Happy Monday, ya’ll! I hope you all had a weekend that was equal parts productive and relaxing {those are the best weekends, right?!} I just got back late last night from Napa and had an absolute blast celebrating the wedding of Tom’s friends, relaxing in the beautiful California heat, and of course drinking quite a few glasses of wine along the way. It was nice to get away, but after two weekends away from Chicago, I’m ready to get back into the swing of things and spend some time at home catching up on life. I’m sure you can relate to the feeling too!

I thought I would do something a little different today and share some of my tips for balancing working full time and blogging {a little more than part-time}. I know that there are tons of other bloggers out there who hustle while working a full time job, and it can definitely be a grind attempting to balance it all. Most of my blogger friends in Chicago are full time bloggers, but a few of them also work full time jobs too – so I’ve definitely seen and experienced both sides of the coin.

A lot of times people ask me if I’d like to be full-time blogger one day – and it honestly sounded very appealing for quite some time. But the longer I’ve kept a blog {and the more I’ve worked in marketing and advertising over the years} the more I’ve learned that I’m definitely not made for working at home and being a full time entrepreneur. I’m definitely someone who loves stability, constantly working with other people {even if that means waking up at 6 AM these days!}, and I feel fortunate that I get a little creative outlet on the side that’s allowed me to meet so many incredible people, work with brands I love, and gives me a good excuse to work on my writing and photography skills.

So since I’m not going anywhere when it comes to blogging and my full time job, I’ve come to realize that balance is key to not making yourself go totally crazy trying to be a boss at both. Here are a few of the tips I’ve learned over the past few years to better balance being a part-time blogger, full time girl boss. Sometimes, You Have to Work Weekends. Okay, You Always Have To Work Weekends: 

I wish that there was a magical way to get more hours in your week, but unfortunately we all get the same amount as everyone else. Most workdays for me now start at 6AM to get ready for work, so while I know a lot of part-time bloggers who bust out a few hours of blogging each morning, I spend a few nights in working on articles as well as a good amount of the weekend putting my nose to the grind. And most of the time I really don’t mind it – it’s a quiet few hours to work on projects and get a little more creative than my day job allows. But honestly, sometimes it kinda sucks too – I’d like to sleep in until 10AM and sip on margaritas poolside Saturday – Sunday, but a lot of time blog duty calls. Would I change a thing? Definitely not! Just know that sometimes working weekends a few nights is necessary when you have a passion project – especially if you want to turn that into a full time gig one day.

Work Smarter, Not Harder: 

Sometimes, you have everything you need at your finger tips already to craft the perfect blog post. Rather than working yourself to death, get creative with how you use images you already shot, or grouping shoots together! I wrote an entire blog post about this earlier this year – and it’s honestly made a huge difference in how efficient and productive I am!

Keep a To-Do List:

I’m the queen of to-do lists, both with my day job and my blog – it’s the single most helpful way for me to stay organized when I’m feeling at all overwhelmed. I use Thyme Is Honey’s daily notebooks to help me organize my day {and honestly my life…} and it makes a huge difference in my productivity. If you don’t already keep a to-do list, definitely do it! And if you already do, try out Dani at Thyme is Honey’s notepads to make you even more efficient and organized.

The Coffee’s Worth It:

Working on multiple projects and jobs at times can be overwhelming, so whatever gets you through the day – just surrender yourself to giving yourself that little indulgence. For me it’s definitely a non-fat caramel latte, and while it adds up month after month, it makes me much more productive and feel better during those early mornings or sleepy afternoons. Just do it – it’s worth it if it gets you through the day.

Be Graceful With Yourself:

I’ve come to understand that I’m never going to be the world’s best blogger. I may never get to 20K followers, I might not ever make the amount of money that some of my friends do, and I might not one day get to the place where I can ever be a full-time blogger – and that’s okay. I honestly don’t even know if that’s something I’d really want to do being as passionate as I am about my day job. I used to constantly be guilty of playing the comparison game – and while I find myself getting sucked back in from time to time, I’m trying to be more graceful with myself and appreciate just how far I’ve come. And if there ever gets to be a day where blogging isn’t fun anymore, I’m happy to throw in the towel and focus on the things that give me joy. Long story short – give yourself grace, celebrate your accomplishments {big and teeny tiny!} and enjoy the ride. It’s fun if you let it be. xx

Photo #1 via Lauren Kelp