My 4 tips on consistency for the busy blogger

A lot of bloggers have commented on how consistent I have been with my blog despite being a busy blogger. This is usually mentioned in parallel with the acknowledgment that I have a child and a full-time job. What I find intriguing is that behind the scenes, that is not what it looks like at all. I have my lazy days. There are times when I don’t write anything for weeks. There are also times that I don’t sign into WordPress for days. What you are all seeing isn’t consistency on my part, it is planning.

Since this is a question that I get asked a lot, I thought I would address it in a post. I did write about how I’m juggling blogging with a full-time job before. But now that the lockdown restrictions are less severe, it’s about time to update you on what I do to keep the blog going.

Write when the inspiration hits

When I feel inspired, I quickly jot down a few ideas or write a full post. At times when I’m working, I take a 5-minute break to just write down as much as I can. The reason for interrupting my daily activities for a small session is because your writing will differ depending on what mood you’re in. If I’m feeling particularly frustrated about something and want to write about it, I do it right then. It makes no sense to wait till I’m in a good mood to do so because the post just won’t flow.

By the same token, it is often a good idea to write your posts in advance and then read them on a different day before posting. This allows you to spot any grammatical errors, or to pick up on the tone of your post. I have tried writing things when I am not inspired and it didn’t end well. If I’m being honest, I have many unused drafts that I don’t care to ever revisit for this specific reason!

A successful busy blogger writes in bulk

This is something that I do not take lightly and you shouldn’t either. When the writing mood comes about, milk it to the absolute last drop. This is so that you don’t feel obliged to write on other days. Writing is something I enjoy doing specifically for this reason. By writing in bulk, I am referring to the act of writing as many different posts or ideas as possible. Not necessarily writing long posts that may as well be research papers. Of course, you can do that too if it’s your cup of tea.

When you write in bulk, you give yourself that freedom to live your life. And you can still keep your blog up to date. I generally like to complete my drafts before I move on, to something else. But it is also nice to know that I have many half-written posts that I can touch up if ever I do run out of scheduled content.

Write about things you know

When it comes to selecting a niche, I wouldn’t recommend writing about things you aren’t too familiar with. Especially if you lead a busy lifestyle! Writing about what I know or am currently experiencing makes it so much easier to spend fifteen to twenty minutes per blog post. Of course, that doesn’t include editing time.

A lot of successful bloggers tend to add their own flavour to their posts. This is what makes each blog special and unique despite the similarity in topics. As an example, let’s take two lifestyle bloggers covering the exact same topic. By adding their own personal experiences, you get to experience the topic from a different perspective. I’m not saying you need to write a personal diary. But adding a bit of context to what you’re saying makes the content more relatable. It also makes it so much easier to get your posts written.

Don’t prioritise your blog over your life

I’m not entirely sure what the psychology is behind feeling like you have to do something, or doing it because you want to. For me, knowing that something is a choice makes it so much easier to do. I know that many people blog because they want to earn a separate income and thus need to put in the extra work. But that doesn’t mean you should ever lose sleep over it. You also shouldn’t feel like your life is getting in the way of blogging. If that’s how you feel, then it is probably the other way around!

When I am finding it difficult to fit blogging into my daily routine, I often just skip it altogether. There is always time to write a thing or two if you get creative. I mean, five minutes on the toilet can actually give your the basic outline of a post! And let’s face it, we always have our phones on us. So fitting it in here and there around everything else can actually have a better effect than sitting for hours on end writing. At least it does for me.

Use Grammarly especially if you are a busy blogger

This one is bittersweet… I didn’t initially use this for my writing, but cannot live without it anymore. A few other bloggers had recommended Grammarly to me but my ego was just too big to accept it. I assumed that I could write, edit, proof-read and restructure my posts without external assistance. One fine day, I finally decided to give this Grammarly thing a try, and I have not looked back since. It’s so nice to write and immediately see any errors I have made. And then to be able to see what tone my posts appear to have – golden! As a busy blogger, I’ve learned to take any free help I can get. So please don’t sleep on Grammarly. Try it out!

What are some ways you juggle blogging with your daily activities? If you are a busy blogger, do you find it difficult to keep up with a posting schedule?