Manage Blog Time

Diary, Reflections 3 Minutes

Image by Adina Voicu from Pixabay

It takes me a long time to realize that other people’s time management strategies might not work for me–in order to better manage my blogs, I need to design something suitable for myself. The biggest issue for me is that I can’t map out my time rigorously and expect myself to follow the schedule. For example, when I designated 6PM as the time for me to write my blog on a particular day, I found that when the time arrived, I had no wish to write for some inexplicable reasons. I tried to force myself to do it, but only to feel very bad about the whole thing while not being able to write anything at all. Obviously a strict scheduling is not for me. However, I also cannot afford not planning. Without any planning at all, I would be worrying about what I am going to write every single day and it is not pleasant when one is chased by such a demand.

a. planning but not scheduling

I have so far designed a flexible plan for myself which doesn’t dictate the exact hour for certain things to be done, but rather outline the framework of a whole week. Whenever I have time and feel like writing about something, I can pitch in to fill up the frame with contents. The important thing is to seize the moment–usually during the night hours–when one really feels like writing something. At such a moment, one wants to give up everything else and write as much as one can. One can complete a lot more in these several hours than in other time.

b. write down ideas as soon as you have them

During the day, when one is working on something else–talking with people on phone or in person, having a zoom meeting, or out shopping–one sometimes feel the sudden arrival of an idea. If one can, one wants to write that down. It can be a ridiculous flash of memory, or an awkward imagination of something absurd. It doesn’t matter what it is–one wants to write it down. With my current bad memory, I will forget it five minutes later if not writing it down immediately. Sometimes ideas come to me when I’m driving. Obviously I can’t stop right away to write it down. What I do is I will say something, usually twice or three times, which will help me remember it later on.

c. an imperfect or bad idea is still worth writing about

This happens again and again. Whenever I am critical about myself, I end up wasting a lot of time on constructing criticisms, which are not really helpful. Just write even if it is a bad idea and a bad story. After writing about it, leave it there for a while to let it cool. Often when I come back to an old writing, I discover one way or another to adjust it in a way that can transform the bad idea into a good one. If I didn’t write it when it was bad, I wouldn’t have anything to work on or adjust on later on.

d. Accumulate a large pile of drafts

I am not able to just write diary, from which to extract material later on. I’ve tried that approach when I learned that other people were doing it, but it doesn’t work for me. It has to be a draft of certain sorts. It cannot be just random thoughts. Whenever I see a compilation of random thoughts, my mind just stop thinking, become clueless and gluey. I have to write it in a draft format. It can be a bad draft, but still it has to be a draft. When one has a large pile of drafts, one have a lot to go back to while one feels blocked.

e. Reading

Reading other people’s posts or reading my favorite authors have always worked wonders on my mind; interactions through comments and likes have often inspired me. I wish I can read all day long, but obviously that is not possible if one has commitment and obligation elsewhere. Most of the books I read nowadays are in audio format since the only time I have for reading is when I am doing chores. This is rather sad since I know some books are best enjoyed by reading line by line, but that activity has become a luxury that I can’t afford anymore.

Published by haoyando

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23 thoughts on “Manage Blog Time”

  2. I can relate to this. I just had to delete a large pile of drafts I’m probably not going to use anyway. Plus, I’m also rather busy with starting a business and applying for PR so I have been really tired and had to change up my time management

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    1. Wow, please don’t delete. You might find them useful later on. You have wonderful thoughts and they might look imperfect in your critical eyes, but I love to read whatever you have to say–and you always have interesting things to say. I enjoy very much to read your posts and your insights on human experiences.

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  3. Since a long time I was waiting for post to manage blog time. I wanted to know how my fellow bloggers work.

