So I get an email from a DLM reader asking this:

    "I would love to learn how you combine a very active blog with a full-time job--which is my situation. Would you be willing to make that a subject of one of your posts?"

In answering her question, I quite possibly went on a little tangent explaining how you shoulda/coulda/oughta start a blog. Perhaps this was a story I subconsciously wanted to tell..

So, first it's Celeste..

Well Celeste, I get this question a lot and my typical answer is to burn the midnight oil. However, I have given this some deep thought and I came up with a handful of points that you should consider. In fact, I went a little overboard.

Here we go:

    * Your name: You have to understand that once your real name is published, it's on the internet for good. If your blog is lackluster, will future employers judge you by that? If your blog is a huge success, will your current employer assume your blogging when you should be working? It's almost a no-win situation. If you are just starting a blog, my advice would be to ask you boss if they care and get their response in writing. As long as they are informed and you are not complaining about your company, you should be OK. A good read is, "blog under your real name, and ignore the harassment" by Penelope Trunk. For me, my name is common enough not to worry. I mean there are hundreds of Jay Whites out there. If you're Ira Kapinsky, you may want to think about it.

    * Time: Your blog is YOURS. There are no bosses to push you around and the autonomy becomes pretty addicting. If you get into it, there is a chance that you will make it a top priority. This means that you, like me, will take days off of work in order to write. You don't want to put your primary income in jeopardy so you have to set a blogging schedule that doesn't interfere with your normal job. Without it, you may end up like this guy: