For todays post I thought Id talk about something I have been thinking a lot about lately: blogging productivity.
It easy to get caught up thinking you had a productive day when in essence all you did was check your email and check some website stats. Here are 5 steps that you can take to increase your blogging productivity (and productivity in all aspects of life for that matter):
Step 1 - Identify your driving goals
You cant gauge your productivity without having a clear understanding of what it is you are striving for. Take out a piece of paper and identify the core goals you have for your blog. This might be anything from growing a brand to connecting with like-minded individuals. Whatever your reason, record and acknowledge it.
Step 2 - Identify the best ways to spend your time
The second step to increased blogging productivity is identifying what tasks that you do on a daily basis that are the most productive in achieving your goals. If your goal is more posts or more engagement, decide what actions will get you closer to these goals. You will be surprised to find that a select few actions are driving the majority of the progress towards your goals.
Step 3 - Identify the worst ways to spend your time
Figuring out how you are wasting your time can sometimes be even more effective than figuring out how you are spending your time wisely. Do you spend too much time checking stats? Or maybe reading other blogs? Identify what seem to be the key ways that you are wasting time.
Step 4 - Spend one full week recording your actions and analyzing them
This is a GREAT way to increase your productivity. Simply spend an entire week recording every action that you take throughout the day. This might be checking an email, writing a post, or responding to comments. Whatever it is, carefully record it.
Then after the week is over, compare this list to the previous key time wasters and valuable time spenders. Chances are you are going to see some serious inconsistencies.
Step 5 - Identify your inconsistencies and improve
None of us are perfect and improvement of productivity is not something that happens overnight. Strive to improve incrementally week after week. By continuing to record your actions you will be able to gauge how much improvement you are seeing.
However, the simple task of identifying your strengths and weaknesses will get you a huge step closer to being more productive.
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Great tips for increasing Productivity in Blogging. I plan out the work in a full pledged schedule and it helps me a lot
Avoid procrastinating (yeah right!), spend time coming up with a blogging schedule for, say, the next 15 days and use a (big) calendar in your workspace (or your cellphone) to map it down. Follow your schedule as if your life depended on it. And of course, design and work on a workstation that’s comfortable and away from distractions (this one’s pretty important, yet no one seems to speak about it!).
Love your idea for the blogging schedule, Mike. I think I hear experience talking here.
Oh yes Ruud. My iPad has been particularly useful with this! I personally have this large wall-calendar behind my workstation which I use to keep on top of my blogging schedule (among other assignments). A pretty good (constant) reminder of all upcoming assignments!
This checklist can help to manage my time more efficient! Thanks for sharing these useful advices!