Bloggers: 8 tips to stay motivated

Today I am sharing part of the material we talk about if you join my online blogging course – The Media Maid’s Blog Academy. In WEEK 1 we chat about some basic blogging rules and tips and one of those is motivation. Below are my 8 tips to keep you motivated as a blogger…

If you blog a lot and live on the computer like I do, then how do you fit all of this in to your normal life? I don’t always feel like I’m managing it well and it can be hard to keep on top of everything. If I stick to a routine and don’t let it overwhelm me I can be much more productive. Here are some of my tips that keep me chugging along…

I get up early

I am an early bird and find it’s the best time of the day for my brain. I get up at 5.30am if I can. I complete about 1-2 hours of work (ie. a blog post, emails, The Media Maid, Under 100 Dollars and other bits) before I make school lunches, breakfast and get the kids to school. Join the 5am club – it will change your life! It means I know I am organised for the day to unfold however it likes. If I can’t get back to the computer for the whole day, then I don’t feel bad because I know I’ve taken care of the most important things already.

Write lists

I always have a list of some kind on the go. It can be a list of blogs I’m designing, bills to be paid, jobs to be done… I always have a list! It’s usually a list that’s handwritten and it sits next to my keyboard. I refer to it lots and am always eager to tick things off. If I am feeling overwhelmed, sometimes I just write a simple list. It helps me sort out what direction to take next. I am also very good at saying NO! You can’t do everything and you shouldn’t feel bad about that.

Clean workspace

I don’t like mess. I may not have time to scrub my showers, but I hate mess. Everything has a place and everything in it’s place. I cannot think straight if there is mess surrounding my creative space. Once I have sorted out the area I am working in, I can be much more productive. I will simply power-down all the devices in my house and make sure things around me are neat and ordered before I start any work on the computer. A clean area around me allows me to be more creative.

Empty your email inbox

Every week I make sure I’ve cleared my inbox and have nothing hanging over my head. I try to keep on top of them as they come in, but that’s not always possible. Again, if there’s clutter in my inbox I can’t think straight and be productive. If you have a overflowing inbox, make this your priority today!

A little bit of everything in moderation

I’m on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and they can be a lot of work if you let them be. I don’t sit on social media all day every day. But I do 15 mins here and there a few times a day. The thing with a smart phone is that you can tweet for 5 mins every couple of hours while you’re waiting in a shopping line, at school pick up, on the lounge at night… The key to a successful social media presence is to be involved. This means you need a presence every day, but you don’t have to live for it. Just use it a little and often to grow your followers.

Eat properly and exercise

I cannot skip breakfast ever. I wasn’t always good at this, but over the last few years I’ve realised this is a massive part of making sure my day is productive. If you don’t eat breakfast I bet you eat rubbish at 3pm and stay up too late. So eat breakfast and go to bed early (then you can wake at 5am!). Also, exercise. This used to be a dirty word, but lately I love doing it a few times a week (Winter and I haven’t been friends so I have been a little slack lately). All round I feel better and I know eating properly, going to bed early and exercising has lifted my productivity and motivation. Oh, and I don’t drink alcohol (at all!). Once you’re off it I guarantee you’ll start sleeping better than you ever have. Don’t let alcohol trick you in to thinking it helps you sleep better. All of these combined has help me to stay focused on all the things I love to do.. that is, BLOG!

Family

My family understands what I do on the computer. I don’t have to fight with my husband and kids about the work I do on Facebook or Twitter. I have their support and they get it. I see a lot of bloggers struggle with this. Computer time can be isolating. Try to involve the whole family and explain what you do with your blog. Mine know I need to do it to pay some bills! My friends read my blog and we often chat about it. I like that I have the support around me to keep going with it.

Take a break

If you feel like you’re blogging just for the sake of it – take a break. Step away for a while. You don’t need to announce to your readers that you’re taking a break. This will just make you go around in circles while you explain why you need to take a break. Just walk away from your blog and come back when you are ready. You’re readers will come back because you’ll be refreshed and ready to smash out good content after a break! I promise! A break always refreshes your creativity.

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Thanks for stopping by today! This was just a snippet of the WEEK 1 content I share at The Media Maid’s Blog Academy. If you think you need a hand and more tips on how to take your blog to the next level then make sure you register your interest here and join in to the next class starting mid-September.

If there was one thing you needed help with on your blog what would be it be? I’d love to know!

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