Who am I kidding? Blogging can be time-consuming. A lot of time goes into planning your content, taking pictures, editing them, writing the post, creating graphics and not to forget, promoting them on social media.
Since the time I chose to be a full-time blogger, I feel my productivity has been my biggest struggle. I know I have so many things that I want to do and I have all the time in the world, but somehow, I am unable to develop a routine and stick to it. That’s when I realized that there isn’t anyone to bounce off, boost your morale, and help you ignore the distractions but you. Oh come on, don’t you keep thinking about the things that need to be taken care of such as dirty laundry, cooking dinner or even dirty dishes while blogging?
I am an organized person. I cannot live without lists – be it a bucket list, things to do, grocery list and the likes. I make a ‘to do’ list every morning upon waking up and cross them off as the day goes by. This helps me in keeping my sanity at bay. Similarly, there are tools and apps that help bloggers to stay organized. Here are few of my favorites.
Tips and Tools to Help You Stay Productive as a Blogger
#1 Wake up early
I am not a morning person. At all. I am a night owl and can stay awake till wee hours in the morning. However, this has taken a toll on my health. Also, every time I slept in, I realized I’d lost half of my day. So, a change of habit was in order.
My favorite thing to do is waking up at 5 am when Muffy showers me with sloppy kisses. Yes, his cycle is better than mine. This is followed by playtime and sitting in silence for a good half an hour. Muffy sits on my lap while I drink a cup of coffee and make my to-do list.
#2 Have a Dedicated Workspace
I used to do all my blogging work from my bed, watching television. However, I found it to be unproductive. I now have a dedicated workspace, and believe me, it is helpful.
#3 Content Calendar
I cannot help but stress the importance of planning your content. I have always relied on content calendars ever since I began blogging. I have used WP Content Calendar tool which is an editorial calendar that gives you an overview of your blog posts and when each post will be published.
Nowadays, I physically jot down on my Planner because I believe it gives the much-needed push to grab a pen and cross each line off once done. Another option is to make use of the Notes app on your phone. It’s free and it is easily accessible.
#4 Image Editing Apps
Make use of image editing tools and apps like Canva, Picmonkey or Snapseed. They are available for a reason. Create stunning visuals that will boost your blog post.
#5 Schedule Social Media
If you’re across all social media and is struggling to keep up with every one of your accounts, it is time to exploit websites like Buffer and Tailwind to schedule your social media posts. It’s a smart thing to do!
#6 Eliminate Distractions
There are a couple of productivity apps that help you keep your focus when you get sidetracked. Recently, I found out about an app called Forest (Thanks to Shailaja), which encourages you to stay off your phone. The logic is simple. You ‘plant a tree’ at the beginning of your work and it ‘grows’ for the next 30 minutes as you work. If you leave the app before the time is up, you kill the tree. By using this app every day, you get to build a forest. Sounds cool?
#7 Set a Timer
Set up a timer before writing your blog post. It’s like Free Write if you know what I mean? Let your ideas flow. You’ll be surprised to know how many words you can write in a short period of time.
If you’re into digital tools, check out this website called the Egg Timer. It sets a countdown timer and when the time is up, the buzzer will go off and it will take you back to this site even if you’re on some other tab.
# Additional Tip:
Love background music? Just like a meditation app or a sleeping music app where you can play the sounds of rain, waterfall, or birds, websites like Noisili or apps like Relax Melodies helps you focus and increase your productivity. Imagine the sound of being in a coffee shop with the hustle and bustle of everything going on around you, or the sound of a moving train, or rain.
How do you stay organized? What are your favorite tools? I’d love to know. Share in the comments below.
A dear blogger friend is celebrating her Blog Birthday. Congratulations and many many more to come, dear Z! This post is a part of Blog Birthday celebrations contest hosted by Zainab and Geethica.
The blog post is really going to help me a lot. It is really going to be productive in the true sense. Very simple and informative.
These are such fantastic tips. I know because I have tried them all and they work wonders. However I am yet to try the Forest app. As of now I am using a regular timer – which works, but I am sure the app would be better. Because I would hate to kill a tree!
That being said, waking up early has to be the #1 thing that boosts productivity for me, and yet it’s also the #1 thing I struggle with because I am a complete night owl. A habit I am trying to change but it’s a struggle.
I needed these tips. I have been procrastinating so much that it’s been months since I posted on my blog… actually years since I have regular. Wonderful tips. Will try to incorporate them and see if they work for me.
I am a morning person. My mi d and thinking abilities take a nap at night time. Tailwind I heard a lot about recently. Forest apo sounds interesting
You are right, blogging is not a joke or a cake walk. It takes time and it can be demanding to maintain the stats.
Im probably the wrong one to ask this question. I’m the least organized. I follow Calvins ‘last minute madness’ kinda philosophy… Even for this festival of words series!
A lot of helpful tips and apps look so helpful. Have to check them out. I really liked the idea of personal space where you sit for blogging.👍
These are very useful tips. Having a calendar and dedicated space motivates you to write more.
Very useful tips and tools. I am making a note of all these . Will be using them in future. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful tips, read at the right time, i need to work on no. 6. I get distracted very often and it hinders my writing and thinking too. By the way, loved your blog name, kohleyedme 🙂
That are very useful tips , I still blog resting on my bed . Need to have a separate workplace . You are from Pithoragarh that interests me . Will tell u later why
Many good suggestions Shalini. Great post. 👏
Really informative article. I can use some tips like getting up early. I am a nocturnal person.
Found the tips very useful.
Wow Shalini, this post is really helpful and I got to know many helpful hacks. I am going to try the forest app. And I love background soft music. I am going to Trouble you a little while I install them.
Thanks for linking up with us.
Thanks so much for writing for us. Very informative and helpful post :)) Thanks for taking part in #Slimturns3
Great tips! Staying on track and being productive is a tough task for a freelancer. It is so easy to stray. These tips and tools will definitely help.
Fab tips, Shalini. I am a night owl but can be an early bird too but yes, am more productive in the mornings. My biggest distractions while writing are Facebook and Instagram. So, logging off from these is what helps me to do my work quicker. PI have been thinking of using the content calendar for a while now, must act on it soon! Thanks for the nudge!
Very useful list for all bloggers. Now only I’m learning the art of scheduling using Buffer and Tailwind!
I am currently at my lowest produtive self as a blogger these days.. and I hate myself about it. Thanks for this post.. let me catchup
This is a really good post which I think is a must read for bloggers like me who get side tracked & discouraged so easily. Will definitely try some of the productivity tools youve suggested. One app which I find indispensable to my work is Evernote btw.