I don’t actually party that much. So let’s cross out ‘Partaay’ and put in the word ‘blog’. To be honest, I just wanted to be cool for at least the amount of time it took you to read that title. That’s about it.
I promise this post has a point. And here it is. Right below. Keep reading. Really…
Let’s dive right in with my dilemma: gotta should I fight for my right to party blog? Or should I just let it go and focus on family, work, and school? Here, let me explain.
As anyone with a blog can tell you, running one of these things can be really rewarding but also really time-consuming. This has been my life for the past six months.
There’s been an almost creepy bond between my blog and I since I started it back in February. I feel that if my blog was even slightly more like a complex carbon-based life form, it would have filed a restraining order against me by now.
My family has noticed some changes in my behaviour in the last little while.
My child and husband feel like blog orphans.
Even the dog has suffered from blog neglect.
.
.
There’s another byproduct of my blogging adventures – I learn lots of things. Sometimes my husband does not appreciate the wisdom that I have gathered from my online community and wishes it were a little bit less present in his every day life.
I keep remembering that I have to have a life outside of blogging but it just doesn’t seem that important while I’m in the middle of it. Lately the complaint department that handles incoming concerns about how I spend my time has become overwhelmed. And by complaint department, I mean the tiny 0.02% of my brain that registers the ‘I’ve been abandoned’ grousing I get from my family and friends. And by family and friends, I mean my child. (For the most part, anyway).
In all fairness, they may have a point.
Also, this will only become more complicated when I start school in a few weeks. Between work, blog, and school – I imagine that my amazing powers of absence with my family will only increase. It’s like a crappy super power.
In case you were wondering, the ‘A’ stands for Absentia. At least I have a cool superhero name to go with my crappy super power.
So is it time to throw in the blogging towel? I’m not sure I’m going to be able to juggle all these balls at one time. Before I make any decisions about the blog, I need to evaluate how I’m using my time across all areas of my life. What am I doing with the 168 hours of my week?
Right now, I am writing down a list of all the tasks I do in a week and categorizing them under work/blog/family/school/and home. What I’m hoping to do is break down all the tasks and assess them on an individual basis. I’ll be looking at them in terms of “keep” and “not keep” and then evaluating how I do them. For instance, can I automate some of the things I do with the blog? Should I fan out some of the work to a virtual assistant? Do I need to keep up with four social media sites or should I cut down to two?
So what do you think I should do, readers? Do you have any tips for how I can make blogging less time-consuming?
* Blog post title inspiration comes to us from Beastie Boys’ hit single (Gotta) Fight for your right (to party). The band blessed us with it’s cheezy awesomeness in 1986. If you were born in 1990 or after, please ignore the reference and continue being precious. And 12. Just remember that mommy loves you.
Congratulations on the milestone – I particularly liked the Absentia picture because at first glance it reminded me of the Ninja Turtles!
Yeah! That’s what I thought too after I was done it. 🙂 They were one of my favorites!
Happy 6 Months Blogging! Yes it is a huge time suck but you have a great thing going here…don’t stop! Maybe just don’t pressure yourself to post as much?
Hey GMD! I think you’re right about just doing what works. I think there’s some things I can automate or outsource and some stuff I can just cut back on. I’ll take some time to evaluate and see what I can do differently.
Happy blogiversary!
Blogging is very time consuming and I wanted to quit about a million times before I was able to quit my job. I hear ya!
Do what works for you…or like GMD said, just post once a week or something. You don’t have to quit completely.
Maybe wanting to quit is just part of the process. Getting to the point where I’m fed up forces me to evaluate what I’m doing and how I’m doing it. I love the PF community and all the amazing people that teach and inspire me every day. I do think it’s worth trying to work it out. Now I just have to figure out how!
I look forward to reading your blog posts when I see them. So in a purely selfish way I say “stay”. But I feel ya girl. It’s a time sucking beast. And you know how I feel about glorifying the concept of busy. 🙂
Have you considered doing something in the middle while you are at school – like post only once a week? That would enable you to maintain an online presence but not be a slave to your blog.
xo
Thanks lady! I appreciate the vote of confidence! You’re right that I might have to consider posting less than I do in a week. I don’t know why I’m stuck on the idea of three times a week but that’s where I’m feeling the push. I’ll keep thinking about it.
