A couple of weeks ago the fabulous Francesca requested that I write about managing my blogging and social networking. Here is what she said:
May I request a post on how exactly one fits twitter, blogging, etc in one’s day? (well, we know you have Bob to help you out, but still…)
As you know, I live to serve. I am not certain that I have anything profound to share, but I will certainly give it my best. There are a few things which I have found helpful:
I think that anytime you talk about time management you’re really talking about your priorities. It’s sort of cliché but true that we make time for the things that are important to us. I touched on this when I wrote my ‘Busy-ness‘ post. When someone says that they’re too busy too do something, it often means that they are doing other things that are more important to them. Which is totally fine, in my mind. Why not spend your time on the things you enjoy most?
The truth is that blogging and social networking have become priorities for me, for a few reasons. Mostly, it’s because I like them. I like writing and interacting with others. I like reading what other people write, and keeping up with them. If I am going to be some kind of writer and create workshops and tools for moms I feel like I need to to do this. I need to connect with others, practice my writing, share and learn.
The time comes from other places. My house is never as clean as I would like it to be. My knitting projects drag on and on and on. I don’t have a TV. I don’t get as much exercise as I should and in spite of my intentions I haven’t taken up meditation. Sometimes everyone else in the house is impatient with me because I am trying to finish a post and make dinner at the same time and neither one is going well. I spend less time with my husband than either of us would like, although to be fair he’s usually working, too.
I have not achieved the perfect balance. But mostly, I’m OK with that. And the reason that I’m OK with that is that I love what I’m doing. I love writing. It doesn’t feel like work to me. I could spend hours and hours doing it, and the more I do it the easier it gets. I get more ideas, I struggle less to find the right words, I make more friends and discover more ideas.
While I do struggle to fit it all in, it’s much easier than when I was working outside the home. I can take breaks to play with my baby or take my kids to the park. We go on walks or outings to the library. I seize the moment, whether I have 20 minutes free to spend online or 30 minutes to play in the back yard. And I try not to stress too much if I can’t do it all. This time right now is really short. My kids will grow up. I will have more time. My priorities will continue to change. Things might not be perfect, but there’s a lot that’s good, even if I can’t get to it all as quickly as I’d like.
What about you? Do you have any time management tricks that you use? How do you find time to spend on Twitter, or Facebook, or sewing, or …
hmm the time crunch! it’s a difficult one
it’s easy to be drawn in completely by the social networking (esp all the apps on facebook which act as a black hole ….) but yes, i do find that using some time management tips and apps work
i’m trying to schedule on blogger but i’m not such an organised writer as you, dear Amber!
i twitter when i can – using BeTwittered on my igoogle homepage (which btw is set up with all my most useful links etc in one portable homepage for me) plus a recent move into Hootsuite for scheduling tweets (thanks to you and Jon for the advice!)
a lot of my social networking is to do with marketing so i have rss feeds from online shops running into Facebook and twitter, my blogs also update my twitter timeline (thru one of the many direct rss feed apps for twitter)
i also maximise my blogging thru a craft website called ByHand.me – if i blog thru there my post gets tweeted out by them as well as my own feeds (there’s a little bit about it here http://portablecrafting.blogspot.com/search?q=byhand)
there are other tricks i use with flickr and other feed readers (i use Google Reader to keep up with blogs too – there’s a direct feed into my igoogle homepage) to maximise my computer time by minimise the amount of time i spend on here …… and that frees up time (theoretically) for crafting …
great post (and yes, my housework is done on a random basis)
pomomama aka ebbandflo´s last post ..no holding back?
I really loved what you said about time management being all about priorities. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I’m curious how my blogging habits will change once I’m back at work next month. Hubby thinks that I won’t be able to blog daily. I don’t agree. We’ll see.
I can identify with almost everything you said there. Great post! I have 3 children, and I am working outside the home so it is important that I devote the rest of my time to my family and then my website and blogs. I am super busy, but I love it! ALL of it!! I’m going to do it while I’m young(ish). Stopped by here from Twitter.
Jen
Jennifer Tankersley´s last post ..list of common sayings about money
Like you, I use google reader to get to all the blogs I read in one spot. I quit using twitter for networking bc I wasn’t getting an traffic on my blog from twitter. I organized my bookmarks so that I can systematically go through the social networks I use and post my blog/link there, connect with other bloggers, reciprocate stumbles, comments, etc.
If someone comments on my blog, I’ll go over and comment on theirs. If someone joins my fan page, I’ll join theirs. I write in the morning when the kids are gone, then exercise. The house isn’t as clean anymore. The marriage is something we have to really be conscious of how conscious we are or are not with it and family and life.
It’s a juggling act but I can’t imagine myself doing anything other than writing. So it’s in my best interest to find the most efficient way to write, network, parent and have sex. Oh, wait. Skip that last part. That was TMI.
Amy´s last post ..Think of Me as Steven Covey’s Go-To Girl
It’s all about the weekends! I have a hard time getting posts up on weekdays, so I take my pictures and edit them on weekends, so I know what I’m going to post about and am ready to go. It usually works at the start of the work week, but then by Wednesday or so I’m totally off track. Friday night and Saturday I get back on track. And rainy days help, too.
I definitely don’t get to post as much as I would like, though, and I’m sure it will only decrease when the baby comes.
abbie´s last post ..Made from Scratch
I like what you said about “This time right now is really short. My kids will grow up.” I’m making choices to pass up some things that I’d love to do – but I know it won’t always be like this and I don’t want to miss the extra snuggles from the little ones.
Lady M´s last post ..The Photo Dilemma
I have just self-published a book on time management that you and your readers may find of interest. It is especially written for moms and grandmoms who want to find more of their time. The book is called Find Your Time: Assess, Plan, Do, Check, Review. Or join me on my new blog at http://findyourtime@wordpress.com. See ya and keep up the good work you are doing. Please let me know if you have any ideas of how I might help you find your time. Sandie
Thanks Amber for replying! To tell the truth, after reading your post and the comments, I feel SOOO disorganized! From what I understand, social networking seems to be for many people a way of maximising traffic to their own blogs, which brings up the question of the reasons for blogging (love of it vs feedback)
Francesca´s last post ..Family bike rides
Sometimes I feel like my addiction is to wasting time.
Seriously, though, I agree that it is about prioritizing. And I am glad that you are able to prioritize it: your posts are always fresh, fun and make me think.
I am nowhere as dedicated as you, but keep hoping to be able to find the key to getting there. Until then, I’ll keep enjoying your blog.
Gayle´s last post ..Maternity Leave
I certainly haven’t been able to balance it yet, but I sneak in my online time when kids are busy/sleeping/with daddy and mostly after bedtime at night.
I never used to be a night owl, but social media has made me into one! I do take 30-60 minutes during quiet time/naps during the day to blog because I really enjoy it. It’s my ‘me’ time now and with Twitter I love connecting to other people and finding new blogs.
Rebecca´s last post ..Halloween – Boo!