Having fallen behind on blogging activities myself, coupled with several social media hiatuses, I know what technology burnout looks like and I understand that overwhelming anxiety of feeling like you'll never get up to speed...at least not as soon as you hoped. The solution to this recurring issue is designating each day of the week for one specific blogging activity or other online task. It is an effective way to get a handle on your internet presence so that it doesn't drive you bonkers.
A fun way to get in the habit of sticking to an online routine that goes day by day is naming days of the week in a manner that coincides with the task -- Wordless Wednesdays style -- and then listing this schedule on your calendar, in a notebook or some other place where you'll have them handy:
- Return-Commenting Monday
- Blog Promotion Tuesday
- Visiting/Reading Wednesday
- Email Inbox cleaning Thursday
- Blogging Friday
- Social Media Saturday
- Blog Planning Sunday
Using the above sample schedule, I've been able to complete more tasks with this method than when I try to squeeze several important online activities into one single day. My experiences with doing this has led me to realized that the days on our blogging calendars are not set in stone. Sometimes I miss a day (or two) and end up playing catch-up by either doubling up on the task of the day or moving the next scheduled tasks to a later day. Sometimes I even skip a day (or more) depending on how well my week is going. In any case, naming one day each for a different blogging activity makes it easier for me to not worry about having to be everywhere, all of the time.
Do YOU control the internet or does it control YOU?
A-to-Z Challenge Co-Hostess Nicole Ayers writes about movies and the people that make them, at The Madlab Post. She also tweets @MadlabPost.
I don't have that kind of schedule, but I do have a pattern. And I always plan for IWSG day, as I'm visiting bloggers all day long...
ReplyDeleteLove the last question - sometimes I feel like I'm the one being controlled! Definitely going to consider the suggestions in this post. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMadeline @ The Shellshank Redemption
This is a great task list. I was away from blogging for a while, and I realized that I need to get back on track. It was tough. Thanks for this suggestion. I'm actually looking for new blogs to follow or subscribe to, because some of the blogs I used to read have been inactive. This will be a great way to find good blogs to read. :-)
ReplyDeleteSonnia
Nicole,
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a neat way to get organized instead of throwing up my hands when I feel overwhelmed. Have a great weekend.
That's a great idea! I usually find I can waste an entire day getting caught up in blogging and social media.
ReplyDeleteI try and write a post every day, unless I cant, but most days I can. I will say although my blog can look a bit mad to folk who are not used to it, there is rather a lot of discipline involved to ensure it keeps progressing towards it ultimate goal. . . . . . .
ReplyDeleteRob Z Tobor
I a in a mess right now. Do a little of everything everyday and then go mad. Guess, need to catch hold of a schedule.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of this - a way to stay organized. The only problem is if I wait a week to do my email, I'm so far behind I can't get caught up. I think what I need instead is a daily schedule. Take what internet time I have and divide it into the tasks you outlined and spend a little on each.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I know I need to do daily is write. I have to "exercise" those muscles. You got me thinking, though about how to better utilize my time, and that's always a good thing. Your posts are always so good at opening my eyes. Thanks.
Tina @ Life is Good
On the Open Road! @ Join us for the 4th Annual Post-Challenge Road Trip!
Having a schedule like this makes a ton of sense. I'm going to use this idea, because everything is sort of "ad hoc" for me right now, and it's driving me nuts.
ReplyDeleteGreat post thanks. Not sure I could schedule specific days as the backlog could be overwhelming come the hour. I guess it's worth a try. Seems like many of us feel the pressure..I'll give this some serious thought. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI bookmarked this in my Useful Stuff folder, although I am a sporadic blogger and am part of a team blog. If I had my own blog, there would be one post every three or four months. Ain't nobody gonna bother reading that!
ReplyDeleteI'm helping my team visit the blogs on the A to Z list. We've been trying to have some kind of schedule for that.
DeleteI don't blog by a schedule. My life dictates when I blog. I do read blogs everyday, however.
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestions, Nicole. Right now, I let the internet control me, and hours go by reading posts without getting my other writing and blogging completed. I'm not going to get squared away this summer during time with grandkids, but autumn will bring more discipline to my blogging (I hope).
ReplyDeleteI really like this idea. So far, I've managed to schedule Guest Blogger Thursdays and sometimes Guest Blogger Mondays. Everything else has been whatever I have time for.
ReplyDeleteIronically just this week I set myself a similar schedule to this in order to organise the material that I post to my blog. I already have certain posts going up on certain days (i.e. book reviews on a Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Day Zero on a Thursday, etc.) but in order to have something to say in those posts I need to be reading, taking photos, etc. So I sat down and designated each day of the week for one of those tasks.
ReplyDeleteThen yesterday I cycled through all of those through the day so I'll not have to spend lots of time playing catch up while I try to come up with things to blog about. :-)
Such a great idea!
ReplyDeletehttp://cocodrizzle,blogspot.com
Most of the time the internet seems to control me. I have a schedule, but I'm not good at keeping to it. Must try harder!
ReplyDeleteThen there are those of us who don't even go online everyday. I tend to just do what interests me the most when I am online, be it blogging, reading, commenting, social media, games....
ReplyDeleteSounds good to me going to try it like right now!
ReplyDeleteCurrently my schedule is disrupted by travel and visiting, but you've offered a useful suggestion. I try, I try...
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out