Friend Friday: Balancing Act

I'm just about managing to get this post in, and I feel it is a very fitting topic. Balancing life and blogging, it's clearly something I am not doing so well at, at the moment. But here are my answers.

1. When it comes to prioritizing your life, in what place does blogging fall?

When work hours are low, blogging comes quite high up in the list of my priorities as I have time for it. But sadly when work hours get hectic, like they are right now, blogging gets pushed down my list of priorities to somewhere near the bottom. I hate it when I don't have enough time to blog, but when I have to pull long hours in the pub I barley have enough time in the day to eat and sleep, and then my days off are spent doing the everyday things that need to be done. So I usually have to squeeze in blogging where I can rather than it being a priority, hence the reason I have yet to finish my 30 for 30 posts.

2. We all wish we had more free time to dedicate to blogging and all it entails. What are your tricks for taking advantage of the time you do have to be as productive as possible?

I keep a notebook with me at all times to write down post ideas or things I want to include on my blog. Then if I happen to have the smallest amount of free time, say on the bus to work, or while waiting for my editor in the coffee shop I can jot down some notes. I am almost lucky that I suffer insomnia, as it gives me time to write my posts in the middle of the night, and it keeps me entertained while I can't sleep. Other than that I don't have any tricks for getting my blogging done.

3. Have you discovered any short-cuts that makes blogging easier or more time efficient?

I save images and sites any time I am on the internet. If I see something I like that I think I might be able to use in a post I save it so I have it there for when I do get time to write a post and need ideas. I also try to shoot a few outfits at once. When I get a spare afternoon or just few hours (and Jon is about) I try to photograph a few outfits I have worn that week or intend to wear the week to come so I have a number of outfits to post over the next week, instead of trying to shoot one everyday, as I rarely get the time.

4. Do you have an editorial calendar or something similar that helps you plan ahead?

Not really. Like I say I have my notebook for ideas and I put specific posts in my diary so I know I have to write them in advance. For instance I put Friend Fridays and Everybody Everywear posts in my diary so I can see in advance what I need to do, and then I can write them in advance when I have the chance and schedule the posts. I find being able to schedule my posts a total life saver as I can often only write posts at odd hours.

5. If time wasn’t an issue what would you be doing on your blog/for your blog that you aren’t doing now?

I would like to have my own domain name and be able to get back to reading everybody elses blog again, I miss being able to spend hours reading other blogs. I would also like to properly redesign my blog to make it more open and accessible. I would also like to be able to open it up to sponsorship but I simply don't have the time to get my blog as successful as I would like it to be before I tried to get sponsors in.

So if you want to see all the other ladies responses for this weeks balance topic, just nip over to Modly Chic.

Sadly today's balancing act has come to end and I have to go to work! And a rugby weekend followed by an Irish holiday means next week is due to be even more hectic than usual, so I'm sorry if I don't see you all for a few days.

Daisymay X