Finding time to blog is something that all bloggers struggle with. Right?

Whether you are just starting out and blogging as a hobby, blogging as a part-time job while juggling work, home, and a social life or even blogging as a full time business amidst other demands such as up-keeping of social media accounts, responding to comments and emails etc. – finding time to write is a consistent challenge.

Creating awesome content that is informative and worth sharing requires significant time and effort to research and write.

Building a successful blogger requires more than just creativity; it takes grit as well as a laser-sharp focus.

Frequently, many bloggers making their debut think that blogging is easy and fail to realize how much hard work and dedication it takes to run a successful blog. (Does this resonate with you?)

Due to this, their motivation takes a dip, and they find themselves blogging sporadically or maybe even not at all.

As a blogger, it’s essential that you prioritize your time and publish content consistently.

If you want to create a dent in this online world, this article will delve into tips that can help you create and manage your time efficiently as a blogger.

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How can a Busy Person grow a Blog?

(I hope something in it connects with where you’re at!)

{NOTE: a long read. skip to the end part for the summary (quotes by famous people) if you want.}

1. It Starts with Life Priorities

I feel a bit like a parent saying this but the truth is, time management is a lot to do with priorities.

Set your priorities straight. The number one important reason to do and achieve anything you want. In Blogging & in Life. If you do this, you don’t even need to read the rest of the article.

It’s important to take time out to identify what is truly important to you, as this is a starting point for working out how you should spend your time.

If blogging is important to you, the first step in finding time to do it is to name it as a priority.

Of course ‘naming’ it as important is only half the battle. For many people, there is a HUGE gap between what they say is important and how they actually spend their time.

One of the most confronting exercises I’ve ever done, when it comes to time management, was when (as a young adult) I was challenged write a list of my priorities. I then had to track how I used each 15-minute block of time over a week.

At the end of the week, I tallied up the different activities and was amazed to discover how much time I was spending on things that did not feature in my priorities list, and how little I spent on the things I’d named as my priorities.

My list of priorities included things like studying, career, relationships etc.

My actual use of time was dominated by TV, computer games, time spent lazing around and day-dreaming, etc.

Of course, at the time I was young and reckless… but I suspect if I did the exercise again today there would probably be a bit of a disconnect between my priorities and how I spent my time. The activities I ‘waste’ time on and my priorities today might be different but the pattern would probably remain.

One of the keys to finding time to blog is working out whether blogging is actually important to you and arranging your life so that time is allocated for it!

I know it sounds obvious but it is easier said than done… and needs to be said.

2. Have A Specific Place To Store Your Ideas

One of the biggest challenges most writers encounter is thinking of ideas and topics to write about. Writer’s block is common to most bloggers. Ideas often come to us at unexpected times and in unusual ways. Ideas can come to us while taking a walk, or even lying on the bed/sofa/couch or even chatting with friends.

Having a place to store your ideas is important.

Either have a little notebook handy or use a notes app on your smartphone to capture your ideas. Write down any ideas that come to mind. Don’t be concerned about the relevance or quality, just get your raw ideas written down. Later on, you can go back and review and edit your ideas to help you finalize your next blog topics.

3. Slow Blogging is OK

“I have to post something today!”

Sometimes, as bloggers, I think we create monsters for ourselves for no good reason when it comes to posting deadlines and frequency.

I’m very guilty of this and it’s been something of a relief to realize that I can slow down my blogging a little and not see it ‘hurt’ my blog.

For many months (starting period of my blog) here at EclipsedWords, I felt the need to publish daily posts and at times, even aimed for 2-3 posts per day. While there were some benefits of doing so (more posts can mean more traffic) there were also costs in terms of the quality but also personally (it’s hard to sustain that kind of publishing for a long period of time.)

Since slowing down, I’ve been fascinated to see that our traffic has remained steady (in fact some days it has been higher). The other impact has been a rise in comment levels, in positive feedback but also in my own energy and passion levels.

While deadlines and targets for posting frequency can be motivating – there may be periods of time when slowing down has some big benefits.

4. Batch Tasks (aka, STOP Multi-tasking)

This is my #1 all-time productivity hack.

When I started batching tasks together, I started getting so much more done.

My mind is always running 1000 miles per minute. I need to work out my daily routine. Check my health and at the same time manage work and studies. Also, find time for family and self-reflection. I need to schedule my social media. Oh, and work on next week’s blog post. And I must work on that business idea. And respond to those emails and messages/comments… exhausted already !

By nature, I multitask. But multitasking is the WORST thing you can do for your productivity and getting stuff done.

Every time you switch tasks, it can take up to 30 minutes or more for your brain to switch gears. Switching tasks often can cost as much as 40% of your productive time!

