Staying Organised | Working Full Time & Running a Blog

14th September 2017

I’m going to start off by saying that starting up Bella Inizio has without a doubt been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It has allowed me to have a hobby for the first time ever. It has granted me a creative outlet, that in all honesty I didn’t even know I needed. I feel I can be my truest self, where there is no topic off limits and my opinions matter. Now that little disclaimer is out there, I’m also going to state it’s also one of the biggest commitments I’ve ever experienced. And without a doubt, the most time consuming. So staying organised is a necessity.

Along with the majority of the population, I don’t actually blog full time *insert cry emoji*. I do in fact, by some miracle have a grown up full time job. It’s nothing ground breaking, however it does mean that I am out my door at 8am and don’t return until 6pm. I’m also in a long term relationship, meaning that the weekends are of course dedicated to spending the maximum amount of quality time with him as possible. So my only real blogging time is before and after work Monday – Friday. And quite honestly, it really does seem like a second job.

With time constraints like these, there is absolutely no way I could just ‘wing it’ and hope for the best. S**t would not get done. And so, I’m going to go through how I stay organised and hopefully give you some inspiration.

Set your numbers and days

This is without a doubt one of the best pieces of advise I can give. Have set days when you post your content. If you want to post everyday, that’s brilliant – but personally that is completely unachievable. So I picked apart my average weekly schedule and came to the conclusion that 3 blog posts a week is something I could do. I then picked the set days these posts would come out every week. So I post on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays – for a bit of diversity and to have quite even cover throughout the week.

Plan your week

I do this every Sunday evening, I sit down with my notepad and pen and decide what topics I would like to cover that week. For example; I may know that on Tuesday I would like to post my ‘Monthly Birchbox Unveiling’ – and so on and so forth. I also write down what my stats are like at the end of each week, so I write my followers on all platforms and the visitors etc, just so I can see what the weekly growth is like. It’s a nice way to tracking progress and identifying trends as well. And you can do this as far in advance as you fancy!

Keep lists

This may or may not be because I cannot function without lists, however I find it’s a great way to reminding yourself of anything important. If ever I get an idea pop into my mind about a potential post, I add it to my ‘blog post inspo’ list. So if times and hard and the creative river is running a little dry, I can revert back and viola.

Take photos in bulk

As you’ve already planned out what you’re going to be writing for the week/ coming weeks. You know what snaps you’ll need to be taking. So whilst the light is good, try and take as many photos for your different posts as possible. As it’s a major tick in the organisation column. Change up your props and layout, and no one will ever know they’ve been taken at the same time. I personally need to take my own advise with this. All too often I have to set my alarm an hour early to take the photos for that days post.

Don’t beat yourself up

I think this is the biggest thing for me. That it is okay to be human, sometimes things come up that interfere with your schedule and that’s fine. Not too long ago I missed my first ever scheduled day, I felt so bad. However, it’s okay to have a life outside of the bloggersphere – you’re entitled to that. No one is going to slap you for posts being late or delayed. It’s YOUR blog, so surely you make the rules. Remember that.

And there we have it, how I attempt to keep my blog afloat whilst I dream about being a full time blogger. Let me know if you have any tips on how to stay organised or if these little titbits helped you in any way – I would love to know!

As always thank you so much for reading, if you enjoyed this post please be sure to follow me for future entries. Also be sure to check out my social medias linked below, so we can be besties on all platforms. And I’ll see you next time, xx

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18 responses to “Staying Organised | Working Full Time & Running a Blog”

  1. missniabella says:

    love this post Hun!! I’m the exact same as you and sometimes finding the time is a nightmare, But I would never want to stop something I love!!

  2. Holly says:

    Much helpful inspo here to keep me going after my self-set intense September writing month!
    I love morning writing!
    Holly xxx /// http://www.mrshollycrocker.com
    https://www.mrshollycrocker.com/blog/one-striped-top-two-outfits

  3. I know the feeling of being a little behind. Oh well…things happen right? You definitely have some good tips there. I tried to do a sort of scheduling, but I didn’t seem to work too well for me cuz I get some days when I just don’t feel like writing and I guess I couldn’t really keep up. So I just kinda go at my own pace. I don’t get overwhelming amounts of people liking or commenting, but it’s all good. ♥

  4. lifeofangela says:

    I’m with you on blogging feeling like a second job 😂 I love blogging but it is a huge commitment, especially on top of working full time and being in a relationship! Like you, I keep myself organised as much as I can and plan posts at least a week in advance 😄

    • bellainizio says:

      Really is a juggling act eh lovely? But it’s totally worth it, and you’re absolutely rocking it! Keep going my love xxx

  5. jessheardblog says:

    Definitely going to use this as inspiration! I can do this! Xzz

  6. Okay… thank you!! I’ve definitely been needing some tips to utilize and organize my time. (And maybe just a piece of mind that it is possible to have an awesome blog as well as a full time job AND a life) so thank you again!! You’re doing a great job, and I’m definitely going to use some of your advice! Thanks Bella!

  7. Natalie Vinh says:

    This is a really nice post! I love that GRL PWR notebook, where is it from?

  8. Loved this!! Having a full time job and a blog on the side is something that I’m still trying to figure out–so it’s nice to know I’m not the only one. I love your blog!!

  9. bellainizio says:

    Awhh you’re too kind my lovely! And don’t you worry, I’m totally in the same boat – everyone’s so supportive and it’s your blog at the end of the day! YOU DO YOU! Xxx

  10. Jade Mayhead says:

    I created a weekly schedule on excel last week, and I’ve just remembered I haven’t updated it!! This helped me so much last week, so hopefully if I can remember to update it this will help a lot!
    You’re tips are perfect, as going to take these into consideration, I love the idea of tracking followers weekly, as this is something I wish I took more note of! Definitely trying that one!

  11. Vera Stuart says:

    This post is the best way to stay organised everyday. This is amazing. I can’t believe I didn’t come across this sooner! Love it!

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