How to Blog and Still Live a Quality Life

By: | September 8, 2015 | Tags: , , , |

Time-saving blogging tips explainedDo you think he felt slighted?

In my post 7 Effective Ways to Avoid Drowning in Emails, I quoted four bloggers who responded to D.G. Kaye’s spin-off post of Hugh Roberts’ Are You Letting Your Blog Get Out of Control?,  but I excluded his quote.

Am I rude?  A sexist, perhaps? (I quoted all women.)

No!

There was a reason I didn’t include Ralph Willier‘s comment along with the others.  Ralph does not feel the time pinch the other bloggers fretted about.

Ralph, a successful blogger with an engaged community, has so much free time, he found time to come here today to explain his system for saving time and still getting blogging tasks accomplished.

[bctt tweet=”In July, there were 835,660 searches for #time-saving blogging tips. This post will explain those tips. “]

My System

by Ralph Willier

Out of the blue Janice commented on one of my posts that she was inviting me to Guest Post on this blog concerning a comment I made on another blog about being overwhelmed and what I had done about it. So here I am.

 I was keen as mustard when I began blogging over 3 years ago. I would Follow everyone who looked my way. A jellyfish using a jack hammer would get a Follow. I had 3 blogs, FB with a messenger, G+, normal emails, drafting new posts, visiting other blogs and Satan’s spellbook (the WordPress.Com Dashboard) to contend with.

 PLUS I was spammed rotten, 100 comments an hour for a few days until I found what I thought was a topical Mystery Man comment that I had approved in the middle of 8000 comments. Deleted, the spam went. I almost threw my laptop over the balcony.

I was drowning in blogging “work”. My Inbox was overflowing. Heck, I retired to Spain to have fun (yes, I’m single), fun both in real life and blogging. The “work” was ruining both. My cats threatened to walk out. I forgot how to walk, sleep and eat. The stress was too much. Something had to be done.

Over time I reduced my blogs to one, exporting posts I wanted to keep into http://bluefishway.com/.

Facebook went as I found it to be pointless.

 G+ had to stay as my YouTube profile was tied to it. I only use G+ to show my new WP posts.

Emails! Ha! There was only one thing to do. Go into Blogs I Follow and reduce them from 200+ to 50. Mainly friends and quality are left. I will never Follow blogs that reblog, single photos, haiku (can’t undersand it), multi-posts per day / week.

 I post once a week just after midnight GMT Sunday / Monday which catches the evening in America and is waiting for Europe to wake up with a smile Monday morning.

My week now works like this.

Monday / Tuesday. Manic, due to many Likes and Comments (which I love to answer). Visits to blogs who Liked or commented unless I am Following already. Emails reduced to only a couple of normal ones in my Inbox.

Wednesday & Friday. (Thursday I am in Gibraltar all day) drafting a new post for next Monday. It takes time as I use my own photos usually with captions and the posts are usually quite long with humour.

Saturday / Sunday. Free to answer emails, do my first Guest Post 😀 and have a real life.

The stress has gone. I have time to draft quality posts (ha ! If you say so Ralph !). I have many bloggy friends that I can have fun with in comments. I can walk away from my laptop and do other things for long periods of time. I feel I have that balance, quality, fun and most of all time ! Blogging is fun again! Yay. Ralph from Spain

Me again:
Thank you so much to Ralph for visiting us today in his first-ever guest post. I sure am glad he found a workable system for saving time.  I would have felt awful if his cats had walked out!

He not only did a great job, but he brought his penchant for humor with him. Ralph is humor blogger over at Bluefishway. I hope you will visit his site as a way of thanking him for coming today. Who doesn’t like humor right?

Before you go visit Ralph’s site, please share, so others get the benefit of Ralph’s system.

If you, too, would like to guest author for Mostly Blogging and get exposure for your site, here is the link with the instructions: Write for Mostly Blogging.

Readers, what do you think? Do you like Ralph’s system? Do you think you might try it? I am planning a future blog post
about other methods of saving time. Do you have alternate suggestions? I look forward to your views.

  1. John Doe

    Thanks for sharing your excellent time management skills. The inbox does become overwhelmingly.

