It’s been one month today since ProBlogger Junior came out of Beta and to say that life will never be the same again is something of an understatement.
One of the common questions I’m asked by friends, family and readers is ‘how has the work/family life balance been going?’ Another is ‘have you got any work done at all?’
It’s a difficult question to ask and perhaps I need another month before I can fully answer it but here’s five observations a month into my first month of balancing being a Dad and being a full time Blogger.
1. Paternity Leave was a great idea – the idea of taking two weeks off from blogging is something I’d highly recommend. A lot of my friends took a couple of weeks off to stay at home with their wives and children when they had babies and I thought it was a nice idea. I know V appreciated it and I valued the time too in many ways.
2. New Rhythms – I guess much of the last month has been about adjusting to new rhythms and routines. This has ranged from new sleeping patterns to new working ones. Whereas I previously worked until 1am in the morning and got up at 8-9am I’m not finding that I’m working from 7am and going to bed at 11pm. We’re going to experiment with a few different ways of structuring our day but my old routine is definitely out the window.
3. Short Sharp Bursts of Blogging – I’ve noticed that instead of blogging for hours on end without a break that I’ve moved to a much more segmented blogging pattern and am working in shorter blocks. Perhaps this is partly due to a little sleep depravation (and a shorter attention span) or perhaps it’s because I like to be there when little X-man is awake. I suspect this will change a little as I get used to my new life.
4. Getting Out of the House – Once or twice I’ve packed up my laptop and taken off for a morning to my local cafe to write. It’s not that I want to leave V and X but it’s because I need to. Both V and I have found it invaluable to get out for a few hours alone every day or two – just to get some fresh air, have some coffee and to be by ourselves. I can see that this will become invaluable time both on a personal level but also for my blogging as it is in these times that I write my pillar articles for the week which I then advance post over the next few days.
5. New Priorities – A friend who recently became a Dad told me that the thing he noticed the most was how his priorities and goals as a person changed once he met his child. He found it difficult to go back to his number crunching job after a couple of weeks paternity leave because he felt that what he was doing at home was so much more valuable than what he was doing at work. His words were something like ‘At home I’m helping to shape a human’s life’. His previous career aspirations and workaholic tendencies took on a new shape through the filter of being a Dad. I’m still passionate about blogging but can relate to my friend as I’m noticing a shift in some of my thinking about my blogging. I don’t foresee any major changes as a result but wouldn’t be surprised if there were a few more adjustments ahead as I ponder what it’s all about.
I’m certain that there are more changes and adjustments ahead. The first month has been a wonderful ride so far and I’m amazed by the rate of change that I’m seeing in his little body and personality. I guess my attitude has been to attempt to take things as they come.
While I’m on the topic I’d like to thank readers for their patience over the last month. While I’ve kept up a reasonably high posting rate since coming back to blogging I’m aware things have been a little different to normal as a result of the above. Your understanding and support has been much appreciated – as have your emails, cards and even presents that have been arriving in the mail. I really value you as a community and look forward to continuing to share the journey with you in the months and years ahead.
