Friday, 12 September 2014

the truth about blog life balance

I often see questions from women in the facebook blogging groups asking how others "do it all"


My mother's generation has a lot to answer for, because while I believe strongly in feminism giving women "choice", the reality of the situation is far different to what they lead us to believe!

It took me a long time to discover the truth - I've been a parent for 16 years, and a blogger for 7 years, but I think it's only been in the last twelve months that it has truly hit home.

Social media makes it far too easy to see the highlight reels from other peoples lives, and we often find ourselves lacking when we look at our entire life that way.

You can't see the box of cereal being eaten by the dog, or the puddle on the floor from the toilet-training toddler, or even the crappy driver who yelled at someone on the weekend.

So here is the ultimate truth about blog life balance - there is no balance. You will give up something in order to follow your passion.

There are, however, ways you can minimise the impact on your household.
  • don't multi-task. You can finish your jobs much quicker if you focus on one activity at a time, whether that is concetrating on blogging, or ironing, or mopping.
  • have set times for writing. Sometimes it feels like the world is falling down around your ears, but sticking to your schedule can help you gain perspective in the chaos.
  • remind the family, especially partners, that you're capturing memories for the future. Writing the stoies down means that future generations can hear your voice. If people get something from your writing now, that's a bonus.
  • when all else fails, head outside with pen & paper. This has become my go-to answer lately to get the words flowing and calm the kids. They get to play (even Sophie loves the backyard or a visit to the park), and I clear my head and get the trapped words out.
How have you found blog life balance?
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8 comments

  1. Great tips & truths here! I'm lucky in that I have lots of time and can plan my own schedule, but I've also found that it's ok to blog when I want to and to take a break or skip a few days or weeks if I want to because for me it's a hobby and a no-pressure one at that.

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  2. I too find I often get 'unblocked' or re-inspired by using pen and paper. It feels like a more creative outlet and I often doodle and sketch at the same time.

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  3. My blog isn't the problem it's my social media use. Keeping up with all the Facebook groups, Instagram, email & other peoples blogs is where I'm finding it hard. I'm BFing my youngest so I find it's very easy to sit on my phone flicking through stuff then but sometimes I fall down a hole & she's stopped feeding but I'm still reading/scrolling....time to step away from the phone & allocate time to that the same way I do with my blog.

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  4. I have 1.5 hours train travel time per day, 3 days a week, to and from work. I write on an iPad during this time. Then I publish in the evenings. I don't think I'd find time otherwise!

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  5. I'm struggling with this at the moment too and need to get out the pen and paper just for the simple fact that it will get me away from the computer screen and all the distractions that come with it.
    Although I was proud of myself this afternoon for taking the boys to the park and NOT taking my phone. It was so nice just to watch and enjoy their playing without the temptation of checking Instagram or emails.
    Rebecca - I so miss those days of train travel and the time you had to sit and think!

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  6. Love your point about "Don't multitask." This is my worst enemy. I have about 16 tabs open on the computer, plus another 16 tabs open in my brain. Gotta go and hang the laundry out now ;)

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  7. Most of my "balance" comes from no commitment blogging - I blog when I want to about what I want to and don't worry about frequency for the most part.

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  8. Awesome tips especially the one about writing things down for the future. I'm often so focused on the instant gratification - views, shares, etc - that I'm not sure I even realized there's an entirely different part of blogging. The legacy. Thanks for that new perspective!
    (And I've got zero balance in my life but I'm enjoying it the chaos as best I can!)

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