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7 Ideas for Busy Bloggers on Discovering Time to Weblog

August 30, 2023

Each time I ask ProBlogger readers “what’s the largest problem that they face as a blogger?”, the reply I hear most is “Time”.

Discovering time to weblog is one thing that every one bloggers wrestle with.

Whether or not you’re simply beginning out and running a blog as a interest, running a blog as an element time job whereas juggling work, residence, and a social life and even running a blog as a full time enterprise amidst different calls for akin to up-keeping of social media accounts, responding to feedback and emails and many others…

Discovering time to jot down is a constant problem.

This situation is so prevalent, we really revealed an eBook on the subject – BlogWise: How to Do More with Less (that includes 9 busy however productive bloggers akin to Leo Babauta, Gretchen Rubin, Brian Clark, Heather Armstrong and extra).

7 Ideas for Busy Bloggers on Discovering Time to Weblog

I’m somebody who periodically struggles with the challenges of being productive in restricted timeframes. Over the past 10 years of running a blog, I assume I’ve settled into one thing of a workflow and routine. What follows is a set of reflections on what I’m studying.

I hope one thing in it connects with the place you’re at!

1. It Begins with Life Priorities

I really feel a bit like a dad or mum saying this however the fact is, time administration is so much to do with priorities.

It’s vital to take outing to determine what is really vital to you, as it is a place to begin for figuring out how you need to spend your time.

If running a blog is vital to you, step one to find time to do it’s to title it as a precedence.

After all ‘naming’ it as vital is simply half the battle. For many individuals there’s a HUGE hole between what they say is vital and the way they really spend their time.

Probably the most confronting workout routines I’ve ever finished, in the case of time administration, was when (as a younger grownup) I used to be challenged write an inventory of my priorities. I then needed to observe how I used every 15 minute block of time over every week.

On the finish of the week I tallied up the totally different actions and was amazed to find how a lot time I used to be spending on issues that didn’t characteristic in my priorities record, and the way little I spent on the issues I’d named as my priorities.

My record of priorities included issues like learning, profession, relationships and many others.

My precise use of time was dominated by TV, pc video games, time within the pub and many others.

After all, on the time I used to be younger and reckless… however I think if I did the train once more at the moment there would most likely be a little bit of a disconnect between my priorities and the way I spent my time. The actions I ‘waste’ time on and my priorities at the moment is likely to be totally different however the sample would most likely stay.

One of many keys to discovering time to weblog is figuring out whether or not running a blog is definitely vital to you and arranging your life so that point is allotted for it!

I do know it’s sounds apparent however it’s simpler stated than finished… and must be stated.

2. Identify Your Running a blog Priorities

Within the part above I speak about ‘life priorities’ however now I wish to hone in in your running a blog priorities.

The problem many bloggers face is that they really feel overwhelmed and infrequently distracted by the numerous components of running a blog that they really feel they should do to have success.

Writing weblog posts, studying and commenting on others blogs, responding to readers feedback, visitor posting on others blogs, being energetic on Twitter, Fb, Youtube, LinkedIn, Pinterest (and extra), working in your weblog design, writing an eBook, discovering advertisers, making a media equipment…. the record goes on and on.

I’ve had durations in my very own running a blog the place this record overwhelmed me – to the purpose it nearly paralysed me.

After I felt overwhelmed, I attempted to strip my running a blog again to the core duties I knew I wanted to do to maintain my weblog transferring ahead. Once more it was actually about priorities.

What do you must do to develop your weblog and make it sustainable?

For me, I strip my focus again to those areas:

These are the priorities I’ve with my running a blog. Just by naming them simplifies issues a bit of for me so I’m not a protracted, loopy record of little issues that I have to do.

With this record in thoughts I’m can set myself some achievable objectives in every space.

For instance, in the case of ‘Create Content material’ I’m set myself some objectives with what number of posts per week or month. Then I begin to consider the sorts of posts I would like every week.

So right here on ProBlogger, my present aim is 5 posts per week at least with 3-4 of these posts written by me and not less than one in every of them to be an extended type piece of content material (like my Guide to the Amazon Affiliate Program).

