Nizwa, Oman
Bloggers who cannot seem to find time to blog rarely discover that you choose to blog.
You decide to blog or not to blog.
Blogging is a personal choice.
Blogging is a private decision.
Blogging happens because of inner values.
Think slowly and carefully about these prior three phrases before you claim that you cannot find time to blog, like searching under a rock to uncover a miraculous discovery out there.
Nothing is out there to be found.
Everything is in your mind.
This is an important starting point to choosing to blog.
Even if you maintain a busy schedule as a:
- full time employee
- full time mom
- full time student
you will find time to blog by changing your value system.
I decided to do 2 of the more time-consuming, challenging things simultaneously:
- build a full-time online business
- travel full time for 13 years as a digital nomad
Imagine changing time zones like most people change their minds about what to have for breakfast while building a full time online business.
Do you know that frazzled feeling of both going on vacation and returning home to a boatload of professional work and house work?
This is called “the fear of being time-starved”.
I have been on vacation since 2011 and have changed locations 100’s of times all around the globe. Since 2014, my wife and I have been house sitting which means caring for people’s homes and pets. All the while, I have been building a full-time blogging business.
I had many excuses to quit on all endeavors because time seemed scarce for me but here I am 16 years into my blogging career, 10 years as being a house sitter and 13 years as being a full time digital nomad with no home base.
I am absolutely not special, guys.
Following my tips below influences you to make the inner changes to devote time to blogging.
1: Change What You Value
Making time to blog comes down to what you value.
Value comfort or distraction and you will never find time to blog. Why? You always make time for what you value.
This is why bloggers who should be blogging spend hours daily watching streaming videos instead of blogging. These individuals value comfort and distraction over the freedom of becoming a professional blogger.
This is also why most humans work jobs that they dislike; the masses value the comfort of living in survival mode and the distraction of keeping busy versus experiencing the freedom of building a business, living abundantly, prospering and living life by your design.
I am not condemning anyone with these observations. But you will choose to blog after accepting these truths.
Why do you blog? Value the freedom of doing what you want to, where you want to, when you want to. Value the fun you will experience by helping people interested in your blogging niche. Choose a niche that you feel passionate about; value doing what you love to do as a way of making a living.
Blog by valuing freedom.
2: Learn How to Blog Successfully from Professionals
Learn how to succeed from pros to gain the:
- confidence
- clarity
- trust in self and process
to make time to blog.
Many bloggers cannot find the time to blog because they have no idea how to succeed, lose faith in blogging and see it as some after thought.
Choosing to follow professional blogger guidance inspires you to blog because their proven strategies give you faith in the blogging process and in your ability to succeed.
Follow full-time blogging tips bloggers. Read their posts. Follow their guidance. Invest in their online courses and eBooks.
Learn from the best to become a confident blogger.
Confident bloggers choose to blog because no doubts in their mind convince them not to blog.
3: Turn Big Blogging Jobs into Bite-Sized Actions
Break down big blogging jobs into small blogging activities.
Find time to blog by conquering blogging intimidation.
Bloggers struggling to make time to blog sometimes feel overwhelmed at the sheer workload of writing and publishing a long form post properly. Seeing the polished product published by successful bloggers gets them quaking in their blogging boots.
Baby step your way through the process.
Practical Steps for Publishing a Long Form Post
- brainstorm blog post ideas
- assess demand through Google, Reddit, Quora, Answer the Public and/or social media (doing a Google Semantic search usually works fine)
- pick one blog post title
- set up a post outline with headers
- write the blog post
- add links to internal and external resources
- read the post for editing
- add one clear image
- publish the post
Perhaps you complete those bite-sized steps in 5 hours on one day. Maybe you divide the baby steps between 2-3 days.
Do what works for your schedule.
For example, full-time employees who blog may spend 1 hour daily for 4 days to complete all tasks.
At the end of the day, take your time, patiently finish the baby steps, make time to blog and succeed over the long haul.
Repeat the above break down process for all seemingly large blogging tasks.
Baby steps become cumulative quantum leaps over the years.
4: Practice Writing 500 Words Offline Daily
Write 500 words daily offline.
Gain writing confidence.
Become prolific.
Prolific bloggers make time to blog since writing – and blogging – becomes easy to them.
However, practicing writing daily is not easy at first because the habit propels you outside of your comfort zone.
Ease through discomfort by remembering that having good writing chops is the prime way to become a successful blogger.
Practice. Become skilled. Choose to blog. Thrive.
Write offline to reduce distractions. Turn off your phone. Disconnect your laptop from the internet. Give all attention and energy to writing.
Cover your niche or any topic. Establishing a writing ritual is the chief goal of this habit.
Trash writing practice work after reaching your daily goal. Establish detachment to love the process and to be less concerned about the outcomes.
5: Record Blog Post Ideas as Titles in Your WordPress Backoffice
Have you ever lacked blogging motivation because you have nothing to blog about?
Record blog post ideas as titles in your backoffice to have something to blog about.
Gazing at a list of titles puts the blogging process into motion. Seeing this list of blog post ideas motivates you to outline and write posts covering the topics.
Log in the moment an idea pops up in your mind. Add a blog post draft only with the title.
Keep these titles handy to find time to blog.
6: Set Up a Blogging Schedule
Most people go to work and get a paycheck based on the concept of honoring a work schedule.
Whether doing shift-work, punching a clock or following the 9-5, humans find time to work in part by following a strict work schedule.
Set up a blogging schedule. Pick a weekday and time to sit down and write a blog post. Or choose week days and times for writing multiple posts weekly.
Post your blogging schedule on an offline calendar. Set an alarm on your clock for a clear reminder.
Sticking to the schedule feels easier if you set up designated times for blogging then remind yourself with a calendar and alarm.
Conclusion
Finding time to blog is a simple albeit at times uncomfortable process.
Change your value system and follow practical blogging advice.
You will choose to blog when you make freedom your priority.
