How Do You Find Balance?
We’re all busy. Blogging, kids, jobs, families. As mothers, our job never ends. I truly love what I do. I stay at home with two wonderful boys and blog here, my Review site and at the Wii Mommies website and forums.
For those of you that do the same, how do you balance it all? Does something fall to the wayside? There are days that dinner is the last thing I want to cook, or the laundry piles up a little too high. I always find time for a workout for two reasons. First, with the EA SPORTS Active Wii Fitness product, I can’t help but get my routine done because it only requires about 3 hours a week from me. Secondly, I’m one of the Wii Mommies and I aim to get healthy for myself and for all of you who we aim to inspire.
I don’t think people realize how much goes into blogging. Depending on what some people blog for, it can take up quite a bit of time. There’s the writing of the content (which is hopefully GOOD) and then there’s the networking aspect of it all . There’s Facebook, Twitter, and all the various other sites and clubs to socialize in and all the dozens of emails to write/return daily. I think 80% of my time is networking and only 20% is actually working on content some days!
How do you balance it? I’ve only been blogging since September, so it’s all a work in progress for me. I think I’m finally starting to find balance in my life, but I want to know what you guys do to balance work and life. I find that if I stay up a little later at night, I can get a lot done without taking time away from my family and there are spots during the day when the kids are either napping or actually playing with each other.
I love these websites. I love my family. I love my home. I want to give everything the proper attention it deserves. I have met the most amazing people through blogging. People I consider great friends, with whom I share everything I have, yet I’ve never once met them in person.
Knowing I’m reaching out to help people with the other Wii Mommies is incredibly rewarding. Reading about people getting in shape and making their lives better because of the inspiration and support they’re getting from the work we’re putting into it is very rewarding. I just sometimes get tired. Sometimes I have so much on my plate, it weighs heavy on my shoulders and it’s all I can do to get out of bed to start my day.
Do you love what you do? Can you find that balance in your life? Do you have any tips to share? Not just with me, but with everyone who may be reading this? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Well Julie you are doing a great job by appearances and I know I really apprecaite the encouragement from the Wiimommies.
I am trying to follow along and get a blog going, plus work, and home, and all… I don’t think I do a good job of balancing and the me things are what seem to not get their share. But I am trying now to do at least 1 thing a week thats ME and am making working out at least 10 minutes a day a personal challenge, because it makes me feel good.
Unfortunately, both my physical well-being AND my blog tend to fall by the wayside when I get busy. It’s been almost four months since I’ve exercised – I only find time to exercise during the summer when I’m working full time and college is not in session. I’m hoping at least that this is a positive sign and that, once I’ve graduated college, it will at least mean that I’ll find time to exercise while working. Summer starts tomorrow though, so I plan to exercise like crazy!
My blog also tends to basically die during the school year, something I need to work on. I am obviously terrible at finding a balance between different aspects of my life.
I haven’t started my blog yet. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience. I think I’ll be limiting how many social networking sites I post to.
I love blogging, but dh reminds me that I love to do a million things, and some of these things will matter much more in the long run than others. Which things are the most important sometimes changes, so I have to reassess my life and interests on a regular basis (which is why I’m taking a blogging break for a little while – writing and most of the reading).
xo
We do appreciate all that you do.. You are great. But understand about find balance. Priority #1 is my family, but I have found blogging very rewarding.
Finding balance is key and I haven’t found it yet…
I have a heck of a hard time with this!! In general, I have to say my house stuff (cleaning, etc.) gets overlooked. But also, I spend a lot of time feeling like I don’t get anything done well; I’m just lucky to get anything done.
If you figure it out, you might have a best-selling book idea!
Julie Reply:
May 4th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Yeah, I slack the most on housework too, I think. That’s why I like having company, it inspires me to keep the house in shape lol
I’m failing in all honestly. My crockpot and BBQ save supper. I have to push myself away from the computer more then not. The wii is now another thing to add to the pile. I just split the 3 boys up just so I could read my ‘network’. I also walk outdoors every night of the week again. Balance is hard!
When you find out how to do it all, let me know. Personally, my housework suffers, and I haven’t sat and read a book in way too long. Who knows. We’ll figure it out though. We’re moms aren’t we!
I just don’t know how I do it….plus I work full time outside the home too. Don’t make me think about it, Julie. You are scaring me.