Inside every of those areas I might usually have not less than a few objectives/priorities at anyone time.

Merely having this record of issues I wish to obtain all of the sudden offers me route on easy methods to spend my time, which makes me rather more efficient once I do weblog. As an alternative of sitting down on the pc to weblog after which figuring out what to do, I’ve an inventory of issues I have to get finished – and I discover myself simply knocking them off.

3. Batch Course of Your Important Duties

I gained’t go into nice element on this as I’ve written about it earlier than however quite a lot of years in the past I modified the way in which that I do my weekly duties and it considerably boosted my productiveness ranges.

Earlier than making this swap, I might sit right down to weblog and discover myself going by way of an entire day flitting from one factor to a different…. however not likely getting a lot finished. I’d write an intro to a weblog publish, then soar onto Twitter, then discuss to a different blogger a couple of collaboration, then return to the weblog publish, then reasonable some feedback, then soar on Fb after which…. nicely you get the image.

So I started to carve out longer chunks of time to do a very powerful duties in ‘batches’.

For instance, one in every of my weekly rhythms is to make use of Monday and Wednesday mornings to jot down. On these mornings, I’ll usually set myself up in a restaurant and work offline for 2-3 hours. This allows me to jot down as a lot content material as attainable for the times and week forward. It’s not uncommon for me to jot down 4-5 weblog posts that I’m then capable of schedule onto the weblog for the approaching days.

By silo’ing off time to do a very powerful duties, and eradicating different distractions, I discovered I churn by way of much more work than I had beforehand been capable of do.

I now ‘batch’ course of many duties. I’ll usually put aside half an hour to do social media for instance (as an alternative of popping into Twitter 20 instances a day, I’d spend an extended interval as soon as a day). Electronic mail is equally one thing I attempt to do in batches, equally I are likely to learn different blogs through RSS in batches and many others.

Learn extra about ‘batch processing in my publish ‘How Batch Processing Made Me 10 Times More Productive‘.

Psychological Running a blog

Within the early days of my running a blog I had very very restricted instances to weblog. I used to be working 3-4 half time jobs at anyone time whereas additionally learning within the evenings. In consequence I usually would solely have half and hour right here or there throughout a lunch break, late at evening or early within the morning to jot down content material.

With a purpose to be simpler at these instances, I started to do what I now name ‘psychological running a blog’.

So whereas I used to be working in one in every of my jobs in a warehouse packing parcels, I might start to jot down my weblog posts in my thoughts. I might provide you with a subject, resolve upon a title after which start to map out my details – all in my head.

I generally would use a small pocket book to jot a number of phrases right down to remind me what I wished to jot down however after a shift within the warehouse, I might usually be prepared to sit down down and shortly write out a fairly first rate weblog publish (generally a couple of) as a result of I’d successfully written it already in my head.

Since that point I’ve come throughout numerous different bloggers who do the same factor throughout their very own each day actions.

Afterward I did the same factor by jotting down my notes on my iPhone and even talking weblog posts into an audio recording app on my iPhone whereas I used to be out on a stroll.

4. Thought Era and Editorial Calendars

In my early days of running a blog one in every of my greatest time sucks was developing with concepts. I might sit, gazing my pc display for hours on finish, making an attempt to work out what to jot down about on my weblog that day.

I found {that a} a lot simpler technique is to put apart batches of time particularly to provide you with publish concepts.

As an alternative of deciding what to jot down about every day, I started to create instances to brainstorm and thoughts map weblog concepts. I might then developed a file for every publish subject in order that on any given day I might sit down and inside seconds I’d have one thing to jot down about

Thoughts Mapping is my favorite approach for producing probably a whole bunch of concepts (learn Discover Hundreds of Post Ideas for Your Blog with Mind Mapping).

Simply having the concepts able to go if you want them will prevent a variety of time. You may take this a step additional and take into account creating an Editorial Calendar the place you really slot the concepts right into a calendar over the approaching week, month (or longer) and map out the place you’ll be going with the weblog in that time period.

