Time management is one of the most important issues we bloggers need to master. After a long workday, the last thing you want to do is spend your nights blogging instead of relaxing. There is always more time than we think — we’re just bad at managing it (I know I am!). I used to think I never had enough time to blog. I found myself constantly overwhelmed but not getting any work done. I would often think about all the things I didn’t have enough time to do.
Then I would watch Netflix, go drinking with my friends, or just laze around.
The truth is, it’s not about finding the time — it’s about prioritizing the time you do have.
The secret to getting your work done? Scheduling.
Not to-do list building.
Scheduling.
A lot of time people create a to-do list as a way to manage their work. While a list might be a good way to organize your shopping, it’s not the best way to organize your blog. Because what ends up happening is that we do the easiest stuff first and we put off the hardest stuff until later. All the big, really important things we need to do get postponed in favor of the smaller, less important, but easier tasks.
It’s human nature.
Instead, create a schedule that allows you to batch your work.
For example, on Mondays I write and work on my marketing. On Tuesdays I edit my writing. On Wednesdays, I write my newsletter and answer emails. On Thursdays I post and schedule blogs and send out my newsletter. This division of labor allows me to make sure that each week I get all my work done but only focus on the tasks at hand. I don’t have to worry about the long list of things to do, because my list for the day is only one or two things.
Batching allows me to focus — and when you focus, you can optimize your time. So after your long day at work, you have only one or two things to accomplish, and blogging doesn’t seem so daunting.
Moreover, when you are on the road, dedicate the same hours each day to work. Once your brain knows “4pm is work time” it will automatically shift to that mode and you’ll increase your productivity. It doesn’t matter what the hours are so long as they are the same hours each day. Additionally, every 3-4 days of traveling (or whatever works for you) take a work day. You have to maintain a good work/life balance, so travel and have fun and then take a day to just work. If you try to balance both at once, you’re going to burn out!
There are plenty of hours to the day, and the secret to successful blogging when just starting out is to create a schedule for yourself so you can optimize your time. Make those hours work for you, not against you. It’s what every successful blogger does — and it’s what you should do, too!
I know it’s easy to feel as if there’s so much to do that you don’t even know where to start, but if you take the time to properly structure your day, you will accomplish more than you realize.
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