Happy Bloggiversary, Lindsey! I so get where you’re coming from!!! 8 months in, and I’m finally learning that sometimes I just have to turn the computer off!! I guess my best advice would be to, like GMD said, maybe don’t post as much, but also, I’m working on trying to be more organized and schedule with my blogging time, instead of hopping on the computer every time there’s a free minute. I need to make it more like “work” with set hours. Maybe you could do that too? Good luck with finding what works best for you. 🙂
Now THAT is the key, I think. I need to make it more like work and setting specific hours. If I’m not able to get A, B, & C done in the allotted time, oh well. I’ll have to work on that stuff later. Maybe that’s the magical key. Thanks for the feedback, Laurie! It’s always good hearing from you.
Happy 6 months! I often think that. Blogging is very time-consuming! I enjoy reading your posts (and love the hilarious doodles). But it’s important to always make time for family. They’ll be there long after your blog will. When I first started I was doing about 3 posts a week, then 2, and within the first couple of months, I quickly realized how much it was eating it every other part of my life: family, work, freelance work. And at times it felt like, why am I doing this? So I starting blogging only once a week, and even though it still eats up quite a bit of my time, it’s much more manageable and am enjoying it more.
Thanks, I love doing the hilarious doodles. I feel it expresses things I can’t in words and I am an artiste, after all!
I hope you don’t quit mainly because I’m selfish and your art makes me laugh every time I read your blog. But I do understand the frustration and time commitment. And I don’t even have a family or kids. I would say just pace yourself and do blogging stuff when it feels right for you.
I am happy that you selfishly don’t want me to quit! It’s very flattering when my successful blogger friends say this. 🙂
I think I will need to cut back. I don’t want to miss out on being part of such a great community of people either. Maybe posting once a week isn’t so bad…
Happy 6 months Lindsey! You’ve made it to a point that many do not make it to and that’s awesome! Yes, blogging can be a huge time suck, but there are ways you can mitigate that. That said, I can appreciate that balance and you need to find something that works for you. Lol on the “lint blanket”! I’ve had a few of those with my wife over the past year I’ve been blogging.
Thanks John! I know when I started blogging, I had no idea where it would lead me. I have met so many amazing people and learned a lot of things. It’s been a great journey and maybe it doesn’t have to be over quite yet.
LOL,While lint blanket was an exaggeration, I wish it was little farther from the truth.
Happy anniversary! Blogging is amazing and rewarding AND it’s a lot of work! Like Tonya, I love your art (superhero you is awesome) and your friendship, so I don’t want you to quit from my very selfish perspective! But at the same time, I understand why you have to put it on the table. As others have mentioned, you can post less. Perhaps cut back to two social media networks, especially if one or two really aren’t doing much for you. Commenting is what eats up most of time and I’ve come to accept that some days I can’t comment on every blog I normally would.
Commenting has been a big time-eater for me as well! I guess I just have to weigh the pros and cons of all of these activities and how much time I devote to them. Cutting back on social networking could be a good start for me. By far, Twitter has been the most successful social media site but I wanted to try and branch out into Google +, it looks like it’s a pretty active community. Anyway,I do have to work on balance.
Thanks to you and all my other blogger friends who claim selfishness when asking me to stick around! When was the last time selfishness was such a great compliment?
Haha, you crack me up! I actually balance a lot of the same things. (I graduated in May, but blogged through two years of being a student. I’ve got kids. I’ve got work. Etc.) Something that helps me is recognizing that the blog comes last. I only blog when my kids are asleep. I only work on it when I have everything done for work that I need done. And when the fiance is home from work, I shut off the computer. We need to work on shutting off our phones, too, but we’re heading in the right direction. It’s amazing how much stuff still gets done on the blog, even when it comes last.
Thanks for telling me that you managed school, family, and work at the same time. I know people do it but it’s always good to hear from someone who runs a successful blog and does all these other things without dying. Kudos!
I like how you keep everything clear and prioritized – it must help you stay on track when you’re feeling overwhelmed!
I understand the dog one all too well. There are times I’m trying to quick get a post done and he will come up with a ball or toy for me to throw. When I don’t respond, he will start nudging my legs. I’ll tell him in a little bit. That’s when the sad eyes come out and he just flops down by my legs. For me personally that is why I haven’t tried to post more than twice a week. I have ideas lined up but don’t want to have it eat up other portions of my life.
Dogs find a way of making themselves known, don’t they? Posting twice a week might be the way to go. I just love doing it so I want to spend all time doing it – regardless, I have to bow to the common sense of balancing. Life requires it! Thanks for stopping by!