    • Ralph

      Hi John. Thanks for reading and commenting on my Guest Post. Time is the worst nightmare in trying to get right as a busy blogger. Everything takes time especially with WordPressCom. Real life also takes time. So it’s a matter of finding that balance which removes the stress. Hopefully I am there now. I do hope you find what you need John. Ralph 😀

    • Janice Wald

      Hi John,
      I agree. Ralph does have excellent time-management skills.
      Janice

  2. Janice Wald

    Hi John,
    Thanks for reading Ralph’s guest post and commenting. Ralph has an interesting technique for reducing Email clutter.
    Janice

    • Ralph

      Hi Janice. Thank you so much for letting me have the experience of becoming a Guest. I’ve not done it before, but I did enjoy having a go. I hope my technique helps at least one blogger. Ralph 😀

      • Janice Wald

        Hi Ralph,
        Look at all these comments and likes. Your guest post is a hit! Thank you! It was an honor to host you today, and especially to be your first guest host.
        Janice

  3. Kelsie

    This is SO true! I find it hard to balance blogging with other elements of life…even if I’m only averaging two posts a week. Thanks for the reminder and tips- thinking about what I can cut out.

    • Ralph

      Hi Kelsie. Thank you for reading my Guest Post and commenting. It seems like you are a bit overwhelmed. Blogging is addictive when all is going well. I think (for myself, anyway) that there is a max. stress free level which I must stay under for my own sanity and the Inbox must be kept under control. I do hope that you can find that perfect balance in time, blogging and real life. Ralph 😀

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Kelsie,
      Thank you so much for visiting my site and commenting. I sensed a lot of bloggers were having trouble balancing with other parts of life which is why I asked Ralph to guest post about his solution.
      I find his solution unorthodox but definitely workable.
      Janice

  4. D. Wallace Peach

    I didn’t know Ralph had a serious side! I read his amazing posts regularly. Great advice.

    • Ralph

      Hi Diana. Well, there you go then. I do have my serious moments and this Guest Post is one of them. Wow ! Thanks for reading my “amazing posts”. Do you want that $10 now ? I do hope that the “great advice” helps you my friend. I suppose that’s another $10 😉 Ralph 😀

      • Lucie

        This is TOO funny! I’m reading this guest post, and I see where the guy is single and lives in Spain and then I think, “Hm…my Ralphie lives in Spain, too”….then I scroll down and read your “bluefish” moniker!!! Small world! How the hell are you, Ralphie?!!! 🙂

        • Ralph

          Hi Lucie. (OMG I am being stalked 😉 lol)
          Fancy meeting you here. Got lost ? I am …..now, and I’m fine my friend. Talk to you back in my latest post. Ralph 😀

        • Janice Wald

          Hi Lucie,
          What a small world! What a coincidence! Thank you for visiting my site today. Nice meeting you. Any friend of Ralph’s is a friend of mine! I’m glad you could run into an old friend while here. Thanks for writing.
          Janice

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Diana,
      Ralph is so funny; I have read his blog. However, when I read his comments on Debby Kaye’s blog, I realized he was onto a solution to blogging stress, so happily I invited him to guest post.
      Janice

  5. 1010ParkPlace

    While I’d like to grow my site, I’m not a slave to it. I rarely check my iPhone when I’m out and can go hours without being online. I feel sorry for people who seem to prefer what’s happening in digital land over their spouses and real life. That will never be me.

    • Ralph

      Hi 1010. I am really happy for you that real life is your main priority. Many bloggers do not have that luxury as they are living alone, bed bound, can’t sleep, going through traumas and so on. Blogging is a lifeline for them, the world at their finger tips That’s why they become overwhelmed. Take care. Ralph 😀

    • Janice Wald

      Hi,
      I know my husband wishes I were more like you! I have trouble disconnecting from blogging even on vacation.
      Thanks for visiting today and commenting on Ralph’s guest post. Nice to see you.
      Janice

  6. Pingback: How to Blog and Still Live a Quality Life
  7. Debby Gies

    Fabulous blog! I’m glad you invited Ralphy boy over here Janice I’ve been following him for a few years now and his blog is hilarious. I also don’t like to post more than twice a week, a) because I don’t have the time and b) because I don’t want to inundate people’s inbox. Oh PS, I hit ‘like’ and my gravatar didn’t show again, and if people tweet this, the sidebar share/tweet button has your handle, but the share/twitter under ‘like’ button again says shareaholic. Just an FYI. 🙂

    • Janice Wald

      HI Debby,
      I invited him thanks to you! If you had not reblogged Hugh’s post, I never would have seen Ralph’s response to it!
      As far as the Shareaholic/Twitter issues, I forwarded your comment to Merri. She said she would look at my site next week. Thanks for writing.
      Janice

  8. Morna

    This all sounds so familiar. I’ve had to reduce my following back too. An issue for me is that I think I’ve calmed things down and then I find myself stressing about my next post again. I want to post more than once a week because I’ve got so many ideas floating round my head but when blogging takes the fun out of writing you have to give yourself a break.

