Last week I posed a question to the fine folks on my email list, “When it comes to blogging, what’s your biggest frustration?” The most common response was “how to find time to blog.” That’s something I totally identify with, so here are a few thoughts.
1. Cut down on TV, stop playing video games, and delete Facebook from your phone.
It’s obvious that cutting down on these things will give you more time to write … but did you know you can save even more time than just TV time?
That’s because consuming this kind of content also results in you paying a “mental tax.” There is a creative lag involved in switching gears. It’s not just the time you need to write … it’s the time you need to get into the state of being able to write.
2. Give up (some) sleep.
When I started blogging, I was working 80 hours a week between 3 jobs. Blogging wasn’t just “hard” or “challenging” … it was awful. I stayed up all night, often sleeping past 3:00am. Once finished, I would often roll out of bed just to change something. I don’t recommend this … I was (a bit) obsessed!
However, I’ve heard of other bloggers that started by carving out time in a healthier way, like in the mornings before their families were awake. (Personally, I think this is crazier than writing at 3:00am, but this may well work for you.)
3. Schedule time to write, and use a timer for 33:33.
I rarely write posts in one sitting. Rather, I chip away at them during the week almost daily. This kills two birds with one stone because I actually want to write everyday; it makes me a better writer. The point is to schedule it. (I schedule my podcast, too. Hell or high water, Wednesday morning is my podcast recording time.)
To write, I Google “timer”, punch in a time, and go. I used to do 15 minute intervals, but now use 33 minutes and 33 seconds. It’s quirky, but it works because I get an actual 30 minutes of work in. The leftover 3:33 is usually spent on myriad activities I engage in because I don’t actually want to write … like stretching, organizing my desk, reinstalling Facebook on my phone, and such.
I know it’s difficult to schedule writing time; life gets in the way. The key is to prioritize blogging and ask others to do the same. My wife knows I consider blogging time an extension of work. Obviously for her to believe that, I’ve got to treat it that way.
4. Create an editorial calendar.
My blogging process used to always started with a question: “What the heck am I going to write about this week?” Obviously, a lot of creative energy (and time) was wasted answering this question for … Every. Single. Post.
Create a Google Calendar, call it “blog”, and create an item that repeats weekly on a particular day. That’s the day you publish (mine is Monday). Then write headlines for those posts for the next 4 weeks. You can change the topic later; the point is to have something down.
Blogging is easy. Blogging consistently is downright hard. Creating this editorial calendar will give you a bird’s-eye view of your content. You’ll also see what overall direction your content is going, and become more strategic on how to shape your posts.
5. Use templates (I never do, though).
Many bloggers talk about using templates, but it’s a bit unnatural for me. A friend once told me I write like I talk … I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not, but I think it’s true. Since I don’t talk according to a template, writing to one feels odd. If you’re looking for blogging templates, try these 5 free templates from Hubspot or Michael Hyatt’s template.
Get going … today.
The Catch-22 about writing is that you’ll never get better at it unless you do more of it. The aforementioned sleepless nights began to wane as I spent more time blogging, simply because I got better at it.
It’s so much easier to consume someone else’s content than create your own. Turn off the TV, try some of these (I recommend saving the “give up sleep” tip as a last resort), and let me know how you fare!
P.S. – Want to launch your own blog? Download my 34-page Do-It-Yourself Blog Guide. It’s free.