You’re writing one or more blogs and keeping up with them pretty well. Why would you take the time to keep a blogging schedule?

Before we get started, let me know you what my blogging schedule looks like for the first few days of March.

3/1 NaNoEdMo kickoff post

3/2 Popular links from February

3/3 Synergy Magazine

3/4 Using email filters to manage your email and get more done

As you see, I don’t do anything terribly fancy, but I do this for each of my blogs to keep me on track. I’ve found that it has multiple benefits.

• When I have an idea, I add it to the “schedule” before I forget it. This also keeps most of my blogging ideas in one place
• Since I already have ideas in the works, I face writer’s block much less often
• If I have something time-sensitive, I put it on the schedule so I won’t forget it
• I can be sure that I’m covering each of my categories as well as I’d like to since I have a monthly overview of what I’m writing about
• I can build some anticipation for posts by mentioning that they’re upcoming
• My reading time also benefits my blogging more with this method. When I see a post that I’d like to reference or get an idea, I drop it onto the schedule
• To save even more time, I sometimes write the posts ahead of time and schedule them to post via wordpress
• I often add my fiction and other non-fiction to the schedule as well, giving me an easy way to view where my writing time is going

If you’re not already keeping some sort of writing/blogging schedule, then I challenge you to try it for a month. I’ve found that it really speeds up my writing time by allowing me to write instead of try to find something to write about. Let me know how it works out for you.

What do you want to accomplish in the new year?

I’m not big on resolutions. I think they’re a great way to make yourself feel bad, so I avoid them. I do, from time to time, like to think about where I want to be and whether I’m on the right track to get there. This time of the year is a good time to do that.

I think a good thing to start with is to review where you are and what you’ve done well. Where are you on track?  I think we’re too quick at this time of the year to knock ourselves for what we lack, what we haven’t done. This review is a great way to look at the positive side of things.

Next, think about what you want to do now, where you want to continue to grow and what you want to do differently. Are you on track to do that? What might you do to move that along better? Take a few minutes and write down some of the things you want.

Here’s the important part… For each goal you’ve written down, write down at least one thing you can start doing right now to move you in that direction.

It doesn’t matter how much you want it, think about it, dream about it, or anything else. What matters is what you’re doing about it. You can dream all day long, but until you start to take action to move your dreams along, it’s not going to happen. So, for each thing, write down at least one thing you can do now to move yourself in the right direction.

So, here are some of my writing goals.

1. Finish the two novel rough drafts I have and get them out to publishers. I plan to spend 2-3 evenings a week working on the novels.
2. Publish at least three short stories. I have one coming up for publication this spring, so I’m not counting it. I have a short story I need to rewrite and start sending out.
3. Publish at least three free stories online. First, I need to decide if I want to use my own site or something like scribd. So, some research is in order first.
4. Continue to regularly post on this and my other blogs. I’ve already put together a posting schedule that should help me plan my posts and stay on track, if not ahead.
5. Increase my page views by 20 percent per month this year for each blog. I’m gong to work on getting more links, participating in writing groups, blog carnivals, etc. I’ll do one of these each week.
6. Increasy my RSS subscribers by 10 percent per month this year for each blog. Although my page views are currently pretty good, my subscriber numbers are terrible. My first step is to do some research on effective ways to increase RSS subscribers.

What are your writing goals, and what will you do to reach them?

I’ve been thinking lately about ways to find more time to write. I’ve been working on that for a while now, since I tend to be pretty busy in general. I’ve made a list of some of the things I’ve tried, and how well they worked for me.

