Post a Week participant Sally is a busy PhD student who’s managed to make time to blog for the past five years.
She writes, “A blog doesn’t have to take over your life, it’s perfectly possible to fit it in to the horrendous schedules we all have. It takes a bit of self-discipline and some prior planning, but after that it should become a pleasure.”
Here are a few of her tips on how to use your blogging time wisely and develop practices that will make it easier to sustain your blog in the long run:
Be realistic. Set yourself a target you think you can keep to, say a post a week – but then don’t feel guilty if you miss a week or two. A blog is supposed to be fun and useful, not a chore or something to beat yourself up over.
Don’t feel you have to write everything. Your readers are just as busy as you and they don’t want to read screeds of text – so keep it short and sweet and save the agonising for work that does require you to be comprehensive.
Don’t get distracted or procrastinate…ignore emails, Twitter, Facebook messages and everything else until you’ve finished.
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Great points. “Life trumps blogging” is the rule. But when you’re “doing life” and things happen that make you think, “I so need to blog this”, you know it’s bitten you, too.
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I don’t think it is even time but fear that keeps people from blogging. Fear manifests itself into excuses and then all of a sudden, enough time is not there.
It’s possible to fit into a schedule. It’s about overcoming the fear, stop apologizing for not having the time and just write. Just do it (Nike had a point).
GREAT post, thanks for sharing.
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Thanks, Trudy!
Great points. You might also be interested in Have fears? Overcome them now if you haven’t seen it already.
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No, I had not seen this post. Thanks so much for sharing.
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It’s like you were reading my mind: Not only have I been wringing my hands over “not having the time” to fit blogging into my day; but, of course, I have been “beating myself up” for failing to do so. Frankly, however, it comes down–at least for me–to not giving my blog its sufficient priority. (Or, as to paraphrase Trudy’s earlier comment, “Just doing it.”)
Thanks for the encouraging words. I’m heading for the “New Post” key right now.
Steve
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I think the second tip in her blog (“collecting ideas”) is the most important tip. You can’t be creative if you want to! When I’m at school or I travel by train, the best ideas come to me and I immediately type them into my smartphone 😉
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reading blogs
about making time for blogs
takes away time to blog
Thats my excuse and I am sticking with it!
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You are right … Fun and useful! If you approach writing a post as something fun then it will not become a dreaded chore. You don’t have to be serious all the time … have some FUN!
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I love your second point – I like to keep my posts short and sweet as I know I simply don’t have time to read other people’s long posts.
Great advice! Thanks!
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Terrific advice!
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Thank you for reminding me I am doing this for fun! I was starting to get all stressed out over missing my blog time this week because of other commitments and I really needed to hear your advice 😉
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I am a PhD student too. I find that if I post about things that I enjoy, it becomes far easier and more fun to keep my blog updated.
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WordPress thanks for this!!!!
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Great post!
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As someone who’s getting ready to start my doctoral studies, I find this encouraging
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I try to blog at the same time every day. Ignoring emails and fb is a challenge, but I’m going to do it!
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So true… 🙂
Thank you,
Eliz
Mirth and Motivation
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Erica, that’s a top post. We’ve mentioned you in one of our posts and linked to your blog. Thanks WP for the tip!
Cheers, all.
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ignore emails until you’ve finished…
yes, I do.
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How do I cope?
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I agree with the poster. I am a participant in #postaday2011 and #postaweek2011. Although I agree that writing begets good writing, I don’t necessarily agree that quantity should be given more value than quality. Very few are gifted in that special way so as to be able to fulfill both attributes of quality and quantity in their writing. So, I strive for quality. If I can post more than once a week, so be it. If I only post once a week, may it be a good read. 🙂
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