When it comes to new adventures we procrastinate. When it comes to investing in our future we do the minimal or just whenever we feel like doing it. And then of course there are those of us who have that dreaded mental health disease known as ADHD which can leave us feeling exhausted just thinking about doing anything important in our lives!
Whatever the reason, it's not an excuse.
If you are going to make money from blogging, you can't just blog whenever you feel up to it. You've got fans who are eagerly waiting to read your next article.
Those mishaps like the car broke down, the kids are out of school, I had an ADHD day, will always be lurking around the corner when you least expect it. Just as that new tv series you have been eyeballing won't go anywhere and honestly that television time could have been used to blog instead.
You've got to be willing to make writing posts a priority if you want to be successful at making money with your blog. You need a schedule.
Schedules aren't just for the companies you've worked for in the past, the bosses that led you to the journey you are today. A schedule can benefit even those who work from home like you and me.
If you had an appointment or you were taking a college class, you would show up for it. So why aren't you showing up for your future? Of course, there will be emergencies where you must reschedule, but you'll do it without hesitation just as you would an appointment. You'll do it because you want to be successful in making money with your blog. It's a job after all.
A schedule will allow you to make goals more attainable in small steps. Schedules help keep your blog posts organized. And the more you schedule your posts, the more your readers will trust and promote you.
So how much should you spend on a schedule? You could drop a twenty-dollar bill on a planner, or you could purchase an inexpensive planner as I did. You could also download a calendar or use the one provided on your phone if you have space and are on a really strict budget. The choice is yours, but keep it simple, never difficult.
You will want to note the title and publishing date of each of your blog posts. It might be a good idea to also note any keywords you used in that post. You could add other details you feel is absolutely necessary, but remember to keep it simple.
Yes, a detailed schedule might be helpful in the beginning, but as your blog grows it can also be overwhelming, especially for those of us with ADHD. Keeping a schedule that is simple really can save you a lot of headaches in the end.
Once you have decided how you will plan your posts, you'll need to figure out how often you can post. Will you be posting daily? Weekly? Once a month? Be realistic here because if you don't plan on keeping those deadlines, you will lose readers and you may end up setting yourself up for failure altogether.
Now, set yourself up for success by planning your posts months in advance. All of those ideas you came up with when you created your first blog post, use them to your advantage by adding them to your schedule for future posts. Don't worry about whether those title ideas are perfect. You're just making plans for your future here and it's definitely okay to edit those titles later! Nothing is ever permanent.
You can go as far as adding dates to your title ideas, but if you are adding keywords, they aren't necessary until after you have published your post. Keywords are essential and will give you a good idea of what's working for your blog and what's not when you need to look back at those published keywords.
If you have added any other details such as ideas for images, content, etc you can add side notes whenever they come to you. Aim for at least 20 blog post topics with set deadlines to start. Once you have written at least 5, add another 20 to your schedule. Even if you are a daily writer, those 20 blog posts will keep you ahead of the blogging game for a few weeks and longer if you plan to post weekly or monthly.
Setting your schedule up using your phone or online calendar such as Google can help remind you of when your articles are due! Keeping a weekly or monthly view is always best with a notification reminder set at least 3 days in advance for future posts.
Once you have a planned schedule, you are less likely to only write whenever it's convenient for you. You'll be down that road to success rather than one of procrastination and failure.
Now that you have a consistent blogging schedule, there may come a time when you decide you want to make your blog and brand stand out even more with a logo. In part eight of my Blogging For Life Series, you'll learn how to design a logo for your blog.
Meanwhile, if you have not already done so, be sure to join my Facebook Group:
Once you join, you'll have permanent access to the series, discover freebies to help your blog, connect with other members who are new to blogging, and more.
Success begins with you.
