6 Productivity Tips For Work At Home Moms Who Blog

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There is a huge difference between starting a mom blog and doing the work to grow it into a successful blog.

With the endless amount of blogging tasks to get done and you can be sure that your to-do list will never really end when you’re a blogger.

That feels like a lot of pressure, right?

How do you keep your sanity when you’re a mom blogger? (Or any blogger for that matter).

By planning a little bit and organizing yourself so that you maximize the time you find to work on your blog.

Okay, that might be pretty obvious but I’m thinking you’re here to figure out the HOW to being productive.

Like you basically want a sneak peek into exactly what to do to boost your productivity.

You aren’t here for all the typical advice you read, am I right?

That’s good because I don’t dole out the same old advice others always suggest.

Now, what I will say (that I’m sure others do as well) is that if you don’t plan your blogging goals and tasks you’re just not going to be productive.

End of story.

Sorry, it’s true.

Wanna know how I know this to be true?

Because I used to just sit down and hope to figure out what to get done.

Or, I’d let myself get pulled in many different directions and boom there went all the time I had for blogging that day.

The outcome?

One very frustrated mom blogger who badly wanted a successful blog but couldn’t figure out the HOW of getting it done.

Talk about a productivity killer!

So, that’s the difference – I’m going to show you exactly how I remain focused and productive as a mom blogger.

Here are two other things to keep in mind as you look for ways to boost your productivity:

1. The key is to find ways to simplify blogging tasks.
2. Don’t sweat the stuff that happens in blog world – it evolves things change – just stay focused on what you ultimately want to produce.

RELATED READ: Ways To Find Time To Blog When You Have Young Kid

Okay, now it’s time to dig into the fun part!

6 Productivity Tips For Mom Bloggers

1. Plan Your Blog Tasks for the Month Ahead

Okay, I’m going to level with you.

Since there is a lot that goes into growing a successful blog you can’t be too planned, you know what I mean?

So, take that pressure off yourself.

(This advice doesn’t mean you don’t plan at all, okay?)

There is a lot of productivity advice that says you should plan your blog tasks for months ahead of when you’re going to actually complete them but I’m not in the same opinion.

Blogging is not set in stone.

There are pivots in the direction you’re taking your blog.

There are outside things that happen in life that you just can’t control.

So how will you possibly be that organized?

Instead, I like to plan blogging tasks in monthly increments.

For example, the current month is all about building my email list.

The next month the focus will be on improving my SEO.

The next month will be…you get the picture.

Within, those tasks I sprinkle in new content – that could be a post, more pins for my current content, or looking into how to produce a new content method, like video.

Being “planned” in this way makes growing my blog feel doable.

It takes the mountain of work and changes it into bite-sized steps and it does wonders for my productivity.

It literally takes the guesswork out of blogging and gives me the direction I need to keep moving forward.

ACTION STEPS TO TRY:

✿ Start by planning out your weekly work time and then move into monthly increments.

✿ How do you plan your week? You can start by using a weekly paper planner.

✿ Take note of how you feel when you cross tasks off your to-do list – revel in the feeling of accomplishment!

2. A Planner is the Key to Your Sanity

I’ve tried to organize my time by using online tools and they work for a little bit but then I find myself slipping back into using the good ol’ paper planner.

My planner keeps my blog tasks organized in my brain.

And it’s right beside me while I work so if a new idea pops into my head I can jot it down.

Using pen and paper also helps me circle things that aren’t complete and need further attention.

I first start by planning my month like I’ve said above, then I move into outlining my weekly tasks and goals.

I tell you, it keeps everything straight in my brain and I get a lot of satisfaction when I cross off my tasks.

I realize this productivity tip might not work for you because you need to do what makes sense to your brain.

But if you’re not being productive then please go and pick up a simple planner that has a monthly calendar grid and then weekly daily tasks.

This simple productivity hack might just be what gets you over the hump, trust me.

ACTION STEPS TO TRY:

✿ Grab a planner with a monthly calendar and then daily tasks broken down by week.

✿ On the monthly calendar, write out how much time you have to work on your blog daily.

✿ Outline your monthly blog focus.

✿ On your daily tasks write down the top 3 most important things to get done during your allocated work time.

✿ Take note of how good you feel when you cross tasks off your to-do list.

RELATED READ: Why You Should Always Invest In Blog Education

3. You Seriously Don’t Need an Editorial Calendar

Again, this advice is going against a common blogging belief – that you need an editorial calendar to be a successful mom blogger.

You don’t.

Don’t you find it’s a lot of pressure to plan your content for months ahead of time?

Yup, it is.

And if you’re not good at planning content that far in advance it can make you feel like you’re not cut out for this whole blogging world.

You might feel like an editorial calendar should work but I suspect you’re wondering about other methods since this is pretty popular advice.

What I do instead is plan content in my monthly increment system.

And, if I don’t get a new post out in exactly a week, I don’t sweat it.

