Life as a multi-passionate entrepreneur is exciting but undeniably chaotic. Juggling blogging, website management, Pinterest marketing, my own you tube channel, supporting the nonprofit I cofounded and running print-on-demand (POD) shops—all while holding down a full-time job—can feel like a never-ending race. With so many moving parts, it’s easy for me to become overwhelmed.
I wanted to share how I manage my chaos. Hopefully, you’ll find a few nuggets that will also help you. Let’s dive in!
Accept That Chaos Is Part of the Journey
I cannot conquer what I don’t acknowledge. I had to accept that chaos is part of the process. Balancing multiple ventures with a full-time job means there will always be competing priorities. The goal isn’t to eliminate chaos entirely but to create systems that help me manage it effectively.
I must remember to celebrate the small wins and know that this is a marathon and not a race. Yeah, this is very hard for me to do sometimes. I struggle with the lack of patience to see the results of my efforts – people reading my posts, purchasing my products, watching my videos, etc. I have a bit of a perfectionist streak and must be on guard against working for the “perfect” post/pin/product/video. Perfection isn’t the goal; progress is.
Prioritize Like a Pro
With so many tasks on my plate, prioritization is my best friend. I start by identifying non-negotiables. Asking:
- What tasks generate the most value?
- Which deadlines are fixed?
- What can be automated or delegated?
In the past, I have used tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. It’s an easy framework that helps me focus on what truly matters while minimizing time spent on low-impact activities.
I usually do this type of prioritization as part of my quarterly review. Categories of tasks are reviewed and plotted on this matrix to help me prioritize things.
Master Time Management
Time is my most precious resource, and effective time management is crucial. Here are some strategies that I use to help:
- Time Blocking: On my primary calendar (I use Google Calendar) I dedicate specific blocks of time to tasks like writing blog posts, designing products, or creating Pinterest pins. I treat these blocks as appointments for my time and am usually successful at keeping them.
- Batch Processing: This one thing is truly a time saver for me. I group similar tasks to execute as a batch. For example, I create all my Pinterest pins for the week in one session and write multiple blog posts in one to two sessions. This minimizes context-switching and increases efficiency.
- Set Boundaries: I should protect my personal and professional time, but I admit that I tend to overwork. Where I can improve here is to set boundaries for each part of the whole (the job, the nonprofit, the print on demand shops, the blogging, the marketing, me time, family time), put it on the calendar and communicate these blocks of time to whoever needs to know regarding my availability.
- Only Commit to Things that Align with My Goals: Since time is a finite resource, I must spend it wisely. Based on my current goals, I don’t commit to projects that don’t align with these goals.
Organize My Digital Workspace
A cluttered digital workspace can lead to wasted time and added stress. I keep my files, tools, and resources organized:
- Use a Project Management Tool: In the past, I have used platforms like Trello, Asana, and ClickUp to track tasks, set deadlines, and collaborate if needed. My current tool of choice is Notion. (I’ll do a deep dive about how I use Notion in a later post.) Any of these tools create boards or lists where I can document and track all the tasks related to managing the chaos.
- Create a Content Calendar: It is vital that I plan out my posts, pins, videos, etc. ahead of time. By doing this, I can focus on the week ahead of me and reduce the opportunity to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of things to be done. Also, planning things out lets me see what blogs need some love, what posts need a pin or two, etc. I am using Notion as a content calendar as well. More on that in a later post.
- Organize My Files: I use cloud storage like Google Drive to keep my designs, blog drafts, and marketing assets in one accessible location. At first, I had all the files in one folder, but that quickly got crazy. I couldn’t find anything easily and was overwhelmed by everything. So, I took the time to create a folder structure that made sense to me and allowed me to find what I wanted quickly. I have found that the chaos monster can be tamed!
Streamline Blogging and Website Management
I have 14 blogs to manage. I know, I know. That’s ridiculous, and I agree, but I am interested in or want to talk about so many things, and I wanted each blog to be focused on a theme or topic, so I ended up with 14. (I am working to reduce the number.)