    Great first guest post 🙂

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Morna,
      Great to hear from you again. I am assuming I did not make Ralph’s cut. I post five times a week LOL.
      Thank you for writing and visiting my site today.
      Janice

    • Ralph

      Hello Morna. Wow ! Thanks for writing “Great first guest post”. You’ve made a new friend 😀
      That’s a big step in reducing the blogs you follow. It does quieten the Inbox somewhat. I think that it’s more honest to unfollow than edit the follow to “no emails”.
      As I publish once a week, I try not to get stressed about my next post. I usually get half an idea and it takes a couple of days for it to take shape (well, I’m a man 😉 )
      I agree. When the fun goes out of blogging, take a break, have a good think over a box of chocolates and a glass of wine before throwing your laptop over the balcony 😉 lol
      Ralph 😀

  9. Tess

    The is the only way it will work for me. I’ve been struggling for the past years and have finally managed to push back. What a relief! 🙂

    • Ralph

      Wow ! Congratulations Tess. Sounds like you are a happy bunny now. Ralph 😀

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Tess,
      Wow, everybody is cutting back on who they follow to reduce Email inbox clutter. Should I be insecure? LOL? The truth is, I feel too guilty to do that. How do you (and Ralph) deal with that? What if someone finds out I unfollowed them, I don’t like risking hurt feelings.
      Janice

      • Ralph

        Hi Janice. Initially I felt guilty about unfollowing, but for my own sanity I had to do it. Only one emailed me, saying,

        “Hi Ralph,

        I was going through my blog contacts last night and realized that you aren’t following the blog anymore. Did I do or say anything that offended you?

        Please let me know. I would like to apologize if I did.

        Hope you are well!

        S******* ♄ ”

        I just had to follow her again after that, didn’t I ?. Ralph 😀

      • Debby Gies

        Good question Janice. I’m still working on this. I can’t seem to cut back, lol. My clean up strategy has seemed to give me duplicates now. Thus far, I don’t have to worry about hurt feelings, lol. What I do, like I did with you, is let the person know even though it will appear to them I’m unfollowing somewhere, I’m still following somewhere else (through email or reader.) 🙂

        • Janice Wald

          When you sent me the notice, I panicked! Merri is 95% sure the problems I’m having are due to plug-in conflicts. You self-host, how do you deal with plug-in conflicts? Are you tech savvy?
          Janice

          • Debby Gies

            When I started blogging, I knew nothing. After I started self publishing, I learned a lot by subscribing to pioneers in the field. I’m somewhat knowledgeable in the dashboard, and had to learn quick after I fired my site manager. Now I have my site host look after the big things, but problems with plugins and posting and organizing in my dash is my problem. I don’t know code, so I’ve had to become a little more savvy. I have learned through past problems that plugins can sometimes screw up certain things. I know that when this happens I have to go in my dash and disable plugins one at a time to see which one is the culprit of the current problem. Usually, it’s a plugin. Oh, and FYI, I’ve unsubscribed to your blog through one of the duplicates through another email I signed up with when I couldn’t get through. Happily I can tell you I’m still getting your posts with the appropriate email. Yay! 🙂 PS If you’re talking to Merri, can you ask why every single time I comment here, I have to fill out my life story, lol – name, website, etc. Usually once someone has been granted comment rights they don’t have to keep signing in. Food for thought. 🙂

          • Janice Wald

            Hi Debby,
            I sent Merri the message. She said she thought she might help me with sight maintenance this week.
            So, in answer to my question, if your host doesn’t help you, you do the site maintenance yourself. How would I know how to do that? I found on article at WP. Is that how you know?
            Janice

  10. Nick #thisyearinmusic

    He does make some valid points, but I don’t agree with some others.

    Personally I make a list of all the things I want to cover each week, and then workout a timetable so I can do it. Some nights I have more time, other nights I have none.

    • Ralph

      Hi Nick. It’s great to read that you have found a time management method which suits you. Take care. Ralph 😀

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Nick,
      Thanks for writing. It’s great to see you again. You found me at my new site!
      When you wrote that some nights you have no time, it reminded me of the importance of having posts “on the shelf,” in case your publication schedule is unable to be met due to time limitations. I learned the hard way of the importance of having posts on the shelf, ready to go, in case I get too busy to write on a night I normally do. Thanks again for the visit and the comments. Hope all is well with you.
      Janice

  11. Melinda

    Hey Ralph!! What a pleasant surprise to see you here at Janice’s house!! (I was gonna just say surprise, but then I knew you’d stew about whether I thought it was good or bad! 😉 )
    You have it down pat!! Great system! I’ve already cut down on my follows, and going to have to do it again. (Don’t worry, you’re safe.)
    Janice, thanks for having Ralph. He’s so funny!!
    Melinda

