New to blogging?

Struggling to actually find the time to blog?

Perhaps you started out blogging on top of your full-time job?

I hear you and I started the exact same way. 

In this post, we’re going to talk all about productivity and how to best manage your time as a new blogger, because, let’s face it, it’s not just about writing weekly content – there is so much more that goes into the world of blogging.

 

 

Related Reads: 

• Why Blogging Is The Perfect Job For Introverts
• How To Start A Blog As An Introvert
• My 10 Best Blogging Tips For Beginners

 

 

Start Your Dream Blog: A FREE Course

First things first, if you haven’t yet started your blog, be sure to join my FREE Start Your Dream Blog Course just for dreamers and introverts – like you and me.

It will teach you all the things you need to know to get your blog up and running in no time. 

Join us here. 

 

 

Doing The Hustle

At the start of your blogging career, you’re going to have to hustle (ew I hate that word but it’s true).

We all get 24 hours in a day, there is no getting around that.

No matter what other obligations you have, there is a way to find the time and make this happen for you.

All you have to do is to become a true queen at planning and at managing your time.

In order to become a true queen at planning, we have to go back to the basics and cover what productivity really is – and what it is not. 

 

 

What Productivity Is & What It Is Not

Productivity is not about how hard you work.

Productivity is not about how many hours or how much energy you put into your new blog.

Productivity has nothing to do with you being or feeling busy. 

Productivity is not about the time you spend doing something – it’s about what you produce in that time.

It’s always going to be about the value you produce at any given time.

• When you are busy you do a lot of activities without getting a specific result (e.g. multitasking)
• When you are productive you produce the result you plan for. 

You can either be productive or busy.

It’s definitely better to be productive than just “busy”.

In all honesty, we can “busy” all over ourselves, for an entire day and not get anything done.

You can get a blog post done in one hour or three hours.

That is up to you.

Most of the time, we overestimate how long a task will take us.

Your audience will not care how long it takes you to write a blog post – the time it takes is irrelevant, what matters is the value they take away from it. 

Give yourself less time to produce and don’t give into perfection. 

That is how you get results. 

 

 

Planning As A New Blogger

It’s time to get really good at planning and turn into that planning queen that I was referring to earlier. 

It’s simple. 

You plan for the results you want to produce. 

Always stay focused on results and your end goal – not the activity. 

For example: 

• Do not write in your calendar or planner that you’re going to be working on your blog from 6 AM to 8 AM.
• Write down the exact results you expect to produce in that timeframe. Be as specific as you can. This will trick your brain into focus and production mode. 

Never deviate from your plan and honor your commitment.

Always keep your word to yourself. 

If you focus on the results you expect to get done in the timeframe given you will be so much more efficient and your productivity will skyrocket. 

When you do this, you shift your mindset to abundant thinking.

Instead of thinking about all the things you have to get done, you focus on the results and the effect those results will have on your life.

You will have something concrete to work towards if you write down the results you want instead of  just “general to-dos.”

Schedule the results you want to create for yourself. 

This is how you get momentum and make the most of your time as a new blogger with limited time. 

 

 

Passive Action vs Massive Action

Let’s talk about the different types of action you need to take as a new blogger. 

To be productive and make the most of your time, there needs to be a balance between the passive and massive action you take.

You need both. 

Passive action is reading, learning, listening – consuming information.

For example: Listening to a podcast about blogging, taking a blogging course, or reading a book about blogging. 

You need to combine this passive action with massive action. 

Massive action is what will drive your results.

Massive action is where productivity hangs out.

For example: Taking an online course and actually implementing everything you learn.

Don’t only consume and take action on the things you learn. 

 

 

Busy bee? Pin this article for later. 

 

 

A Season Of Life

I want you to think about your new blogging adventure as a season of life.

If you really want your blog to at some point be successful, you absolutely must go all in and with a mindset of knowing that is a possibility.

This is why productivity and mindset are so important when it comes to starting any type of side hustling gig. 

Think about it. 

When or if you decide to go to medical school, you’re all in. In it for a season, you prioritize your studies over weekend brunches and long Netflix sessions. You say no to other commitments because you are so focused on becoming a doctor. You’re all consumed. 

The same applies to blogging.

You’re going to have to be open to not having a balanced life for a while.

You need to make some sacrifices and let go of other interests and hobbies.

This is okay.

Pursue imbalance instead of balance.

Balance is mediocre, you’re not going to have too much or too little of anything.

I totally believe that if you really want to be successful and have amazing results, you should aim for imbalance – at least for a while.

It’s time you embrace imbalance. 

How successful you are is directly linked to how willing you are to become unbalanced.

• How much time are you willing to put in?
• How many brunches are you willing to turn down?
• How early are you willing to wake up to make your new dream blog a priority? 

 

 

Why Mornings Cure-All

When I started She Dreams All Day, I would wake up at 5:30 AM to work on it every single morning.

Having a solid morning routine made my blogging business possible.

In the mornings is when I had the most creative energy when I would write my blog posts, do creative thinking, make decisions and pump out as much as I could before I had to be at my 9-5.

We’re probably going to have different obligations, but the hours we get in a day are the same, so just keep that in mind. 

Really make the most of your time going into your new dream blogging business. 

Now, I know, not all mornings will be blissful.

But it’s just about taking the first step out of bed – leaving your warm covers – that’s the hardest part.

Once you’re up, you’re up.

Make the most out of every single minute you get in your day during this learning and hustling phase.

Any time you got on your hands – you’re in it to win it. 

For example: Work during your lunch breaks, on weekends, in the mornings and in the evenings. 

 

 

Saying I Don’t Know

I don’t know is the biggest dream killer there is. 

Saying I don’t know is the action you take based on your feelings of confusion.

It’s not helpful and it won’t get you anywhere close to your dream results. 

You’ll stay stuck.

The longer you wallow in I don’t know, the more time, effort, and energy you waste.

It may feel safe to your brain and it’s easy to do but it doesn’t serve you or your productivity.

When you’re running a blog and working full time you need to get really good at making decisions. 

With this said, I want you to erase the phrase I don’t know from your vocabulary and become solution-oriented by making quick decisions. 

Make decisions ahead of time so it’s easier to take action. 

Let me ask you this…

If you did know, what would you do?

 

 

It’s All A Mindset Thing

Truth be told and what it all comes down to is your own mindset.

It’s only your own thinking that can get in the way of you not prioritizing time to work on your blog.

Nothing else.

This is why mindset work is crucial for blogging. 

Be okay with being uncomfortable.

Heck, going after your dreams is uncomfortable, but if you’re willing to get uncomfortable (i.e. wake up early to work on your blog before work/school), you will have amazing results.

You will get there.

You just have to make the time. 

Get really good at saying no to things (like weekend brunches), prioritize your blog, and surround yourself with people who support you. 

 

 

Before You Go

To sum things up…

The more time you work on your blog (and work on the right things in your blogging business) the faster you will see your results.

You need to pursue imbalance – at least for a season.

I am still sacrificing some of my hobbies, and I’ve been blogging for nearly two years now.

Blogging is worth all the work and time spent – only if you keep going.

It’s worth nothing if you quit.

Remember that.

It takes commitment, planning like a queen, and the right mindset to make your blog profitable and successful.

We all have 24 hours a day! Make the most of it.

You can totally do this, dreamer and I believe in you.