Editorial calendars might not swimsuit everybody however I do know of quite a few bloggers who plan their blogs content material nicely over a month upfront. This not solely offers them an concept of the place their weblog is headed however additionally they discover it helpful to monetize their blogs as they’re capable of share their calendar with advertisers who might want to sponsor a related sequence of posts that is likely to be developing.

5. Break Down Large Jobs into Small Bites

Late final yr, I recorded a free webinar where I shared 10 things I wish I’d known about blogging when I started 10 years before. In that webinar I shared the story of making the primary eBook that I developed over at Digital Pictures Faculty.

The thought of making an eBook was one thing that I’d been which means to do for not less than a yr or two however I’d all the time postpone doing it as a result of I didn’t have the time for such a giant mission. I’d by no means finished one thing like that earlier than and I felt overwhelmed by it.

In the long run, to get the eBook created and launched, I made a decision that the one manner I’d discover the time to jot down it was to rise up quarter-hour earlier each morning to work on the mission.

quarter-hour a day isn’t a lot (though we had a new child on the time so quarter-hour sleep was valuable) however I used to be amazed how a lot I might get finished in that brief time period, every day. Over the approaching 2-3 months I accomplished writing the eBook, had had it designed, had labored out easy methods to promote it, had researched easy methods to promote it (procuring carts and many others) and was able to launch.

I successfully broke down a giant job into little chew sized chunks till it was full. That eBook went on to promote hundreds of copies and have become the template for 19 different eBooks that I’ve now launched (the primary supply of revenue to my blogs at the moment).

I usually marvel what would have occurred if I’d by no means discovered that additional quarter-hour per day!

6. Gradual Running a blog is OK

“I’ve to publish one thing at the moment!”

Generally, as bloggers, I feel we create monsters for ourselves for no good cause in the case of posting deadlines and frequency.

I’m very responsible of this and it’s been one thing of a aid to understand that I can decelerate my running a blog a bit of and never see it ‘harm’ my weblog.

Right here on ProBlogger you will have seen a little bit of a change recently. I’ve gone from posting 7-10 posts per week to posting 5-6 instances every week.

For a few years right here at ProBlogger I felt the necessity to publish each day posts and at instances, even aimed for 2-3 posts per day. Whereas there have been some advantages of doing so (extra posts can imply extra visitors) there have been additionally prices by way of the standard but additionally personally (it’s onerous to maintain that form of publishing for years on finish).

Since slowing down, I’ve been fascinated to see that our visitors has remained regular (in truth some days it has been increased). The opposite influence has been an increase in remark ranges, in optimistic suggestions but additionally in my very own power and fervour ranges.

Whereas deadlines and targets for posting frequency may be motivating – there could also be durations of time when slowing down has some massive advantages.

7. Make House for Preparation, Creating and Relaxation

I first got here this idea through an Aussie blogger Kemi Nekvapil, however I feel this concept initially comes from Jack Canfield who talks about creating days for ‘preparation’, ‘success’ and ‘relaxation’.

Kemi talks in regards to the construction of her week and the way she has 3 various kinds of days throughout her week. They’re ‘preparation days’, ‘success days’ and ‘inspiration days’.

So for Kemi, her Mondays are preparation days when she is on the point of have a inventive ‘success’ day, Tuesdays are profitable days, Wednesdays are preparation days and Thursdays are profitable days. Fridays are her inspiration days the place she will get to do no matter she needs to do for herself.

By giving herself days with a distinct focus, Kemi says she’s capable of preserve her creativity up and to maintain herself.

It is sensible actually – if each day is a day the place you need to produce one thing and also you by no means have time to organize or to have a break the standard of what you produce will undergo (as will your power ranges).

I like this concept and nearly intuitively have finished one thing a bit of related of late. My spouse (V) works on a Wednesday, so on these days I’ve had a bit extra to do with the children (drop offs, decide ups and a shorter working day). I’ve determined to go along with it not being fairly as a productive day and make Wednesdays rather less fingers on with work, giving me a bit of extra space to simply ‘be’.

I’ve been doing a bit of work but additionally am making an attempt to place time apart on Wednesdays to learn, stroll and have a siesta. It’d sound a bit of like a lazy day on some ranges however I’m noticing that having a quieter day in the course of my week actually makes me extra productive on the next days.