Why Life Is too short for matching socks... & other blogging musings.

Running a daily blog, numerous social media channels, being a girlfriend, friend and working a full time job all at the same time means something has to give at some point. For me that thing is matching socks, ironing and making my bed. Granted the previous sentence makes me sound like one hell of a slob, but I can safely say I'm only part slob.

Since I switched to posting daily on My Pale Skin, I've had to make some adjustments to my life, daily routine and schedule. When you work around 50 hours a week and then spend a further 30+ blogging, you learn (or attempt to learn) how best to manage your time and how to make time work for you rather than make yourself race against it.

Essentially, the decisions I'm in control of, in life, boil down to a few questions...

1. Will it make my life easier?
2. What could I be doing instead?
3. Will I get longer in bed?

Now, i'm not saying these three questions will change the world, boost your blog readership or make you queen blogger... but what they can do, is help you to reevaluate how you spend your time to make life easier and more productive. So as an example, let's try out those 3 questions - against the question and scenario of "Should I pair my socks?"

1. Will pairing my socks make my life easier?
In theory, if you like to show of your little sockles, pairing them will make your life easier. However, if like me, you constantly live in jeans and biker boots or ankle boots and can't remember the last time another human being (minus your bf/gf/roommate) even saw your socks, then why waste that time pairing them all up when you can be doing something else instead...

2. What Could I be doing instead of Pairing my Socks?
Writing a blog post, scheduling tweets, editing photos, taking your make up off... the list goes on...

3. Will I get longer in bed?
If you put your laundry away before you go to bed, then the answer is yes. The earlier you get your chores done, the earlier you get to bed. If i'm super tired and putting laundry away at midnight, and i have the decision of pairing a mountain of socks or getting to sleep earlier... sleep wins every time.

Now, i'm not saying you should judge every decision you make in life by these questions but instead to use them in situations where they could be applicable. If you're a long time reader of My Pale Skin, then you'll know that I often struggle to "get out more" and i'm doing my best to learn 'how to friend' as an adult. Sometimes you need to go against short term goals to reach the long term goals and if that means sacrificing a lie in on a Saturday to go to a blogger meet up, or going out for a few drinks after work instead of participating in the blogger chat that night, or vice versa, then don't worry about what the 'norm' is and do what works for you!

One of the things I often forget is that in order to truly write about and appreciate life, you have to live it for yourself and not just read about it. I've been trying my hardest to make the most out of life, and organize around it instead of making my life work against my organization. So far, this seems to be working, I haven't missed a day since I begain blogging daily and these 3 little questions have helped me.

So embrace the random things that life throws at you, go against what the 'norm' is and do what works for you. If that means an extra ten minutes in bed and socks that don't match? Do it. If that means staying in to talk to online friends rather than 'real life friends' do that too! 

If you had an extra 20 minutes each week to do something, what would you drop, and what would do with that time? Let me know in the comments as i'd love to hear!

Em xxx