Hmmm, that might actually be the ultimate productivity hack – don’t worry if you don’t complete something according to your self imposed timeline.

The work will still be there and it’s fine to push it out when it’s complete.

My point is, you don’t need to pressure yourself into a big editorial calendar planned out months in advance.

Instead, try bite-sized chunks and I’m willing to bet you’re way more productive than before!

(Shoot me an email if you try my suggestions, okay? I want to know how they worked out! [email protected])

ACTION STEPS TO TRY:

✿ Start small – plan content a week at a time and get used to publishing a post once a week.

✿ Move into monthly planning when you’re ready.

✿ Don’t sweat it if things don’t go as planned.

4. Google Drive is Your Online Filing Cabinet

I love me some Google Drive!

It’s the ultimate tool to stay organized and it’s free 🙂

I like to think of it as my virtual filing cabinet. 🙂

Do you have numerous logins for different sites?

I use Google Drive to keep all the info straight.

I have a folder labeled ‘MomBlogsLife‘ and inside, I keep documents broken down into categories (ie. affiliate programs, courses, etc.) with logins and passwords for this blog.

One-click and boom I am right in front of the information I need now.

Keeping my records in Google Drive is safe, secure and cloud-based so if my laptop decides to explode, I’ll still be able to find all my important information – and that is huge stress relief!

That’s where I keep my receipts for blog business expenses.

Come tax time, I don’t need to get frazzled and go on a mad hunt for my receipts.

I keep a simple folder called ‘Whatever year it is + receipts’ and when I receive an invoice or receipt it gets filed there right away.

Organization breeds productivity because it makes you feel good.

I also keep a “log document” that captures my random thoughts about how to grow my blog and other things that I know I want to get to but don’t have the time to currently.

That document is responsible for me not forgetting anything I want to do which of course boosts my productivity!

ACTION STEPS TO TRY:

✿ Set up a folder in Google Drive for your blog.

✿ Use the different documents to sort your logins, affiliate programs, and anything else you need to track.

✿ Keep a log document (name it what makes sense to you) so that you don’t forget something you want to accomplish.

5. Know When To Walk Away For A Breather

Do you ever get frazzled or frustrated when you’re working?

I think it’s safe to say we all do.

Every day is not going to be a productive day.

We’re human AND we’re moms.

Walking away might sound counterproductive, but it really isn’t.

When I’m frazzled I don’t produce good quality work.

It just doesn’t happen.

Taking a breather and doing something else for an hour helps me get back on the productivity train.

I walk away when negative feelings and thoughts start to creep in.

Building a successful blog is not an easy task.

The key to moving forward is feeling good about what you’re doing which can’t be accomplished when you’re frazzled.

RELATED READ: Setting Realistic Blog Expectations

It’s amazing what time away from all screens will do for you.

It brings clarity and understanding, or just enough time to get your mind to refocus and get back to work.

It’s during these breaks that I’ve thought of great things to try and, to me, that’s pretty productive.

When I head back up to work, I’m refocused and ready to take on the challenge.

Practice knowing when to walk away for a 5-minute breather.

ACTION STEPS TO TRY:

✿ Learn how to identify when you’re feeling overwhelmed – what are your triggers?

✿ Try walking away for 5 to 15 minutes to collect yourself.

6. Look At Where You Waste Time

Technology is super cool, right?

Look what it’s done for this generation?

There have never been so many mom entrepreneurs and that’s pretty cool.

As much as technology is cool, it’s also VERY distracting – which can kill your productivity quickly.

So, if you want to boost your productivity take a look at where you’re wasting time.

How many times do you check Facebook?

Instagram?

Pay attention to your habits for a week to identify where your time is going -it’s probably going to surprise you.

But knowledge is power so once you see your habits you can start making changes to be more productive.

Maybe it means leaving your phone in another room.

Or closing your workspace door.

I’ve done social media cleanses and it’s wonderful.

I also don’t feel guilty closing my office door so that I can concentrate without hearing the kids playing or yelling or crying.

If that makes you feel guilty, mama, I don’t blame you but I have to say it’s a-okay to be relentless with the time you have to work on something for yourself.

Trust me. (This point is a whole other blog post and I just put it into my log document to write another time 😉 )

ACTION STEPS TO TRY:

✿ Keep a log of how much time you spend doing things that aren’t getting you further (ie. social media browsing, etc.).

✿ See how many times you get interrupted when you have time to work.

✿ Take a social media break.

✿ Close the door to your workspace.

✿ Be relentless about your time.

 

Okay, that’s it.

Those are seriously the productivity tips I use as a mom blogger and they work.

I get that some of them might not work for you but give them a try and see if my simplified methods boost your productivity.

The big productivity secret is to be slightly planned, organized, and learn how to not sweat stuff. 🙂

I would love to hear from you!

Share and comment below to let me know if you try my productivity tips and how they work for you!