How I Work 2 Jobs, Blog and Still Find Time for My Wife and 6 Kids

Every Tuesday is Finance & Family Day at Zen Habits.

I’ve had a number of readers ask me how I find time for my family (my wife and I have 6 kids) while working two jobs, blogging and writing an insane amount of blog posts for other blogs (I write about 7 posts a week elsewhere). It’s something I’ve been working on, struggling with, and experimenting for awhile now, and I think I’m starting to hit my stride.

After promising this awhile back, I’m finally ready to share my secrets to making time for family and still producing a ton.

Let me say that I’m not perfect. I still do work sometimes when I want to be spending time with my wife and kids. And I still goof off with my family when I should be working. But I’ve been getting better, and finding a balance, and drawing a firmer dividing line between work and family time.

I have a full-time job, and I’m a free-lance writer on the side. I work two jobs because my wife and I decided it would be best for our family for her to stay home for a few years to take care of our two youngest babies (the youngest is now 1, and the other is nearly 3). I’m lucky, because my day job is very flexible. I told my boss that to hire me, because of my income requirements, he’d have to give me the flexibility to write on the side to earn an extra income. I guess he thought I was worth it, because I’m now able to write while at work, as long as I get my work done. That’s the challenge.

The other challenge has been blogging. I started this blog in January, when I made a commitment to blog every day. I haven’t failed yet, and the response from all of you has been overwhelming. But blogging, as many of you know, is more than just posting. There’s a lot of other stuff involved, and it has expanded to fill up all of my free time. Also, I’ve taken on the challenge of blogging a lot for other blogs — some of it is now paid blogging, which is slowly replacing the free-lance writing I’m doing for magazines and newspapers (I still do several print articles a week).

I’m also lucky, because my wife has been super patient with me as I work on my blog. She knows that it’s a passion of mine, and she’s always supportive of things I do.

OK, but you want to know how I manage to do it all. It’s not easy, let me say that first. But it is tremendously rewarding: I’ve been pursuing my passion, while making enough money to pay off our debts and save, and also have time for my family.

Here’s how I do it:

Morning ritual. I like to write in the early morning, before anyone gets up. I wake at 4:30 a.m., and this allows me to get some exercise in too before I have to wake everyone up.
Use free time wisely. I write in between tasks at work. My boss knows this. I still produce a lot at work, and I’m really good at what I do, so there aren’t any problems with that.
Evenings for the kids. When I get home from work, I don’t do any writing. I spend the evening with my family. But when they all go to bed, I might do a little more, if I’m not too tired. I generally sleep about 2-3 hours less than the rest of my family, but it doesn’t usually bother me. If it does, I’ll take a short nap or wake a little later.
Weekends are for family. I don’t write on weekends, usually. That’s reserved for family. I do my weekend posts for my blog during the week. This post, for example, was written on Friday. And Sundays are definitely our Family Days.
Bursts. When I work, I do it in bursts. I break my tasks down to smaller bits, do one task at a time, and when I do that task, I really focus. And do nothing else. And brook no interruptions. I just crank.
Fast fingers. The key, for me, is that I write very fast. I give thought to what I’m going to write during drive times, or during exercise, or I’ll take a walk, or when I’m reading other stuff. And when I write, I just crank it out. That allows me to get a lot done in a shorter amount of time. I’ve been writing professionally for 17 years, so it comes naturally for me. Plus, I love what I do - that makes it so much easier!
Fight procrastination. I procrastinate, like everyone else. But I’ve been getting better at beating it. Here’s a post I wrote on that. The stuff I write on productivity isn’t just stuff I make up — it’s stuff I really use, and though I’m not perfect (I don’t always follow my own advice), I really do try to use these tips.

Other family day articles:

How I Work 2 Jobs, Blog and Still Find Time for My Wife and 6 Kids

Every Tuesday is Finance & Family Day at Zen Habits.

After promising this awhile back, I’m finally ready to share my secrets to making time for family and still producing a ton.

I’m also lucky, because my wife has been super patient with me as I work on my blog. She knows that it’s a passion of mine, and she’s always supportive of things I do.

