You want to manage your blogging time but maybe you aren’t sure where to start, or how to go about it. Managing your blogging time can be as simple as setting aside a specific amount of time for the week to work on your blog, or it can be as complex as knowing exactly which tasks you’re going to be doing at any given moment.
The biggest thing about learning how to manage your blogging time is that you have to set realistic goals that are doable for you, otherwise, you won’t stick to them.
These Tips Should Help to Manage Your Blogging Time!
Look at How Many Hours You Have Each Day to Blog
Yes, everyone has the same amount of hours in a day, but not everyone has the same amount of hours available to blog. Everyone’s situation is different. So many factors enter into the situation: Do you have kids, do you work outside the home, do you work as a writer or VA online helping others with blogging? You’ll have to consider your unique circumstances when looking at your time available to blog.
One good thing is that all of your days don’t have to be the same. You might have a couple days a week where you have something else going on, and that’s okay. The best way to handle this is by planning for it. You might even be able to pick up a couple hours on the weekend or here and there to make up for it.
Also make sure you allow for all the extras. What do I mean by extras? The simple things that you probably aren’t thinking about when you’re figuring how much time you have to blog. Things like eating, picking up the kids from school, grocery shopping…even taking a shower! It’s so easy to think we have 6 hours a day to blog (if your kids are in school like mine) but after you add up the time it takes to do even the smallest of tasks, that 6 hours can quickly dwindle down to about 3-4, on a good day. So be realistic with your time so you can make the most of the time you have available to blog.
Have Your Work Planned Out Before You Start Your Day
The night before is ideal, but if not, then first thing before you get working you should plan out what you’re going to get accomplished that day. That way you’re not spending precious minutes trying to figure out what tasks you really need to be working on.
My nightly routine is I cuddle up on the couch with my favorite blankie, my favorite people, and watch my favorite shows. But I have my planner (and usually a huge stack of notes) right there with me as I go over what needs to be done the next day and over the coming weeks.
Do Your Most Important Task First
As Holly likes to say, “Eat the Frog!” Tackle that task that absolutely has to be done first thing. That way even if you only get one thing done in a day, it’s the most important thing.
For me, completing that important task first can be the difference between feeling like I’ve had a very successful day versus an unsuccessful one.
Treat it Like a Job
That means when it’s time to work on your blog, that’s exactly what you’re doing. No phone calls, no Facebook (unless of course it’s related to your blog, but no personal Facebooking). No throwing in a load (or four) of laundry. You wouldn’t do all of those things if you were at a regular job, and blogging is a job. If you want to be successful, you have to do the work!
Give Yourself a Break
How is giving yourself a break managing your blogging time wisely? Because you need time away, time to be offline, time to reboot. It’s way too easy to become overwhelmed with blogging. Make sure you take a break to go out and enjoy your life. That’s one of the biggest reasons many of us blog, is to have that flexibility. We can step away when we want to. Don’t be afraid to do it.
Do you have any tips to add on how to manage your blogging time? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!