So today I have a special guest post for you - I'm handing the reins over to my good friend Jasmine to talk to you all about organising. This girl is a genius and I really hope her tips below will help you out...or at the very least make you laugh. She's kind of hilarious.
Hey guys! My name is Jasmine and I blog over at Curlicue. When Michaela and I agreed to do a post swap, I was so excited that I finally got share some of my organisation tips.
If you're anything like me, real life sometimes squeezes out the time for blogging. Between juggling university, a job, family and friends plus any sports or interests you have, blogging is often last in, first out. Sometimes I actually even feel guilty about not investing enough time in my blog! To help me overcome 'Busy Life, No Time For Blogging' Syndrome (I'm working on that one...) I decided to implement a blog calendar and I wanted to share with you guys how to use one.
1. Download a freebie or put together your own. I have my own separate calendar and diary that I use for "real world" things, so for me, it's easiest to have a blogging calendar that lives on my computer. I downloaded the one I currently use from Calendar Labs (the Simple Monthly calendar) but they are easy enough to whip up through Word. Whatever you decide, remember that it has to work for YOU.
Tip: If you use more than one computer/device to blog, download the app/program 'Dropbox' to all of your devices and leave the calendar sitting in there - ready to access whenever you need it! This program is also great for photos and other word documents.
2. Fill out as much as you can as soon as you can. Start each month by filling in the slots that you already know you will use. For example, every Monday I do a round-up post called 'Connecting the Dots' so I've filled every Monday in for the month. I also do a 'Bookworm' post once a month and I've filled that one in too! Filling in the squares you already know you will fill helps to establish a pattern. You already feel more accomplished and on track because visually, you are. What's left to do is fill in the blanks. Try and fill in as many as possible, even if they aren't set in stone. It helps you to get motivated and make blogging a priority.
Tip: Work out how many times a week you want to post and let that be your target. Don't feel pressured into filling every square, unless of course you want to do that. Find what works best for you and then plan according to that number. Any less and you won't feel motivated, any more and you'll feel like it's become a chore.
3. Use colour! It is so important to use colour. As a visual learner, I love colour. It's like my best friend when it comes to organising. That, and my diary which I could write a whole separate post on just because it's a cutiebear. The point is, colour helps with your memory and it makes anything more enticing to look at it. Unless you're a die-hard minimalist and you live and breathe white space, throwing a bit of colour into your calendar is a must-do. My Monday series 'Connecting the Dots' are all coloured purple and my 'Bookworm' posts are all blue so that at a glance, I can easily see what I have coming up and plan accordingly.
4. Constantly tweak. Remember how I said to fill in as many squares as possible? That's because, if it's on the computer, all you have to do is cut and paste away a post and VOILA! you just tweaked your blogging calendar to fit your life. It's okay to move around certain posts. Maybe you didn't get the materials in time or your best friend broke up with her boyfriend and you could hardly say 'Sorry love but I have to write this really great post thanking Jasmine for all of her help...' The important thing is to re-schedule that post and look at why it didn't go live when you planned. Too much on your plate? Couldn't bring yourself to write the post? Whatever your reason, don't ignore it. One of the perks of blogging calendars is that you can use them to track your own habits and tweak them to perfection. This will help your content become regular and fresh.
5. Did you fall off the horse? That's okay, this is an imaginary miniature pony, so it's super easy to get back on and because it's imaginary, it can't even run away and leave you behind! So you fell off the pony huh? Dust yourself off and get back on! We all have those weeks where all motivation to do anything productive just fades into the background and you watch every single episode ever created of Gilmore Girls... Just me? Regardless of what your guilty pleasure is, don't fight it. If you need time off from blogging, take the time off and feel guilt-free. Ride it out (so many horse metaphors!) and come back fresh-faced and happy to be able to share what you know. Look at your calendar as motivation, not a death-sentence.
I hope this helped you guys! If you have any questions, shoot me an email (curlicueblog@hotmail.com) and I'll do my best to help you. But if there are any questions about ponies that laugh maliciously as they gallop off into the sunset, please don't email me.
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Thanks so much to Jasmine for posting on my blog today! I've found this really helpful - I hope you guys can take something from it! Don't forget to check out her blog here for amusing anecdotes, life tips and general awesomeness.
What are your blogging organisation tips?
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