    I’m recalling the points;

    a. planning but not scheduling
    b. write down ideas as soon as you have them
    c. an imperfect or bad idea is still worth writing about
    d. Accumulate a large pile of drafts
    e. Reading

    Thanks for the post, Haoyan.😊🙏

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  4. Such a relatable post! You still amaze me by how well you manage to write prolific posts on a nearly daily basis. It does take dedication, time and commitment. I soo sooo agree with point b and c.
    As soon as I have an idea, I send it to myself on WhatsApp (I have a group called “me” with only me where I send myself such stuff hehe). It’s also a good idea to work on ideas that aren’t good enough. You can always make them blog-worthy. Insightful post! 👌

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    1. I am a very bad manager. Thanks to my old pile of writing, I can still manage to post one each day. However my supply is dwindling and I don’t know what I am going to do in the coming days. LOL. That’s so great an idea. I will try whatsapp too. I’ve never used it before but you inspired me.

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  6. These are all good and I personally find planning instead of scheduling very helpful. It doesn’t force you to do things at certain times but you have a fixed due date of sorts so you still end up doing what you have to.

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  7. I have stumbled to some of the same conclusions you have. I do scribble notes of ideas. I write as many as three posts at one time when the energy is flowing and schedule a couple for later. I can tweak them before they post. I also stuff a few sentences in draft posts when I struggle. Like you, time can help me improve bad drafts but I am willing to post non-perfect Blogs.

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    1. I think three is the number that can be handled at one time. I can’t do a post on one sitting. Usually I have to do a start, then later on a draft, and then the third time when I come back, I will finish it. So it has become a mess of continuous and uncontrollable efforts. LOL.
      I think I love your sense of humor most in your posts. Whatever paragraph-ical setting you have, or whatever critical opinions you levy on yourself, is secondary to the pleasant sarcastic tone. You seem to be able to find something to say about everything. In contrast, i can only find things to say about certain things.

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  8. When I started blogging in Apr 2019, I was quite haphazard, averaging just 2 or 3 posts monthly. Then at the start of 2020, I decided to be more disciplined and wrote 2 posts weekly, adding a 3rd (poetry) by Sep that year. It helped me to categorise my posts based on my areas of ‘expertise’ and cornerstone content. To lock-in specific repeated dates/times when I post, and just rinse and repeat every week. I didn’t always feel inspired, and some posts were just blah…but I hold to the notion that discipline and structure are what ultimately make for successful creations. So I soldier on, and this method’s served me well. Whenever inspiration comes, I also make a point to quickly jot down ideas either on paper, in my laptop or phone’s Notes app, or just type the idea quickly as a Draft in my WordPress account so I don’t lose it. Or record my voice if I’m in a hurry and send the voice msg to myself! Haha…Yep, I think the key is perseverance. And oh yes, I too listen more than read now, tho I’m still trying to strike a balance. When poss, I’ll combine both (same book) and it’s kinda fun having someone read to me as I look line by line per pg, esp if it’s the actual author reading the book! Anyway, press on and don’t quit! You got this!!

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    1. Same with me. At first I only posted sparingly, but later it started to pick up. It is true. Often I don’t feel inspired to post at all and it feels like a chore or an obligation. This is why I dig out the old writing to fill the gap. LOL. Quickly jotting down is the best way to deal with ideas–without it, it is impossible to keep up with the regular posting.
      I’ve never tried the reading and listening at the same time. Maybe I should. I know there are features of “text reading” in Amazon kindle fire and there are also books with both kindle and audible versions that one can purchase at a discount price, but I’ve never tried that. Maybe I should try it to see how I feel about it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and it is delightful to listen to other people’s opinions on this very intriguing issue.

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  9. I can relate. It’s hard to simply sit down and think of something to write. I think it’s a good idea that you do carry something with you to write down ideas when they pop up. They usually do pop up at strange times, don’t they?

    But if there is something I can share from what I have read about other writers: writing anything, even something bad or stupid, always leads to a better piece of work.

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    1. Wow, me too. I think so too. Writing is not like any other task that one can just lay out a time and get it down. It just can’t be done that way. It is an amorphous process with its own inexplicable ebb and flow, which we have to follow. Yes, even writing bad posts is a good practice and being too critical is the worst enemy.

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