I always have an intention to post daily entries on my blog, but invariably, I find having staying power the hardest part. Generally, I start out strong, then start to lag, until--the next thing I know--it's been a monthful of nothing.
I definitely make mental notes (and some written notes) when a topic arises, so I can put it on the back burner of my brain and let it simmer. Even if I think about what I want to post, though, the time it takes to sit down (and avoid distraction), then type and edit, a post is at least an hour. That may seem like a long time for a little ol' blog entry, but:
- I try to form them well, with a relevant theme, correct paragraphs, and structured sentences. I figure something like that is a lot more useful and perpetual than a "went 2 store got milk 2day" type of post.
- Editing and uploading images takes a little time.
- The Perfectionist Factor has some effect. I've been known to publish a post, then re-read and edit it... more than once.
- Sometimes, I don't have material... or I don't have inspiration. Some days, I just can't think of anything important to say (hm, that's possible today with this non-post, you're thinking), and other times, I'm so up to my eyeballs in words and editing that writing something for myself sounds like a pain.
Anyway, while I never consider it a bad thing to be very busy with work, I would like to have a couple of "me days" to do non-stop planning and strategy work for my own site.
In the meantime, I have to work around the status quo, so I might as well do what my husband has been prompting for years: Create my own schedule, and stick with it. For me, this means:
- Determining what times I will work
- Deciding that some things need to become everyday habits
- Allowing myself to stop when it's quittin' time
- Leaving time in the schedule for me-me-me tasks
- Putting a dollar value on straying from the schedule (that is, saying something like "I'm not working between 7pm and 11pm tonight, unless the client wants to pay a rush fee of $500") so if I must screw up the timetable, at least it will be worthwhile
Tomorrow, I will post a video blog that talks more about time management and shares some tips for workaholics to reasonably manage their workload without making themselves shaky, Pepto-lovin', stock-traderesque alcoholics.
I definitely make mental notes (and some written notes) when a topic arises, so I can put it on the back burner of my brain and let it simmer. Even if I think about what I want to post, though, the time it takes to sit down (and avoid distraction), then type and edit, a post is at least an hour. That may seem like a long time for a little ol' blog entry, but:
- I try to form them well, with a relevant theme, correct paragraphs, and structured sentences. I figure something like that is a lot more useful and perpetual than a "went 2 store got milk 2day" type of post.
- Editing and uploading images takes a little time.
- The Perfectionist Factor has some effect. I've been known to publish a post, then re-read and edit it... more than once.
- Sometimes, I don't have material... or I don't have inspiration. Some days, I just can't think of anything important to say (hm, that's possible today with this non-post, you're thinking), and other times, I'm so up to my eyeballs in words and editing that writing something for myself sounds like a pain.
Anyway, while I never consider it a bad thing to be very busy with work, I would like to have a couple of "me days" to do non-stop planning and strategy work for my own site.
In the meantime, I have to work around the status quo, so I might as well do what my husband has been prompting for years: Create my own schedule, and stick with it. For me, this means:
- Determining what times I will work
- Deciding that some things need to become everyday habits
- Allowing myself to stop when it's quittin' time
- Leaving time in the schedule for me-me-me tasks
- Putting a dollar value on straying from the schedule (that is, saying something like "I'm not working between 7pm and 11pm tonight, unless the client wants to pay a rush fee of $500") so if I must screw up the timetable, at least it will be worthwhile
Tomorrow, I will post a video blog that talks more about time management and shares some tips for workaholics to reasonably manage their workload without making themselves shaky, Pepto-lovin', stock-traderesque alcoholics.