I’ve never been good at balancing…when I was working, I was almost 100% work, all the time. Once I got married and out of the AF, I kind of lost my drive…now sometimes it’s hard for me to get stuff done because I put it off and then have to do it at the last minute…
Honestly, it helps that I have just one kid, who is 11, and who is gone with other family 50% of the time. Because otherwise, I seriously don’t know how I’d do it!
I agree. There is alot more going on behind the scenes than the average user understands!
Besides writing all our brilliant content we have to find people to read it! 
For me, laundry is what never gets done….have a huge pile calling my name right this second…don’t want to do it…no fun but I can watch some TV while I fold…
How do I find the time. I maintain and remember I don’t have to do everything every day. I know longer try to balance. That idea made me feel as if everything had to be done, but maintaining allows me to get everything done when it needs to be done. I don’t do laundry everyday, I don’t cook every day (hubby does that) and the things that go into blogging doesn’t happen every day. Some days are content days, some days are social networking days, etc. I also share duties. Cooking goes to the husband and some chores go to the 13 year old. This allows for everything to get done when it is needed. It’s just not all by me in one day.
If I don’t balance perfectly, I’ll fall down. I can pass a breathalyzer but I can’t walk a straight line
xxxoooxxx
Good question! Hubby works nights so after X goes to bed I’m on my own, so I get a lot done then. Blogging-wise, anyway. All the loud stuff (like cleaning) I have to do around him. Lately I’ve been trying to focus more on the writing aspect of blogging than the networking – I love reading other people’s blogs, and obviously still do, but the whole point originally for me was to improve my writing. So I’m trying to stress less about visiting EVERYBODY and reciprocating ALL comments.
Julie Reply:
May 4th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I’m trying to do the same. I want to show my appreciation for my comments, so I don’t approve them without opening their site in a window and commenting back so I don’t lose track. Unless it’s a giveaway post, because i don’t want to mess up the giveaway stuff.
Balancing is a very hard act. But once you get that act down it works wonderful. I started out writing down everything I did every day for a week. Then I figured out what I did on a daily basis, weekly basis and I made myself a schedule. I have a set time that I do each thing. I spend so much time on my blog posting, so much time on my computer time.
The hardest part is sticking to the schedule once you have it down. But once you get a good working schedule your day will go much better. I am an organizational freak so this might not make any sense but I hope it helped a little.
Julie Reply:
May 4th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
I finally broke down and got an organizer to keep track of everything and that’s helping me a lot. Great advice, thanks!
I have one blog to drive traffic to my business and then I have Lily’s Licorice for fun. I have a blast with LL. I know what you mean about balance. It’s hard. I know after Christmas I almost gave up blogging cause the Christmas blog rush was just too much for me. Not getting wrapped up in that this holiday season!!
Find the things that you enjoy that works for your blog. You don’t have to do EVERYTHING. Like Twitter and Facebook for example. I so enjoy twitter more than FB, so I spend more time on Twitter.
When I first started I signed up for all those NING groups. I don’t have time for that stuff anymore, so I don’t go to those very often anymore.
I frequent the blogs I enjoy everyday (like yours). Others will have to wait til I can get there.
Remember – You can’t do EVERYTHING! Do what you truly enjoy and utilize what is working for you.
And remember — enjoy your kids. They grow up fast. Blogging will probably still be here, but our kid’s childhoods won’t.
Julie Reply:
May 4th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Kris-What kick ass advice, thanks so much! And thanks for the compliment!
I run my own advertising business, a website, blog and forum. I also host our local trade show twice a year.I have two boys ( 5 yrs and 10 weeks) I watch a friends daughter Monday- Friday. I find that sleep is one thing that I go with out. I get most of my work done between when the kids go to bed and around 2 am. I then get up at 7:00 am and do most of my tidying the hour before the kids get up. My house is always a disaster sadly, but I take comfort in knowing as the kids get older it will get easier. My hubby helps out when he can. Takes the kids outside to play so I can work, does the grocery shopping, pays the bills etc. I try to do as much as I can online, saves a lot of running around. Then I try to complete as many outings as I can at once. If I leave the house I am gone all day. Other then that I am falling apart LOL.
I just do a little here and a little there….and always thinking I should be doing something different.
You know I am dealing with this, too Julie! I do like to work late at night and early in the morning. Sometimes I just have to realize that there will always be work to be done. I have to close the laptop and tell myself my blogs won’t fall apart if I’m not there! Really!
Is there a neighborhood teen that can come over one day a week for a few hours? That helps me a lot!
Well, you SEEM like you’ve got a balance, but hey, we’re good at hiding the unbalanced version, eh!? We can only try our best and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t!
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