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Melinda!
      Uh oh, I hope I am safe! Ralph is pretty funny, but you are too Melinda. You know what they say, “It takes one to know one!”
      Thanks for visiting and writing.
      Janice

      • Melinda

        Haha, Janice- you’re so funny! OF course you’re safe! I could NOT get along without my Blogging BFF!!!
        <3 Melinda

        • Janice Wald

          So relieved! I can sleep now! I’m getting nervous here. Everyone’s talking about dropping people!
          Janice

          • Melinda

            IKR??? I hate it, I just have to have some sense of sanity here! Glad you can finally sleep, instead of being on tenterhooks! You and I have to stick together!
            I’m working on your bracelet.
            I need you to email me a mailing address, so I can send it to you.

          • Janice Wald

            I know. I will. What is IKR?

          • Melinda

            IKR stands for : I Know, Right?

    • Ralph

      Hi Melinda.
      Heck ! Another one ! lol
      I thought I’d do a quiet guest post. Do a bit of sunbathing in Janice’s blog, then creep back to mine. No chance !
      Seriously, it’s great to read your comment. What a “pleasant surprise” ! Thanks for still following me even though you are culling many blogs.
      I’ll leave Janice’s house now. She’s bound to search me for her lost silverware before I leave.
      Take care my friend.
      Ralph 😀

      • Melinda

        Ralph, you naughty boy, have you been stealing the silverware again??
        Tsk, tsk
        Whatever are Sonic and Samantha going to do when you end up in the slammer??
        😉

          • Ralph

            Yes, they’re my cats Janice 😀

        • Ralph

          Wanna buy some silverware Melinda ? 😉
          The cat’s will be fine. Probably party knowing them 😀

      • Janice Wald

        Ralph!
        Come back! There are many more comments here for you! You are in demand!
        Janice
        PS I don’t have that much silverware.

  12. Bun Karyudo

    Looks like your post might have a lot of food for thought. I’ll go over it again more carefully after I’ve answered all today’s email. (I’ll schedule it in for Thursday next week sometime.)

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Bun Karyudo,
      I saw your comment this morning as I was getting ready for work, but I didn’t have time to comment until now. There is definitely a joke in there somewhere. I will try and figure it out when I get done sorting through My Emails. =)
      Thanks for writing.
      Janice

    • Ralph

      I’m busy Thursday Bun. Can you reschedule for the day between Saturday and Sunday 😉 Ralph 😀

  13. Caro

    I’m really struggling with these posts on ‘how to blog’. I come across so many of them and I find it really odd that bloggers blog for their industry rather than their readership. In this instance you blog specifically for other bloggers so I can see the relevance but I see lots of parent bloggers doing the same and I’m assuming it’s to increase their traffic! Particularly as there are so many searches on the subject! Thanks so much for linking up with us #TwinklyTuesday — please could you add our badge to your post or sidebar. Thanks!

    Caro | http://www.thetwinklediaries.co.uk

  14. BritishMumUSA

    Oh my goodness Janet I can’t believe I have been gone for the summer and you have fashioned a NEW BLOG. It is AWESOME!!!!!

    I knew I was drawn to you for a reason, without knowing it I pick you out of the crowd to read.

    Funny I do this myself, my blog is for my peace of mind, I do not stress if one or a hundred read it, I do it for myself 🙂

    Congrats
    xoxoxo

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Ray,
      I wondered what had become of you! Lysa disappeared for a while too. So great to see you again, and yes, at my new site. So glad you found me here and like the site.
      As far as your comment, I am working hard to make my blog grow, especially here where I can’t be reblogged.
      My kids are older than yours I think–college age and older, so it’s a nice diversion right now. I’m hoping one day perhaps another source of income.
      So great to see you again.
      Janice

    • Ralph

      Hi Ray. Your mindset is a good one. My posts are generally humorous therefore are for both my readers and my amusement. Interaction is also fun. I wish I could get away from looking at Stats though ! Have a lovely Sunday. Ralph 😀

  15. Kim

    It’s so true about following anyone who gives you a follow in the beginning. I like his blog mgmt tips and ideas. You definitely have to cut your follow list down because it gets overwhelming, but it’s hard because there are so many great, helpful blogs out there. Thanks for the info.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Kim,
      Did you read my replies to the other commenters? I am getting nervous, LOL. Everyone will be unfollowing people, and it will be because of my guest author’s post!
      Janice

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