACE
Firstly, and probably the most simple tip of all, is to create a dedicated space to work in, not only will it allow you to work comfortably & have all the necessary tools by your side, it’ll also help get you in the mindset to work, and to work efficiently too. It’s really easy, especially when blogging, to want to snuggle in bed & work from your laptop, but you’ll find yourself able to focus & get things done more efficiently if you create a dedicated environment to work from.
#2 TAKE REGULAR BREAKS
It’s easy to make excuses not to take breaks, trust me i’ve been there. When you have a work load & deliverables to do list that is barely even conceivable, it’s easy to think working non stop to try and tackle it is the most efficient way of working. But in fact, you’ll often find you lose a little productivity and creativity too, as you get tired, swamped down & just exhausted by non stop working. By taking a quick 5 minute break, a 30 minute lunch break outside, and even a few tea breaks throughout the day, you’ll find yourself maintaining a level of motivation and productivity. Taking breaks will actually boost your efficiency.
CNTD …
#3 PLAN AHEAD
When you’ve got a lot of work to do, and you’re constantly having to juggle things, planning ahead and being organised is critical. Whether its planning your schedule, organising your time, or managing expectations and deliverables with brands or your colleagues. Planning ahead allows you to organise your time more efficiently, and of course in turn will help you juggle your work / blog more efficiently.
#4 SET CLEAR GOALS
Much like planning ahead & organising your time & work streams, setting yourself clear goals (both short term, for the day ahead, and longer term, focussed on your overall ambitions) will also help you work more efficiently. It’ll give you clarity and will enable you to focus your efforts & your time. Having goals is also really important when you’re juggling both work and a blog, knowing your focus and where you want to get to will help you in prioritise & manage your time across both jobs more efficiently.
#5 WORK LIFE BALANCE
And of course, the most important thing of all, and something you might not realise affects your productivity and efficiently but in fact has such a huge impact, is creating that work life balance. It’s even more important when you’re finishing one full time job to go home to another, making sure you leave yourself time to take a rest, see friends, enjoy life & just have a break from work is key in keeping yourself motivated, energised and generally keeping you productive and efficient when you do work.
What are your top tips and tricks for working efficiently, do you juggle a full time job & a full time blog too? I’d love to hear how you juggle your time too.
I have too found it hard to struggle a blog and a full time job and it is really good to read this article to see the struggle is real. In my experience, like you, planning and setting yourself time that is just blogging time is the best way to do things. If I feel burnt out then I just prioritise, my job comes first, fiancé and friends then blogging.
http://www.becbec.uk
I love your coffee cup! Where is it from? :))
Great tips and writing as always!
xx Kristjaana
http://www.kristjaana.com
Those tips are good ! I want to blog more even if I am already quite busy haha, but I won’t let it down because I know I can do it if I am – as you genuinely said – organized!
x
This post is so helpful! These are great tips. I’ve been struggling with blogging just once a week with my full time job, but now I have no excuse!
Reading your blog makes me feel good!
http://www.newyearshoponline.com
Great, but do you have tips on blogging amd studying, because I am still in college and want to do both and not to come on something for something else.
http://esraaeveryday.blogspot.com
With a full time job outside of blogging, which is completely unrelated, it can be difficult to manage both effectively at times. As I enter 2016 I want to try and manage my time more effectively and will be taking delivery of a new desk this weekend which I hope will aid creating a blogging space so that I’m not balancing a laptop on the sofa whilst watching tv. I think if I can dedicate specific time to blogging that will allow me to not feel overwhelmed with ‘everything I need to do’.
Happy New Year,
Victoria x
FlorenceandMary.com
Great tips!!
http://pomegranateandcoffee.blogspot.co.uk