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Keeping the Flame Going: How to Rock a Steady Job and Still Have Time for Your Blog

Keeping the Flame Going: How to Rock a Steady Job and Still Have Time for Your Blog

blogging on the side

Your blog is your happy place and it can make you feel like the rest of the world and your daily problems are far away. But we know that your day job always manages to eat a little bit too much of your time and you are left with little or no space for blogging. If only they made days longer than 24 hours, this would all be easily fixable.

Rest assured that there are ways to get you back to writing that permit you to rock your day job every single day. As you might imagine, they do take quite a bit of effort, strict discipline, and steady determination, but if you love your blog as much as we think you do, you’ll be able to muster enough strength easily.

When there’s a will to blog, there’s a way! This should be your motto. Take a look at our suggestions and maybe you will be inspired and you’ll be able to find your way back to the keyboard. Here are tips to successful blogging on the side.

Write at least 400 Words Every Day

You can do this in the morning, while drinking your coffee, on the subway on your way to and from work, during your lunch break or in the evening, when(ever) you get home. 400 words is a decent limit that you can reach quite easily in an hour’s time or less.

You can even spread your writing through the entire day to make it compatible with your tight schedule. For instance, you can start your blog post while drinking your coffee, continue it during your lunch break and add the finishing touches in the evening. This way, you will have a blog post by the end of the day with minimum effort.

Jot down Your Ideas

blogging on the side reminders

How many times have you had a great idea for a blog post, but forgot all about it before you actually got round to exploring it properly? If your schedule is remotely similar to ours, then you must have gone through this a million times by now.

The solution to this annoying problem is ridiculously simple. All you have to do is keep notes everywhere so that you can write down your ideas as soon as you get them. And by everywhere we mean in your bag, on your desk, on your coffee table, on your nightstand, and most importantly on your phone and computer.

Download a notes app because it will become your best friend. At the end of the day, you might have post-its in your bag and colorful notes on your desktop, but you will never have to lose another blog post idea again!

Get a Steady Writing Job

If work prevents you from mastering your craft, then bring your writing skills to work! And the best way to do that is to find a writing job. There are numerous paths to consider here, from journalism to corporate blogging to writing technical reports. It is up to you to identify exactly what kind of a writer you want to be and then find a particular niche that allows you to exercise that skill.

The mass media industry is a great option in this case, since it offers you the possibility to write and also gives you inside access to a multitude of marketing tricks that you can later apply to your blog.

Keep in mind that it is a highly competitive environment, so you will need to do your homework well and identify the exact steps you will have to take when submitting your job application.

Use Your Work as a Source of Inspiration

blogging on the side inspiration

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There are a great many ways to get inspiration for your blog, but instead of going to great lengths to be able to come up with new ideas, you should try looking closely at the things that surround you on a daily basis.

Since you spend most of the day at work, use elements from that part of your life as inspiration for your blog. The best way to do this is by taking a few minutes every evening to think about your day and all the experiences you have had, including the pleasant ones and those that you would much rather forget.

Related: 5 Ways to Get Inspiration for Your Blog

Then, instead of writing a diary-like post, try to expand on the feelings and events that stayed with you. While this might not result in a blog post every single day, it will help you get the most out of your day, connect with readers going through similar situations, and even improve your performance at work.

Having an awesome blog and a stellar career is not easy, but with the right attitude, you can overcome the challenges and rock both worlds! Try to include one or more of these methods in your daily routine and you will find yourself blogging more and more every day.

 

This post was written by Amanda Wilks, a former magazine editor, currently a freelance writer, determined to help people find meaningful careers. Her main topics of interest are career-building, job-seeking advice and entrepreneurship. If you’d like to get in touch with her, you can find her on Twitter.

View Comments (2)
  • Great ideas. As a Part-Time Blogger I definitely find it difficult to find time to do it all. The writing is one thing but the social media, promotion and networking is another. It’s all exhausting – and to try and have a life on top of all of that too! It’s definitely worth it though I think.

  • I have never been able to keep a steady job. Every job I have had goes great for awhile, but as soon as someone pisses me off or hurts my feelings I find a reason to quit or get myself fired. Its really impulsive behavior, which is one of the things I struggle with most. I’m on disability now because of my bpd/bipolar/adhd. I just couldnt make myself stay anywhere longer than a few months at the very most. I would split on people so bad….it was a mess I’m so sorry you are having this problem because I know how much of a pain it is.

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