Here’s how I do it:

Morning ritual. I like to write in the early morning, before anyone gets up. I wake at 4:30 a.m., and this allows me to get some exercise in too before I have to wake everyone up.
Use free time wisely. I write in between tasks at work. My boss knows this. I still produce a lot at work, and I’m really good at what I do, so there aren’t any problems with that.
Evenings for the kids. When I get home from work, I don’t do any writing. I spend the evening with my family. But when they all go to bed, I might do a little more, if I’m not too tired. I generally sleep about 2-3 hours less than the rest of my family, but it doesn’t usually bother me. If it does, I’ll take a short nap or wake a little later.
Weekends are for family. I don’t write on weekends, usually. That’s reserved for family. I do my weekend posts for my blog during the week. This post, for example, was written on Friday. And Sundays are definitely our Family Days.
Bursts. When I work, I do it in bursts. I break my tasks down to smaller bits, do one task at a time, and when I do that task, I really focus. And do nothing else. And brook no interruptions. I just crank.
Fast fingers. The key, for me, is that I write very fast. I give thought to what I’m going to write during drive times, or during exercise, or I’ll take a walk, or when I’m reading other stuff. And when I write, I just crank it out. That allows me to get a lot done in a shorter amount of time. I’ve been writing professionally for 17 years, so it comes naturally for me. Plus, I love what I do - that makes it so much easier!
Fight procrastination. I procrastinate, like everyone else. But I’ve been getting better at beating it. Here’s a post I wrote on that. The stuff I write on productivity isn’t just stuff I make up — it’s stuff I really use, and though I’m not perfect (I don’t always follow my own advice), I really do try to use these tips.

Other family day articles:

Posted on 27 May 2007 in Finance & Family, Parenting |
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Comments (27)

Dy (www.dyphan.com) Says:

May 27th, 2007, 9:24 am

Nice tips for managing a hectic life. I going to be a pro blogger too!

Peter Says:

May 27th, 2007, 9:27 am

Having read your story I admit having asked myself how you manage to do it all.

As a fellow husband, father and blogger I thank you for the insights.

Peter

Shaun Dicker Says:

May 27th, 2007, 9:48 am

Great tips, thanks! I love the idea of writing blog entries in advance and then publish them on a schedule (e.g. your weekend posts).

Robert Says:

May 27th, 2007, 9:52 am

Hello,

I’ve been reading your blog for about a month and can honestly say that you have inspired me to pick up many of the habits you describe (mainly the morning ritual). Your writing has also inspired me to start writing my own blog.

Thank you and keep up the great work!
Robert

Jarkko Laine Says:

May 27th, 2007, 10:25 am

Great stuff, Leo!

I’ve been following your blog for a while now and you’ve already inspired me to improve my life a lot.

My first child was born a week plus one day ago, so now I’m even more in need for advice like this: during the coming year I should be writing my master’s thesis, working at least one job, taking care of my family and blogging extensively.

Thanks to your inspiring posts I think that might actually be possible :)

Andy Says:

May 27th, 2007, 10:44 am

Very interesting acticle. But it seems to me that your secret mostly boils down to this: you don’t need as much sleep as most people.

Excuse me for being a little jealous (speaking as someone who genuinely needs 8.5 hours a night) - still, it’s nice to hear about someone leveraging their strengths and doing something spectacular with them…

ZHereford Says:

May 27th, 2007, 11:18 am

You are very generous and forthcoming with your personal habits tips.

Thank you for that because every little bit helps.

Andrew Mason Says:

May 27th, 2007, 13:54 pm

Great post,

I too run a busy schedule although I have not tried getting up at 0430!

Do you find you get tired after being up for so long? I would love to try to get another three hours at the start of the day but I get tired now, and I only imagine it to be worse with less sleep.
Thanks,

Frustrated Says:

May 27th, 2007, 13:58 pm

I agree with Andy here. I also have trouble relating given the way you split the duties with your wife. Since I’m a woman who works full time out of the house and I don’t have a stay at home partner, the balance of responsibilies seems to be quite different than what you have in your life. Do you have any recommendations for bloggers who are female and work full time?

hak Says:

May 27th, 2007, 14:40 pm

Excellent advice Leo. I’m becoming quite the fan of your work as it appears we have a common background and interests.

