Hey guys!

I strongly believe that in life nothing happens before it’s time. That is how I feel about this post. When I first started blogging I came across this blogger who just so happens to be from the Islands, shortly after I found out she was from the same Island as me and we immediately hit off. Today, she’s someone I called my Island blogging sister. I’ve always wanted to do a collaboration with her but for some reason whenever I would try it just didn’t seem like the right time and now here we are many months later with a post that is right for both of us to do. This topic came about from Aaliyah after I saw that she was looking for possible questions to answer for a Q& A and I asked her how she balanced work and blogging. Now here we are. My responses will be featured on her site As Told By Ali so be sure to check it out.

Here goes!

1. Tell me about your blog, why did you decide to embark on this journey?

My blog is mainly about my lifestyle. I blog about my natural hair journey, experiences as a young adult, restaurant reviews as well as my own cooking recipes, and inspirational/motivational posts. I decided to embark on this journey long ago, before I actually knew what it would mean to me. My blog began years ago under another name while I was in university; I simply wanted an outlet for all the thoughts in my head. As I went through life however things changed and then ATBA was formed.

2. Briefly describe your full-time job, (what do you do and what are your responsibilities)?

I work as a Technical Data Consultant (at least that’s what’s on my contract) within the environmental industry. Whenever I put my job title on official forms people are always confused lol. Basically, I collect data from different agencies, do research, write reports and anything else they assign me to do (this can range from planning events/meetings, attending inter-agency meetings, doing field work, and even designing flyers).

3. How many hours a day do you work & what are the times like?

I work the traditional 8 hours a day, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m until 4:30 p.m with a one hour lunch break. Sometimes I get the privilege of working from home depending on the tasks needed.

4. Besides your job, do you participate in any other activities?

Yup! I’m in Rotaract (a non-profit organization) where I am the Public Relations Officer. We have meetings on Wednesdays and occasionally other activities on the weekends.

5. What is a typical day like for you?

I wake up at 6:00 a.m. each morning then I’m out the house by 7:15 the latest and at work by 7:30 (always the first person at the office, but this only happens if I carpool with my parents). I usually get home by 5 the latest then depending on my mood I’m either doing work related to my blog, watching Netflix or just chilling.

6. What inspires you to write a blog post?

My life. As I mentioned earlier I have a lifestyle blog so most of my posts reflect something that’s happened or is currently going on in my life. Outside of that I may view a post on Pinterest, read someone else’s blog post, or from scrolling other social sites and interacting with people on a daily will cause an idea to pop into my head.

7. What is your writing routine like, how do you get into that creative mind space?

I’m not even sure if it could be called a routine. Some days I can get an idea and write a post all in one go while on other days I write down the topic, maybe some notes then come back to it. If I have to do research, it usually is the same: write a topic, research it and then write the post. There would also be times where I have a topic but that’s it I just can’t write it or I start writing then I’m not feeling it anymore. So, to get myself in that creative mind space it usually just happens on its own. I have to really be feeling it and it can happen anytime, so I’m thankful for my notes app on my phone as well as my journal. I also prefer writing everything into my computer one time, I can’t stand having to write out a whole post by hand then type it up. After writing, I go over it a few times to ensure what I want to say is actually being said, edit grammatical errors and include pictures, then on occasion I have my sister review it for grammatical errors as well.

8. Do you have a blogging schedule, if so what is it like? (Incl. writing and publishing)

Yes, I do. I try my best to post weekly. Before, it used to be three times then two but I found that wasn’t working too well for me. Now it’s one day for writing and editing, deciding which day to publish then promoting throughout the week. Unfortunately, there’s no set date but it’s usually during the week and not on weekends.

9. How do you find the balance between a full-time job, living life and blogging?

If you mean “social life” that’s nearly nonexistent and as you can also see from above I have a lot of “free time” on my hands. I say, “free time” because I enjoy doing nothing on some days. Sometimes I have a hard time leaving anything blog related until after work, so on my lunch break you’d find me promoting posts or editing graphics.

10. In an ideal world, tell me what a work and life balance looks like to you.

Having the time to do everything. Being on schedule or on top of things, not having to worry about one thing going haywire because your focus is on another. Making time for a social life and not feeling guilty or vice versa. Basically just have everything in check. There are 24 hours in a day, so no reason not to, and if you’re struggling well download this free printable for help.

If you’re like me and have a hard time balancing work and life; download this free printable guide about how to better manage your time click here to download 

I know many of us think it is easy to manage having a full time job  as well as being a blogger all while trying to accomplish other goals but in reality finding the balance between work and life is not as easy as it looks. From my personal experience it is not as easy and it takes a lot of self discipline and determination. The tips listed above should help you to bring some balance to your life once you stay consistent.

Don’t forget to check out my responses over on Aaliyah’s blog right here.