Lets be honest here… we need to have a blog schedule because blogging can take up a LOT of time if we let it. It can take up all of our time, if we would let it. The reason? Blogging is one of those jobs that just never has an “ending”. It is always open-ended. There is always more to do. Write another post. Edit another image. Share another post. Pin another pin. Start another book. Create another course. The to-do list goes on & on.
My favorite way to be on a schedule is to put things in my editorial calendar. You can make one on paper or you can use a plugin.
Now, I have a daily schedule and that helps me to minimize stress. It is important, in my opinion, to have a schedule that you can stick to. I wake up at 7:00, go to the gym with the kids at 9:30, play and hang out during the day… (being bloggers, my husband and I can do fun things all day while the rest of the world is working… like boating while the lake is calm, because no one else is out there!)
Then work a little in the afternoon (maybe an hour), have dinner, etc… then I work from 7:00 (bedtime for the kids) until around 1:00 am usually. This works for me. It might not work for you, but you need to find what does.
Here are a few of my favorite tips…
1. Try to work on a “posting schedule” for a theme.
Maybe it is that you do a Wordless Wednesday or a Five Minute Friday (five minutes to write). Maybe you set up a linky party on your blog one day a week? These are some easy ways to get a “day off” from having to come up with new content.
2. Take care of your life OFFLINE.
Is cleaning causing you stress? Do it first thing in the morning. Is it that you are using too much time to edit pictures? Consider buying them instead. My best tip is to use your free time to write your posts and save them. Then use your “pressed for time” moments to write your fast posts, like the ones mentioned above. Ps- don’t forget that you can just update old posts & move them up to the front!
3- Be true to YOU.
Keep in mind that YOU are in charge of your blog. Don’t let your blog control you. If you need to skip a day, do it. If you want to just use a picture tomorrow, do it! Do what is best for you and your blog.
4- Used Canned Emails
I wish that I had known this YEARS ago! You can respond to emails faster by using a Canned Email and you can do it even FASTER by using the Text Extension plugin where you literally just type a symbol and the canned e-mail pops up for you. Pretty cool!
5- DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!
This is my best tip. You can’t let the little things become big things. Don’t get stressed. As I tell my husband, Mickey (also a blogger), “what is the worst that could happen if you …. (miss a post, misspell a word, don’t use the best image today)” Honestly? The worst thing is that you do it better tomorrow. So for today, enjoy the ride, try not to let your stress build up and get yourself on a schedule so you aren’t putting of the things that need to be done. “Procrastination is like a credit card. It’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.”~Unknown
Ps- have you checked out our book? I bet you’ll love it!
~Happy Blogging!
Becky