Starting Tuesday, I’m starting a new chapter in my life and am going back to college to start my post-bacc pre-med program. As I was skimming through the chemistry text book last night, the reality started to sink in of the sheer VOLUME of work ahead of me.

I also work a full-time job; have a working wife and two kids; work as a freelance web guy; write computer trade books; and train as an age-group triathlete. Naturally, something will have to give in this schedule…even though I currently get up at 4:00 a.m. and run on about six hours of sleep a night.

As you alluded to in your article today, it’s all about focus and concentration. Something I’m continuing to hone in the months ahead.

Warm regards,

hak / john

David Hollingworth Says:

May 27th, 2007, 15:01 pm

What a great post Leo. I struggle enough to balance blogging with my wife and one child. Your post is most valuable.

Thanks

David

Advanced Uninstaller Says:

May 27th, 2007, 15:01 pm

Leo, thank you for the article and for the interesting tips. However, the method you advocate is only suitable for people who have a lot of energy.

For many people, the biggest obstacle in achieving a higher productivity is the lack of energy and not the lack of time.

If you have lots of energy, you can easily divide your day and fill it with productive activities.

However, for someone who lacks energy, trying to follow your program would mean running out of steam after just a few hours, and then having to rest or sleep.

Please also add tips for people who lack the energy to achieve - and not only for people who lack the time or the organization to achieve.

Marc Says:

May 27th, 2007, 15:25 pm

I do find that by getting up earlier in the morning I tend to have more energy. If I sleep in, I feel tired all day. However not everyone is this way (my wife being a prime example - she definitely needs her sleep).

One of Leo’s most important tips is to change your sleep habits gradually, then your body should be able to adjust better, especially its energy levels. That’s what I’ve done recently and I’m now aiming for 5am (currently getting up at 5:30am after changing from 6:30am to 6am to 5:45am)

Keep in mind that if you lack energy you may want to look at how much exercise you do and what you eat. I’ve also found that limiting my time spent watching TV (especially the evening news) recently has given me more energy, both physically and mentally.

tehnyit Says:

May 27th, 2007, 19:19 pm

Thanks for sharing you daily routine. I really admire how you are able to fit all your activities in. For me, you hit the nail on its head when you have united your exercise routine and your family time to keep you body and mind healthy. Combine these with a passion for writing, the results are amazing!

One question that I have is what is your motivation for doing this routine day-in day-out?

Leo Says:

May 27th, 2007, 19:25 pm

Hi guys, thanks for all the positive comments. As for a few of the questions, they seem to be under the assumption that I was recommending my methods for everyone. I’m sorry I didn’t make it clear — I only meant to share what works for me, with the hopes that some of the ideas or methods would be useful to others. But I didn’t expect this to be a cure-all for everyone, and I certainly didn’t think that anyone could duplicate my methods exactly. Everyone is different, in different situations, and I cannot recommend solutions to every situation or type of person.

For example, for people who need more sleep than me, obviously they have fewer hours to do things in. They would need to scale back, and either do less or have less time for their families. I would suggest the former. Cut back on your to-do list, do a time audit, and perhaps you’ll find that you’re doing things that are not really essential. If you cut back on those things, I bet you could get more done and still have lots of time for your family.

For people who have less energy … well, I have to say that I don’t consider myself someone with high energy. I think I’m pretty normal. I get tired, I get lazy. But actually, I think I’ve been improving. While I used to get tired fast, and not do as much, I’ve been slowly training myself to do more, and to get distracted less. I don’t think it’s a matter of how much energy I have, but a function of my habits. I’m not perfect, as I said, but I have honestly seen some improvement here. However, if you have extremely low energy, and are not interested in training yourself to do more, I would also suggest scaling back. You don’t need to be as productive as me. But don’t cut out the family time.

