Trying to Earn Global Online from the Philippines: Time Management Is Crucial While Working At Home and Problogging

My friend told me I was very brave to put up a third blog. She knew how much work blogging entails.

Indeed, it would be dangerous to over-romanticize working at home freelance and problogging. It's not as easy as it seems to be.

I'm writing this as a cautionary message to those who may have read my post yesterday and are planning to put up multiple blogs, too. Take it one step at a time, especially if you're a newbie. Do one blog first to see how the work impacts your day-to-day lifestyle, and add each new blog one at a time while observing your time schedule.

I am not strictly a newbie at this because I already blogged professionally for several months in 2005-2006. I maintained a blog on business communication for Global Business Watch, and was paid for it. Thus, I have some experience writing a daily blog and everything else it entails. (But I AM a newbie at monetizing my own blog, using Adsense and all the other online money-making ventures.)

I had to stop blogging for Global Business Watch when my Dad got very sick. We focused on his care until he passed away. My Mom got very sick, too, and we are still caring for her.

Yes, blogging does affect real life and vice versa. You need to plan for that and adjust accordingly for unexpected developments, aside of course from having a plan for your usual daily routine.

I am reiterating this also a note to myself. As I mentioned in my post yesterday at Cafe Romanza, I sometimes sit in front of the computer upon waking and then find myself still in my nightclothes by nightfall. Bad, bad, bad habit.

It's so easy to succumb especially if your work station is just there at home. Before you know it, you haven't even had a bath yet, nor breakfast and lunch - perhaps you just have a cup of now-cold coffee on your table - and you're already so immersed in your work that you feel it's impossible to stand up.

We need to make a schedule for ourselves. I promised myself not to even look at the computer until I've bathed, dressed and had a proper breakfast. It would be even better if I could squeeze in some exercise first. (Yeah, right! Good luck to me!)

I'm lucky because the chores are taken care of by our long-time help who are already family. That's a great load off my back.(And one reason why I think I could never live anywhere else but the Philippines, unless I could take them with me.)

Aside from scheduling your time at the computer, you also need to determine how you use that time. Plan ahead for your posts - yes, even while you're away from the keyboard. That way, you already have an idea on what to research on when you sit down to work.

Surfing to get ideas for your day's blog can be very time-consuming. It's such fun to just read on and on, hopping from one site to another, that you could lose sight of your goal and lose focus. Before you know it, you've already lost most of the day, too.

I find that it's better to write my posts first before answering my email and bloghopping for networking and advance research on future posts. That way, I make sure that the primary work for the day is done. I also make sure to update my network at MyBlogLog afterwards as this is a major promotion tool.

Yes, it's a lot of work, especially in the startup days when you need to get your rhythm and build your community of readers. It's also important to try to create good work habits at this stage so that you can take off smoothly.

Now if I could just follow my own advice...

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