I have been doing a lot of reading about blogging and advise on blogging lately and came across a really good point last night that I'd like to discuss now. I have started this blog and I REALLY love doing it, but what is it costing me? I'm not talking financially, because as of right now, it is costing me nothing in that regard. What it does cost me is probably the single most important currency of all. Time. Time is one thing we can never get back. If you spend money, you can always find a way to make more, but you can not make time. We are all given the same amount of time each day, 24 hours. No more, no less. It is what you do with that time that really matters. Because of this limited amount of time that I have to ask myself some really hard questions.
I love so many things.
My family is the most important thing in my life.
If you know me, or have read this blog at all, you know just how important my family is to me. I don't think of myself as special or different because of this. I think most people feel the same way towards their families. It is just that because of that love for my family that I'm struggling with some stuff. As I mentioned, I really am enjoying blogging. But when do I do my blogging? It is currently 12:30am and this is really the only time I have to do my blogging. I have found that since I have become a SAHD that I struggle with time management just as much, if not more, as when I worked full time.
My typical day.
- Morning family time. We have to get the kids around, the wife has to get ready for work, and we try to spend some time together as a family. After we take my wife to work, it's just me and the kids. At this time, I feel guilty if I sit at the computer, so I try and do activities with the kids, or we watch a little TV together. We have to eat lunch a little early due to my little girl having to be at school at 12:20, which I find to be a weird time. So, there is really no blogging time then.
- Daughter at school time. This is a real opportunity to maybe get some blogging done, but I don't. When I get home with the boy, he goes right to bed for his afternoon nap. I try and let him sleep for about an hour and a half. It's during this time that I try and get the housework done. And the fact is, there is ALWAYS housework to be done. I'm sure it's the same in most homes, but holy crap, it's like as soon as I get the dishes done, there is more. As soon as I get all the laundry done, there's a whole new pile of dirty clothes. I am not complaining, just pointing out that there is always housework that I need to do. So, no blogging time here. Then the boy gets up and I like to have some time for just him. We play a lot, and there is a lot of tickling, even though I beg him not to! I like having that daddy/son time with just him. I'm trying to engage him more to help with his talking. So again, no blogging time now.
- Time to pick up the girl. We go get her, and usually we have a couple of hours before we have to get Mommy. Now is the real challenging time. If the weather is nice, I usually take the kids to the park right after school, and we always enjoy that. After we get home, I have to start dinner so it's ready for Mommy. During this time I try and give the kids something to do while I make dinner, but I do do something that really bothers me. Sometimes I let them watch TV at this point. Sometimes I take them to the library to rent movies, and they watch them on the pull out couch. They always like that, and it gives me time to make dinner and finish up the housework.
- Evening family time. After dinner we get to spend some time together as a family, and I won't trade that for anything. We spend a couple of hours doing the typical family activities, reading, coloring, running around like crazy people, and probably driving our neighbors crazy! So no blogging time here.
- Kids bedtime. This gives Mommy and I the first chance of the day to be alone together. And no, I don't mean "alone" together. Although that would be nice! But, we like to watch TV together on the couch. I know it's not the most active thing to do, but we like to use it as our chance to catch up with each other as well. It's the one chance I really have to talk with an adult, and the fact is she just so happens to be my favorite adult in the entire world. So, no blogging time here.
- Alone time at the computer. I get to blog until my hearts content, but no sleep.
I have stated before that I really want to be successful at this blogging stuff. I really want to be able to be insightful and helpful to other SAHDs. Plus, I'd like to make a career out of this at some point. So now that I bored you to tears with the details of a typical day in the life of my family, I ask you how do I find the time to do the hard work necessary to be good at this?
http://www.blogtyrant.com/why-blogging-is-a-waste-of-your-time/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BlogTyrant+%28Blog+Tyrant%29&utm_content=FeedBurner
I really took this to heart and thought hard about what he had to say. I know that blogging isn't a waste of my time because I really love doing it. What I really worry about is taking time away from my family in order to be a blogger. What is the point of being home with the kids if I spend it all at the computer? The Blog Tyrant used the term opportunity cost. It refers to the stuff you give up when you choose one activity over another. I know for a fact that I am never giving up time with my family in order to do anything else. I am told that I do need to sleep from time to time as well. So what do I do? No really, I'm asking you, what do I do? I really have fun with this blogging stuff, but I feel like I need to do more if I am going to be as successful as I'd like. What I would like is to have other SAHDs read this and let me know how they go about managing their time in order to blog in the manner that they like to.
I guess I just have to man up and do what needs to be done. I don't want to sound as if I am complaining by any means, I am just looking for ways that other guys do this so that I can maybe manage my time a little better. Thanks in advance for any help.
My Lions Rule!!!
If you are a football fan at all, I know you saw it. The Lions won today 44-6! How awesome is that? Maybe my dream of seeing them in the Super Bowl isn't as far fetched as I thought. Do you see what being a Lions fan does to a man? They have won one game, and I'm talking Super Bowl!!! That's just sad. Let's see if they can keep it going next week against Peyton Manning's little brother, the New York Giants. I think they will shock a lot of people and find a way to win.
Go Lions!
Dude... this has been a question I have asked thousands of times.
ReplyDeleteCouple things: leaving comments on other peoples blogs (while beneficial and good to do) isn't going to bring you thousands of readers and make you rich and famous
The key is getting people to comment on YOUR blog and getting your link out there on other peoples blog rolls, blog posts, etc. You HAVE to get in bed with Google and the search engines (Search Engine Optimization or SEO). It's something far more complicated than I understand but I'm currently getting a better handle on it.
Personally message a couple of the overly successful blogs you read and see how they made it. That's what I did and got some pretty good tips.
It's not a lot man but hope it helps a little.
Thanks Papa K. I'm really trying myself to understand the whole SEO thing, and it's a real slow process for me. I don't expect fame and fortune at all, and certainly not at this point. I just wish I had started this 2 years ago. There is so much to learn and I feel like I'm starting from behind. Thanks for checking out my blog, and I really love your stuff man.
ReplyDeleteI wake up early and write for a couple of hours. Then I take a break (xbox) before the kids wake up. After I feed them and put them to do some school work, I go back and edit what I wrote and send it to my wife for translation (We post in english and Spanish). Then I teach the boys for a few hours. By about 1 or 2pm, the article is ready to be published. After that gets done, we use the rest of the day for playing and screwing around. Sometimes I re-read the article a third time for more edits if it's a particularly long one. Sometimes I need to research too. If I need to research, I do it at night so I can do nothing but write the next day. People who say blogging is easy -- aren't serious bloggers.:-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Keith. You must not sleep much, I have seen that your still working while I'm up at the late hours. I'm really trying to get to the focus and dedication that you seem to have, and you're right, it is not easy.
ReplyDeleteWhen my son was younger I could post while he takes naps etc, but now that he is almost out of the napping stage it is hard. Probably why I do not post nearly as often. I used to comment on many blogs every day which helped me create a following, but now that I don't comment that much the following has diminished greatly.
ReplyDeleteIf you want people to visit your blog regularly you either have to write AMAZING content or be willing to do a lot of commenting on other peoples blogs.
See, it works...that's how I found you!! :)