But for now I have the 14. Here’s how I manage them as efficiently as possible:
- Batch Content Creation: I write blog posts for all my websites for the upcoming week in two sessions and schedule them to publish over time. This approach saves me from scrambling to create content daily.
- Automate Routine Tasks: I automate as much as possible and want to do more. I have created automations in Notion to speed things along. I use Buffer to handle scheduling and publishing my pins. As my process matures, I do not doubt that I will continue to find ways to automate more tasks.
Leverage Pinterest for Marketing
Pinterest is a powerful platform for driving traffic to my blogs and shops, but it requires consistent effort. Here’s how I make the most of it:
- Create a Pinning Strategy: To keep things consistent, I have defined when pins will be added to each of my boards. I investigated several tools and ended up going with Buffer. The tool is easy to use and does what I need it to do.
- Use Templates: I use Canva to create my pins. I made three sets of templates – regular pins with affiliate links or links to one of my shops and pins that link to posts. All use my brand colors and favorite fonts.
- Batch Pin Creation: I create my post pins on the same workdays as my posts so that I can use the same pictures in the pins as in my posts. I create a set of affiliate pins and POD shop pins each week in two batch sessions as well. I then schedule these pins using Buffer.
7. Simplify Print-on-Demand Operations
I have a Redbubble shop, but my primary POD of choice is Zazzle. Both platforms have their pros and cons. Redbubble is the easiest to manage because you don’t have as much variability in the products and presentation of these products. Zazzle, on the other hand, has so many choices and variability with their products that it easily feeds the chaos monster if I let it.
Here is how I tame the POD chaos for my 12 Zazzle shops and 1 Redbubble shop:
- Use Tool to Manage Shops and Collections: Every Zazzle shop and collection has a set of tasks to be completed to fully set them up. I use Notion to track all my shops and collections, so I know what remains to be done.
- Track my Products: Although I can go to Zazzle or Redbubble to view products and related sales, I find it a little clunky; therefore, I put the information in my Notion database and can easily view the total number of products per shop and platform. This helps me see where I am with my shop goals and what gaps need to be filled.
- Use Mockup Generators: I need mockups of my products for blog posts and pins. I use Canva’s mockup app to create professional-looking mockups without extensive graphic design skills. I also pull mockup templates from Creative Fábrica.
- Track Your Performance: I use analytics to monitor sales, identify trends, and adjust my strategy.
Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance
While it’s tempting to pour all my energy into my side hustles, burnout is real. I try to prioritize self-care to maintain my physical and mental health:
- Set Realistic Goals: This is hard for me to do. I want things done now (aka no patience), but that will only lead me to burnout and unhappiness. So, I time myself doing a variety of tasks for my side hustles to get an accurate picture of how much I can get done in a day. Based on this information, I define goals I can meet without sacrificing my personal or social time.
- Take Breaks: I use time blocking to help me schedule breaks to recharge.
- Celebrate Milestones: I acknowledge my achievements in my bullet journal and sometimes with sticky notes on my monitor to keep me motivated.
- Stay Connected: I try to make time for friends and family. Social connections are essential for mental well-being.
Review and Reflect Regularly
I take time to review my progress and adjust my strategies:
- Conduct Monthly Check-Ins: I gauge my progress toward my goals, assess what’s working and what’s not, and use this time to realign my goals and priorities.
- Track Metrics: I weekly monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for your blog, Pinterest, and POD shops. Use data to make informed decisions.
Conclusion
Balancing blogging, website management, Pinterest pinning, and print-on-demand shops with a full-time job is no small feat, but it’s entirely possible with the right approach. By prioritizing tasks, leveraging tools, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance, I can turn chaos into productivity and achieve my goals.
I hope this has given you some ideas on how you can tame your own chaos monster.
I will be going deeper into a number of points from this post in later posts and on my YouTube channel.
Stay tuned!
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