Working a full-time job can be stressful in itself, so imagine if you throw a family and household dynamic into the mix.  Your blog/biz are sure to suffer as a result because your 9-5 pays the bills (you need to be there) and your family needs your attention (need to be there also).  Well it doesn’t have to be this way! Today, I will be sharing 5 simple ways to stay productive when you are sharing your time with a day job.

1. Stay Focused - remember your end game

Oftentimes all we need is a little motivation and inspiration to stay on track.  When you think about your “why”, it can help to ground you and keep you focused on what you need to be working on.  The first thing you can do is focus on your end game and try to keep it in the forefront of your mind at all times. On the days you get frustrated, sit back and think of why you are doing all this.  Also, imagine yourself with goals accomplished and imagine how it feels to be where you want to be. Sometimes that is all you need to do to keep you on track.

2. Say no to time suckers (people, places and things)

I am a total advocate of using your time wisely.  This means knowing when to say no to things that don’t align with your goals, don’t contribute to a greater good within reason or simply don’t sound like something you want to focus your time and energy on.  It’s not selfish. It’s using the time that you are allotted the best way you see fit so you don’t get distracted. If this means saying no to a birthday brunch or dinner party, there is nothing wrong with that. This doesn’t mean you should totally dismiss your friends, family, etc.  On the contrary! You should just be more selective about who you spend your time with. If you have a friend that is very needy and draining, maybe it’s best to distance yourself from them sometimes so you don’t cloud your head with their grievances. Don’t ghost them, but just be more aware of how much time and energy you are putting into their issues and realize that it is taking away from your personal productivity.

3. Stick to a schedule

Order is what can help keep you...wait for it...organized!  Schedules, though seemingly restrictive, can be your best friend when using it for your side hustle.  Since your schedule is already packed with a day job and other family, school, etc. obligations, scheduling time in your day (or night!) to focus on your blog/business is necessary.  If you have set days and times to work on your tasks (aka Batching), it makes a world of difference than flying by the seat of your pants. Bonus points if you use a digital tool to keep everything organized. For example, I have a Blogging Schedule and Editorial Calendar “done-for-you” digital template available in my shop that is set up and ready for your to fill up!

4. Pre-plan content

Planning out content ahead of time is a game-changer when you want to start being more productive.  I do this in a monthly planning session where I dedicate a block of time to plan out all of my content for the following month.  If you plan out all of your contents to work on, you will no longer have to scramble for ideas when it comes time to get to work. By knowing what you will be working on, you can also easily plan out accompanying content.  For example, if you are going to be launching a new product or service, you can plan all of your content around that launch. This means planning related blog posts, social media content and email marketing topics for promo.  When you have the big picture, the small details easily fall in place. My Editorial Calendar Template also includes space dedicated to planning your content out in advance!

5. Don't try to be everywhere at once

You have heard of the saying “Jack of all trades”, but do you realize the remaining part of that statement is “...master of none”?  This is actually not a good title to have because it means that you dabble in so many things but have not mastered any. Essentially it means you have no expertise or master skill.  How can you when you spread yourself so thin? This is the same for social media. Every social media platform is not for you and that’s okay! That’s why there are so many, so you can choose what you like and what gives you the best results.  Instead of trying to be everywhere at once and trying to keep up with every social platform, just stick to 2-3 that you see great benefits and results from. If you are in a more visual business, perhaps Instagram and Pinterest are where you should focus your energy.  If you are data/educational based, maybe Facebook and Twitter are for you. If you’re heavy into video content, YouTube and IG/Facebook Live may be your sweet spots. By scaling back on the social platforms that you are active on, you will loosen up your schedule and create a better strategy for truly engaging your audience (the whole purpose of social media - hence the word social).

Now that you know a few simple ways to keep your productivity up, you should begin incorporating them into your strategy to set yourself up for a great new year (new decade even…wow!!).