It’s tough when you’re hours away from a deadline and you still don’t have anything great written.
If you don’t know how to be productive, meeting deadlines is going to be extremely difficult
Bloggers have one of the hardest jobs in the world because writing isn’t always easy. It becomes even more impossible if you don’t feel inspired. But it doesn’t matter what you’re feeling because you need to meet your deadlines otherwise you’re toast.
Obviously, writing isn’t the only thing you do in a day. You could be holding a regular 9 to 5 job or write for various clients. You could also be a stay-at-home parent who needs to attend to the kids and household chores. There could be a gazillion things on your plate other than blogging and that makes it even harder to stick to deadlines.
That’s why you need to work on your productivity.
Problem is how to be productive can be very hard to do. With all the distractions surrounding you how do you get anything done?
Fortunately, there are lots of ways on how to be productive as a blogger
Be a sponge and absorb ideas everywhere
To write something worth your readers’ time you must give it everything you’ve got. That means pack it with as much info as possible. Write in a voice and style that’s captivating and endearing to your followers.
Go about your day with an open mind. Be conscious of every little thing so you can record everything that happens. Ideas are everywhere, remember that and inspiration can strike unexpectedly. These things will often be the basis of an awesome post. It has worked well for me many times that’s why I always take stock of things that happen around me.
Be a sponge. Open your senses so you are aware of all that’s happening. These will help you blog better.
Be ready to write even in the most unlikely places
Since ideas are everywhere you have to be prepared to take note. Sometimes you have to be ready to write right then and there.
Ever experienced that rush when an idea strikes and you feel it’s enough to write your blog post? These moments are fleeting so you need to be prepared to write. That means have a pen and paper or a tablet with you all the time.
Once I was struggling to find a blog topic the entire day. It was a futile effort. Then in the afternoon I headed to the bank to take care of the bills. As I was standing in line, with at least ten people in front of me, it hit me. Luckily I had my iPad with me so I started typing.
I finished the 700-word blog post even before I got to the counter. Problem solved.
Plug in those earbuds
Music is soothing. It’s relaxing and could just be what you need to clear your mind and let the thoughts flow. It can hone your focus and encourage the right words to flow from your brain to the fingers.
A study involving 8 to 11 year old kids showed that music helped increase verbal IQ. Writing is talking without your mouth, so it’s a legit solution on how to be productive as a blogger. Go try it.
Shut yourself in a room even for just 30 minutes
Distractions are the number one productivity killer. How in the world as you supposed to write when someone doesn’t stop talking to you or calling your attention to mundane stuff? How about constant noise from kids running around or the blaring TV screen?
If you have a room or any space where you can shut yourself in even for juts a few minutes, go there. That moment of silence will bring you clarity and focus to finish your blog post.
Leave your desk a little cluttered
A study from the University of Minnesota found that individuals with messy desks are more inclined to think outside the box and be more creative.
Creativity is important in blogging. The more creative you are the better chances of appealing to a wider audience. Plus it makes your posts really fun to read. But this doesn’t mean you must be a slob. Just leave it a little cluttered.
Read as much as you can about the topic
You can’t write about something you have very little (or no) knowledge. That’s why it’s said time and time again that reading makes good writers.
Reading will enrich your mind. It will help you talk about something properly. You will be able to provide sound judgment or make valid claims and even offer useful tips when you know what you are talking about.
Clear your mind of everything
Once you are ready to write, go somewhere private and clear your thoughts. If you plan to get through the whole thing without glitches, you must be in the right mindset.
Get rid of anything that’s bothering you. For the next few minutes, don’t think of anything other than the work in front of you.
It can be hard to do especially when your mind is racing in all directions but you have to force yourself to focus just on your writing. Take a few minutes to concentrate on your breathing, turn up some music, and do anything that relaxes your mind.
Write without stopping
One of the hardest things in writing is to ignore your inner editor. How many times have you found yourself stopping in mid-sentence to go delete something and rewrite? I think all writers struggle with this and it’s a real time-waster.
For you to finish a blog post on time, you must master the ability to write non-stop. Ignore the inner editor in you–no matter how hard it is–so you can actually get something done. Your productivity will suffer tremendously if you give in each time you feel something doesn’t feel right.
Yes, you’re bound to make mistakes (misspell something or commit a grammar and context error) but writing non-stop is beneficial in a way that it allows you to take advantage of the moment. You will be able to say what you want and need to say completely.
And since inspiration is fleeting, you won’t have the same momentum a few minutes later. And if you constantly go back to edit your work, the momentum will flounder and you’ll find yourself thinking of what to write.
Just write and don’t worry about the mistakes. You’ll have plenty of time later.
So what about you?
Do you have any tips on how to be productive?
Feel free to share in the comments below.
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The post Simple and Effective Ways On How to Be Productive Bloggers appeared first on Blogging Tips.
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Simple and Effective Ways On How to Be Productive Bloggers
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