1. Get up earlier. I’ve tried this one (barely), but I have a really tough time dragging myself out of bed any earlier than I have to. I’m already getting up around 5:15 to get to work, so this is a toughie. I’m sure it works for some people, and if I didn’t already have to get up so early, it might for me too. I’ve found more success with…
2. Stay up later. I tend to be a night owl, so staying up an extra hour isn’t nearly as difficult for me as getting up early. During that hour, I only allow myself to write. No reading, no surfing, etc.
3. Use “dead” time in your day. It might be your lunch time at your desk, or appointments, or even standing in line. No, working on your novel might not be practical, but you can make notes, do research, even edit a few pages. For me, working on a rough draft is a good way to make use of these small bits of time. (As an aside, I’ve been looking for something portable and cheap ($100 or so!) to carry along for writing. No, I’m not found of the Dana. I’m looking for something like the old Jornada. Ideas?)
4. Housework help. I’m not the world’s greatest housekeeper; it just doesn’t seem to come naturally for me like it does for some people. I’ve worked hard to get some routines down. I spend a little time every night doing housework, and I do it first thing, since I know it’s the most likely thing to get postponed. I also ask for help! Believe me, just asking for a hand makes a huge difference.
5. Workspace. I keep my writing handy and my workspace relatively neat. It’s easier to sit down and work if I don’t have to do a lot of cleaning or paper shuffling first.
6. Set aside time to write. For me, that’s evenings, but it might be any time. Committing to writing every evening has really helped me be more productive.
7. Re-evaluate what you need to do. Think about all the tasks that infringe on your writing time. Can you eliminate any of them? Can you ask anyone else to help with them? How about paying someone else to handle them? Don’t think I’m kidding on the last one. We pay to have our grass mowed, and it saves us both lots of time and aggravation, and it’s more than worth what we pay to have it done.
8. Re-evaluate what you want to do. Again, think about all the things that take away from your writing time. Is it reading? Research? Television? While these may be things you enjoy, do you enjoy them enough to let them keep you from writing? In some cases, the answer may be yes, but be sure you’re making the decision to not write, and not just having it happen without thinking about it. I know that I don’t read as much as I used to. I don’t knit as much as I’d like, and I only watch shows on television that I really, really enjoy.
9. Take time off. This may seem counter-intuitive, but I need some time away from writing occasionally. Give yourself permission to goof off and do whatever you want. Just as you’d take a vacation from your job, it’s good to take a vacation from writing as well.
10. Find quicker ways to do other things. A couple examples come to mind. I spend less time on housework now because 1. I’m keeping up with it better and 2. I’ve decluttered a lot. You’d be surprised how much quicker it is to clean when every surface isn’t covered in stuff. Another thing I do is use an RSS reader (I use Google Reader) to manage the blogs I read. I still get to read what I enjoy, but it’s a lot faster than visiting each individual blog.
11. Set writing goals. Whether it’s a daily goal, or weekly, or whatever, goals help me stick with my writing plans. I tend to use time goals rather than length goals; length goals have me checking my word count too often!
12. Don’t work on too many things at once. I’m bad to start multiple writing projects and make little progress on any of them. I try to limit myself now to one or two (max!) projects at once. I find that jumping between projects really wastes lots of time. By the time I remember where I was and what I intended to do, my writing time is over for the day.
13. Make yourself notes. No matter how soon you plan to get back to the work, make yourself some notes about what you want to do next, where the scene is going, the plot twist you’re about to write, etc. Believe me, I can’t count the times I’ve forgotten what I meant to write. Talk about frustrating!
14. Mark where you leave off. This applies more to editing, but I find it handy to make where I left off in the draft. If you’re using paper, that’s easy. If you edit on the screen like I have been lately, then put something in the text you can search for and find your spot. I use ###.
15. Stay stocked on supplies. There’s nothing more irritating than needing to print something (or make notes, or do an outline, etc.) and not have the supplies you need to do it. Make a list of supplies you need and pick them up on your next trip to the store. Stay stocked up.
16. Keep track of your accounting. If you’re not writing for money, it may not be worth your time to track expenses, but if you’re getting paid to write, then you’ll need to keep some track of it. A simple spreadsheet does fine for me.

My husband made a comment the other night that’s had me thinking ever since. He said he was proud of me for getting so much done.

I guess I do get a lot done most days. I’m usually not home until six or seven in the evening. Then dinner and cleaning up the kitchen. Housework. Writing. Blogging. Laundry. I’ve been thinking about how I’ve changed over the last year.

For one thing, I’m more focused on what I want. I want to write for a living. Granted, that’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s not impossible either. If I want to do that, then I have to work at it. Common sense. I used to postpone writing, spend too much time on t.v., and assume that I’d get around to it “eventually.” I’ve worked hard to change that over the last year.

I’ve mentioned some of the productivity and organization sites I read. Among the ones that have helped the most are

1. flylady.  Yes, it’s a little cheesy, but if you give it a shot, it’ll work. I ran across the site because it was recommended in a writing book, for those who are considering going freelance. (Sorry, I can’t remember what book). She may focus on housework, decluttering, bills, etc., but the principles she talks about can apply to anything.
2. Steve Pavlina. He’s a little new-agey for me, but his principles are definitely on target. He has lots of articles on productivity, as well as other topics, so the site is well worth a visit. He has some good advice on building a high-traffic web site as well.
3. Getting Things Done. This one has done more for keeping me organized at work than at home, and I have to say that it’s great. Get the book first, and then spend some time reading the blogs and forums. You’ll gradually work into a system that works for you. I create a project and attach tasks to it. I don’t worry with contexts because at work, 90 percent of what I do is in front of a computer. No real need to track that.

So, what do I do differently now than a year ago?

1. Worst first. I’m not sure where this idea came from. Maybe it was mine? When I think about what I need to get done in the evenings, I do the least attractive task first. This leaves the fun stuff as a sort of reward after I do the crappy jobs. So, the litter box gets done before the laundry, which gets done before the writing, and so on.
2. Most important first. If I don’t have time to do everything I need (or want) to do, then I do the most important ones first. That seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many times I haven’t done that. Yes, writing falls in the “most important” category.
3. “You can do anything for 15 minutes.” That little flylady-ism is very true, and very helpful. When I feel that I just can’t get started, I promise myself that 15 minutes is all I have to do. Sometimes, I feel like going on, and sometimes I don’t. If not, I quit at 15 minutes; no beating myself up allowed.
4. More focus. I think more about what I want and if I’m doing what I need to do to get it. I occasionally take some time and think about my goals and evaluate if I’m spending my time in the best way. Am I spending enough time on my major goals (writing for a living), or am I getting bogged down with smaller things?
5. Multitask. No, I don’t write while jogging or brush my teeth and knit at the same time. I do use “down” time for other things though. Since my husband and I drive to work together, he drives and I knit. I knit or read or blog while watching television. I grab writing time between loads of laundry. I used to think I had to have large blocks of time to really accomplish something, but I’ve learned to use small chunks, and I make real progress on my work.
6. Relax. I think taking time to relax is just as important to being productive as working is. I do my very best to leave my work at work, and I think that makes me more productive at home and at the office. I take time to do things I enjoy EVERY DAY. I think women are particularly guilty of putting their own needs last. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t have the energy to do for others.

I hope some of these ideas are helpful. Maybe this is true of every generation, but I think people are busier today than they’ve ever been, so it just makes sense to learn to make good use of your time.