You could be wasting almost 50% of your time by multi-tasking.

So, just stop.

But by focusing on a single type of task for a period of time, your brain can stay in the same “zone” and get a lot more done.

One great outcome of writing your content in batches is that you’ll be able to pre-schedule posts. This is so freeing. Just think about having 6 posts scheduled in advance. No more pressure to get your next post out because you are On. Top. Of. It.

5. Remove Distractions

When you have set up your writing schedule, the next thing you need to do is eliminate all distractions. Turn off the television, close your email client and log off your social networks. By removing distractions you can better focus and be more in the creative zone.

Writing requires a lot of concentration. You want your words to flow naturally. Don’t let those seemingly little distractions derail you from creating great content.

6. Location, Location, Location

If there are too many distractions at home, head to your local coffee shop, bookstore or library. Most have free wi-fi nowadays if you need to work online.

But if you’re writing posts, I encourage you to go offline and just focus on your writing. You will be amazed at how much you’ll be able to get done when you focus on a single task at a time.

Tips to Keep Focused:

• Finish chores and other distracting tasks first so you can focus
• Close extra browser tabs and programs
• Write offline and in fullscreen mode
• Work on one task at a time
• Relocate if you can’t focus at home

7. Invest in Premium Products and Services

Successful bloggers – all of whom are busy – invest money in premium products and services to save their precious time and energy.

Example; a while back I decided to go premium on my WordPress account and I paid enough to have that service activated. The result? I had tonnes of plugins to choose from, create an effortless flow to my blog and have a chance to bring you my best content possible through their great SEO tools.

I spent money to free up my time.

I spent money to learn how to do something effectively, in minimum time, so I could free up my schedule by avoiding days, weeks or months of muted returns, or slow growth.

Pay to play and save time in your day.

Invest money in premium courses and eBooks. Pay for coaching. Learn from pros how you can get the job done effectively and efficiently, freeing up your schedule.

[My tip –if you don’t want to spend money on upgrading your blog or having a premium account just yet, at least invest in Grammarly Premium. It is a life saver when it comes to creating neat and error-free blog posts. You don’t have to come back again and again to edit your writing and update for every mistake. Grammarly does that for you and saves a lot of your editing time.]

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What famous people say about writing when having a busy life –

• “I’m too busy” is one of the most common excuses used for not pursuing one’s dreams – Henry David Thoreau

• Damon Knight observes,
  

  When a writer is sitting down, looking at a wall with a blank expression on his face, it is easy for a companion to assume that he isn’t doing anything…Getting ready to write is a complex mental process and a very delicate one; what it feels like to me is that I have laboriously climbed a ladder, carrying my brushes and a can of paint.

• In an interview with The Paris Review, Toni Morrison observed,
  

  Writing before dawn began as a necessity–I had small children when I first began to write and I needed to use the time before they said, Mama–and that was always around five in the morning.

• Ernest Hemingway also loved devoting the early morning hours to writing. In his memoir A Moveable Feast, he wrote,
  

  When I am working on a book or story I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write.

• In an interview with NPR, Geraldine Brooks shared this strategy:
  

  I write while my son is at school. At about 7:45 A.M., I walk him there, with the dogs, then walk them for another forty minutes or so, go home and chain myself to the desk a little before 9 A.M., and try not to be distracted until I hear my son plunge through the front door at about 3 P.M.

• In a letter to a friend, Flannery O’Connor, who suffered from Lupus, noted,
  

  I write only about two hours every day because that’s all the energy I have, but I don’t let anything interfere with those two hours, at the same time and the same place.

• In an interview with The Guardian, Will Self says,
  

  Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea forever.

• The words of Garrison Keillor are very motivating:
  

  I can write anywhere. I write in airports. I write on airplanes. I’ve written in the back seats of taxis. I write in hotel rooms. I love hotel rooms. I just write wherever I am whenever I need to write. I treasure the time right after I wake up.

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The Takeaway:

As E. B. White once said,

“A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”

My final and only advice will be – CONSISTENCY IS KEY.

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Feel free to ask any questions or share your ideas in the comment section below. Alternately, I’d really appreciate for you to share this content on your social media platform if you found it useful so that others can benefit from it too. If you have any doubts or want a personal clarification, send me an email on eclipsedwords@gmail.com. For more inspiration, fun, and smiles, follow me on Instagram

Happy Blogging! ♥♥♥

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Thank you for reading. Love you for that! ♥

—–Have Hope. Keep Faith—–

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ECLIPSEDWORDS BY AISHWARYA SHAH | JANUARY’2019 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ©