8 Time Management Strategies for Fellow Bloggers

Is your life measured by the number of blog posts you complete or the hours you put into them? Do you always find yourself busy and have an almost non-existing social life? Often, you find yourself wondering how much work you’d get done if there were two of you.

If any of the above-mentioned sentences is the case with you, then it’s imperative that you step back, recuperate and start all over again.

Sure, you have a schedule. You need to stay Essay Help Deal organized and write a number of blog posts at a particular time. But this in no way means that you forget that you also have a life. Follow these 8 simple time management strategies to ensure constructive and organized blogging time:

1. Make a routine you can adhere to

Having a routine sounds dull. Who wants to move in a robotic manner day in and day out? But surprisingly, this is not the case. When you have a proper routine to fall back into, it actually provides comfort. You might feel more in control of your life.

You do not have to abruptly start on your day as soon as you wake up. Many people are not morning persons. In order to tackle the morning, they need to spend some time idly to get back to their senses. That’s what I suggest you should do as well.

It’s best to start your day doing what you love most. This would help in getting up early and starting your day. For example, you can fifteen minutes browsing the newspaper or leafing through a magazine. You can even watch a favorite TV show while you have a proper breakfast.

You might think the above activity I mentioned is actually a waste of time. But the chances are, if you directly jump in your day by looking at your email, it’ll leave you feeling frantic and anxious. We all know that the devil takes a hand in what is done in haste.

2. Know what you have to face up against

It’s better to know what you’ll be facing when you come to the office. It’s good to mentally prepare yourself beforehand. It’ll help set the tone of your day and hopefully make it more productive.

Make a mental list or write it down, it doesn’t matter. A schedule can easily be deemed void if something unexpected turns up at the last moment. But having a list down can help you avoid wasting time and jump right into your work. You’d also rest easier knowing that you have already set out what to do the next day.

If you have a proper working schedule set out, this will also signal the people around you not to disturb you during this time. You are not free to do mundane tasks which can easily wait till day end. Focus solely on your work. How would you do that if you have to continuously rush back and forth between chores?

3. Stay organized in your tasks

Not everyone can focus on work in a relaxed environment. If you’ve set up goals, like a certain number of readers in a particular time, then you obviously have to speed up your writing and take out at least three to four posts per week. The more frequently you post, the higher the chances of your readership growing. But that is not always the case. If you start focusing more on quantity rather than quality, the opposite might happen and you can actually end up losing readers.

Why not make a kind of calendar? Schedule what posts you need to do and by when. Also, decide when you need to publish them, and at what time.

4. Keep multiple copies of your draft

Kick starting your blog is probably the most challenging part. Getting started with your introduction can be mind boggling. An introduction is the first phase, and either you engage your audience, or you end up losing them. It’s understandable if it’s overwhelming for you. Finding just the right words to capture your readers can be more than a bit confusing.

Rachel Meeks mentions in her popular e-book Simple Blogging that when you first begin to write, just simply continue without pressing the delete or backspace key. Just keep marching forward and take a start. You can always come back and refine it. This way, your time won’t be wasted and there are fewer chances for you to go through writer’s block. Think of it as warming up.

5. Envision your readers

When you first begin to write, imagine who you are talking to. Picture a reader in your mind and what they’d want to hear. A professor in my university once told me that in order to make someone understand what’s on your mind; explain like you’re talking to a four-year-old. This will help you be more descriptive in your work, and give you a clear idea how much detail your readers might need.

Keeping this in mind, you won’t have to worry about how to write. You’ll end up saving time by tackling a blog having a clear picture of your audience, a sense of purpose and focus. You won’t have to worry about the kind of writing style you need to adopt either. It’ll help you focus more on the quality of your blog rather than how to write.

6. Absolutely NO Distractions

Now that I have roughly given you an idea how to save time regarding what to write, when and how to write, your primary concern should be how to avoid distractions. Distractions are a secondary force and can occur beyond your control. They can come in any form, like a telephone call, an emergency meeting, or social media.

Know that when you begin to write, just write. Turn off your email and switch off your phone if you have to. Also, don’ stop to wonder if what you’re writing makes sense or whatever. The more time you spend thinking, the more you’ll find yourself questioning your writing. You’ll end up taking more time in editing and re-editing. Just get out what’s on top of your head. As mentioned before, you can always re-visit your draft after you have roughly concluded all that you need to write.

7. Leave your desk every once in a while

I know I said to become distracted by menial and mundane tasks, but you absolutely do need to take a break every once in a while. It’s to stretch your brain muscles and prevent you from burning yourself out. Often, we even forget to take a bathroom break till it reaches its peak!

Get up and stroll around your home or office. Get a drink or a meal. A meal does not mean having a sandwich while you sit in front of your computer and go through your email. It’s imperative to at least take out at least half an hour to take a break. No, you’re not wasting time. Your body needs to eat and your mind needs a break if not you.

Sitting all the time might also make you gain weight and make poor dietary choices. This will affect your energy in the long run.

8. Know your purpose

We all work to pay our bills. But if you know what you’re exactly working for, and why you’re working, they will actually make them goals worth achieving.

You might need a new computer or clothes or buy any other thing which has a special meaning to you. Sure, those bills aren’t going anywhere, but the other perks of your job might be well worth achieving to put your heart into the matter.

Blogging should be a wonderful experience. You’re talking about issues that actually matter a lot to many people. You’re participating in and sharing your knowledge. But if you spend so much of your time helping others, you’ll end up neglecting your own self.

So remember, having a proper time management strategy is crucial. It’s even more helpful in terms of your work. It’ll help grow your blog and devise a proper and regular working program for yourself.