Do you plan your blog posts?
If so, how far in advance are you planning them?
I never used to, but over the last few months I have been thinking about my posts in advance and even uploaded the WordPress Calendar plugin. Now that’s a treat! I can see where I’m going with my blog in advance. Why haven’t I been doing this?? Talk about now being organised. This change in my routine has allowed me to think clearer about the direction of my blog and has helped me manage my time better…
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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, but 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 bash out 2 hours of work (ie. this blog, emails, The Media Maid, Under 100 Dollars and other bits) before I get school lunches, breakfast and get the kids to school. Join the 5am club in 2013 – it will change your life!
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.
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. In my new house I have the best little office set-up. It will be a work in progress, but it will be a place that’s neat and ordered.
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 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. 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. A 2013 goal for you, perhaps?
So there we go, a few motivation tips for you!
Ok, now your turn, tell me what keeps you going and how do you maintain productivity? I need to start planning my attack for 2013.
Have a great day! Last day of school for my kids. I’m hitting the shops this morning to finish my shopping…