Get out of my head! Seriously, get out. I haven’t thought about giving it up, but I can relate to pretty much every single thing you said in this post. There are definitely times where I feel like its taken over my life a little bit. And the part about bringing all the PF blogging tips into our home a little too much hits home maybe a little too much. I think my wife and your husband could have a fun little talk.
For what it’s worth, I hope you stick around. Maybe you can cut back on certain things, but you’ve got a fun, witty, truly personal style that’s worth reading. You should read this article: http://zenhabits.net/quitting/. The gist: don’t quit something until you don’t want to quit anymore. Not until you’ve really mastered something can you truly decide whether it’s worth continuing. Give it a little time, make some tweaks, set dedicated time for your family, and keep working at it till it’s comfortable. Then make your decision.
I think your wife and my husband would have much to talk about. I think there is a direct correlation between the increase in my personal finance “wisdom” and how insufferable I have become over recent months. It’s funny how common the blogging experience can be, isn’t it? We might be different people leading different lives but there are some definite themes that people seem to talk about when they discussing running their blog.
Thanks for your flattery and for your article reference – I will definitely be checking it out. I like the idea of not quitting something until you don’t want to quit it anymore. It’s when you’re most likely to be thinking straight about the matter and can make a good decision. 🙂 Good feedback.
Blogging IS incredibly time consuming! But it’s also wonderful. If I were you, I’d try cutting back on the number of posts per week. This is a great community and we’d all really miss you if you left!
By the way, this is totally normal. I think we’ve all wanted to quit at one time or another. It’s tough to find balance between real life and online life!
Thank you for your support! I’ve heard people say that it’s normal to think of quitting blogging but I’ve never had such conflicting feelings about a project. I think it’s because I’ve become so invested in blogging that sometimes it’s hard to see clearly. I’ll get there!
First, congratulations on your 6-month anniversary!
Second, I know exactly how you feel. And my husband knows how your husband feels. The first few weeks I was blogging, I looked exactly like your captions. I was glued to my laptop, excitedly looking for new blogs to add to my brand new RSSOwl program. I would wake up early, hoping to be the first to comment on new and exciting posts.
I did dial it back a bit, because I couldn’t keep up, but I am still trying to post 2-3 times a week and visit my favorite blogs. I am also going through a lot starting in the fall — I quit my 9-5 and am doing various part-time jobs between school.
Maybe my plan will help you. What I did was create an Excel spreadsheet for the week, leaving blocks of time from 6am-10pm, Monday-Sunday. I filled in the hours I will be teaching and taking classes, scheduled a specific night for my husband, and then highlighted 2 hours every morning for myself, including exercise, breakfast, walking the dogs, and writing for my blog. The rest of the time that I wanted to work, I highlighted in orange and called it my “money making hours.” I do not yet have a part time job to fill in there (I’m working on it… better hurry!), but I wanted to know exactly where my open hours lie, and where I am willing to work.
I think with careful planning, you can make any schedule work. Maybe consider posing less often, or dedicating 2 mornings each week to commenting or using social media to network and promote your blog. That way you’re still active, but you aren’t overwhelming yourself.
Personally, I enjoy reading your blog. You’re extremely funny, and I always get a kick out of your drawings! But just like in personal finance you need to decide where to cut “it” for your family, you also have to decide what’s best in this case for those you share your life with, as well as for yourself.
I think this is EXACTLY what I need to do. I need to designate a certain amount of time each week to it and then leave off once it’s done. If I schedule in certain times and days – even put it in a handy dandy Excel spreadsheet – and actually stick to it, I can make it work.
I was also thinking I can invite my daughter to do a monthly column with me so she can be part of it with me. Kind of like a He said/She said idea but with a mother/daughter perspective. She’s a good writer and makes solid points about things that I never expected for her to even notice. That way we can do it together and she doesn’t feel so left out.
That’s a great idea! Who knows, you may inspire her to start a blog herself. 🙂
Hey, that’s cool! I didn’t think she might want to start her own blog but I like that idea. It could be our bonding hobby. I’ll have to see if she’s even interested in the column idea first, I suppose. 😉
Awe. Look at all this blogger love. Group hug Lindsey. Don’t go. 🙂
Yay, group hug and blog love all the way around!
I’m selfish and want you to continue to blog…or just make a book of your cartoons so that i can buy them! I would encourage you to just blog at a pace that’s comfortable for you (once a week, week and a half) I just made myself a schedule where I only comment twice a week. Just make time to do what you feel is important.
lol, The cartoons seem to be a hit! I just have to remember to pace myself with everything. Thanks for the nice compliment re blog – love it!