Interview with Tim Ferris, Author of "The 4-Hour Work Week"
One of the traps bloggers often fall into is devoting too much time to their blogs, particularly if their blogs are used to derive an income or support a business. As with any entrepreneurial endeavor, finding the right balance between blogging and the rest of your life is important.
Author and entrepreneur Tim Ferris, wrote a popular book called "The 4-Hour Work Week" that shares his method for achieving success while only working 2-4 hours per week. Even if you haven't read "The 4-Hour Work Week", you should enjoy reading the About.com Entrepreneurs Guide, Scott Allen's, interview with Tim Ferris. It's enlightening, informational and inspirational.
Check it out when you have a moment, then consider what changes you can make to your life, particularly your life as a blogger, to work smarter rather than harder bringing you closer to that ideal 4-hour work week.
Susan – You bring up a good point when you mention many bloggers make the mistake of spending too much time blogging. What would you say are some signs that someone is spending too much time blogging?
That’s a great question, LaToya. First, I’d like to share a snippet from a post I wrote for BloggingTips.com a month or so ago:
“While blogging might start as a hobby or a way to make some extra money, for many people, it becomes an all-consuming business venture. Like any entrepreneurial endeavor, there is high stress involved. The more popular you and your blog become, the more stress there is to continue to perform and grow. It’s a never-ending cycle.
What should we learn from this? As with any business, make sure you don’t forget your life. Take some time to spend with your family and friends. Take a vacation. Don’t get overly stressed. Life is too short. Your blog will be there tomorrow….or at least in a few hours.”
I think the signs your spending too much time blogging are apparent when other parts of your life are suffering. In other words, are there parts of your life that you enjoy or need to tend to but aren’t because you’re too busy blogging? You need to weigh your objectives against the amount of sweat equity you invest in your blog to make sure you maintain a healthy balance to meet your personal needs.