Regarding tips for females in the workplace … I agree, you probably have it more difficult than me, if you don’t have a stay-at-home spouse. But I have to add that my wife was working a few years ago, and she will be going back to work soon, so I do have some experience with this. When she was working, we split up home duties much more evenly. I hope your significant other is doing this as well. If not, it’s something you should consider. But even so, you will have a lot more home duties than I have. Two pieces of advice here:

1) Find ways to simplify your home duties. I’ve talked about this on Zen Habits, about simplifying things at home. Look at all the things you do, and see if there are ways to do less, or to do them in batches, or to simplify the process so that it’s easier. Or outsource some of your tasks if possible. If you can simplify this, you will have more time.

2) You will still probably have less time than me. You’ll still have to scale back, as I mentioned above. But even though you’ll have less time to do stuff, you can focus more on your essential tasks — those that will give you the most benefit over time, or those that will make you the most money. By focusing on these, almost exclusively, and eliminating as many of your other tasks as possible, you can achieve more in the same amount of time and still have time for your family.

I’m sorry if my tips here are not more useful to every situation. I can only really speak about what works for me. I can’t give advice that will work for every person. However, if you have questions about your situation, you can always email me. I answer every email.

Thanks, guys!

kamal Says:

May 27th, 2007, 20:26 pm

Great post, Leo. Thanks for sharing what works for you. Even if all might not be applicable for everyone, it is inspiring, and one can pick and choose what works for them.

donnie Says:

May 27th, 2007, 22:57 pm

great post - my second read, came here from lifehacker. Thanks for your insights, I look forward to reading many more.

Ken Says:

May 27th, 2007, 23:18 pm

Thanks for sharing your secrets. Though I don’t have as many kids as you, I do share the same passion for both. And I do find myself struggling to strike a balance, and unfortunately, I allow the blogging side of my life to win too often.

I’ve recently referenced a post of yours in my own blog: http://tinyurl.com/yss8an. I thought you had made some good points about speed reading which I thought would make for more productive skills to spend more time with the family. :)

Som Says:

May 28th, 2007, 0:15 am

As a regular follower, very useful tips from you. Also I am curious, please dont bother to answer if this is inappropriate. I dont know where you live or what your full time job is, but..why the decision to have six kids? I have one myself and cannot imagine to go above three given current situations (not just financially, but overall environment, etc).

Collis Says:

May 28th, 2007, 0:43 am

Interesting to hear, I often wonder how you manage it.

I know that for myself ‘fast fingers’ is my most useful asset. Most people I’ve watched write spend a lot of time thinking about what they are trying to say and how they are going to say it.

I find it best to have already figured that out when I was, say, walking to the shops. Then by the time I sit down at my desk I just spill my thoughts out.

In any case, an interesting read!

Gleb Reys Says:

May 28th, 2007, 4:58 am

What a great article, Leo!

Thanks so much for sharing the secrets and giving people like me hope! :) I know it’s very easy to give up and explain the lack of productivity by having a family, but seeing someone as productive and as happy as you are really inspires many of us!

Thanks!

karenlim Says:

June 1st, 2007, 13:01 pm

You are amazing and truely have my admiration!

I am blogging also every day but I don’t have 6 children to manage.

I sleep for about 4 hrs /day . to have the energy for both work, blogging and my little girl, I rely a lot on sound enhancement music to give me burst of energy.

Ulimtately my hubby and I feel it is the joy of sharing of experiences at our blog that make us excited to keep sharing.
Here is a recent blog post on our turning point:
http://secretofunlimitedprosperity.com/43/practicing-success-invisible-keys-to-law-of-attraction-my-turning-point/

Cheers
Karen

Productivity Says:

June 6th, 2007, 9:29 am

Really respect you. Not only you can produce 6 kids and also write so many things. I wish to find the balance of myself but I couldn’t do it. During my family time, I also think about work. how to solve it? help :(

Leo Says:

June 7th, 2007, 0:36 am

I think that’s a problem many of us have. How do you stop thinking about work when with your family? It’s hard. What you’re talking about is learning to be present — be in the moment while you’re with your family. That’s something that takes a lot of practice.

Try this article for ways to practice. Hope this helps!

Dze Says:

June 25th, 2007, 11:16 am

Well done

Chantain Greer Says:

February 12th, 2008, 15:50 pm

I know its late in the game for this message but thanks for your advise. I too have a lot on my plate with school, full-time work, and a small business I co-own.