Maximize Your Daily Efficiency
written by Jane May
A very important topic to talk about is how to organize your time when working on your blog or web site. Many readers ask me how I structure my day and it has taken me a couple of months to get to a point where I can function at my peak levels. I will share a few suggestions with you that can really help you be more productive.
Keep A To-Do List.
Each day when you wake up, write down the top 5-10 things you have to accomplish that day. It is best to not do any other web based activities until you can cross off each item on your list because it is too easy to get caught up reading other blogs and forums before getting your own work done. Before you know it, you have spent 3 hours reading and getting none of your work done. If you did not finish an item from your list, carry it over to the next day.
Assign A Certain Amount Of Time For Important Items.
Tell yourself the first thing you will do each morning is check and respond to email for 30 minutes. I know some people think email should not be the first thing you do in the morning, but I prefer to get it out of the way first. You also never know who sent you a pressing item that can help you monetize your site. If you read an email but do not respond immediately, mark it “un-read” so you do not forget that you have to respond later.
Figure Out What You Like Least And Make Yourself Spend Time Doing It.
Sometimes I struggle to write ReviewMe posts and the only way I can get myself to do it is if I sit down and tell myself that for the next 2-3 hours, the only thing I will do is research and review the web site. I force myself to write a review and I go back and proof read it later. Whatever your weak points are, be sure to take the time to do them anyways. They could be valuable to your readers and your blog’s value.
Do Not Check Stats More Than Twice Per Day.
This is a big one. So many people waiste time hitting refresh on their visitor stats and affiliate sales all day. I used to do the same, only to realize that my productivity is so much better now that I only check stats once in the morning and once in the evening. There is nothing you can do to increase your statistics that much by hitting refresh every 10 minutes that you cannot do by checking stats in the beginning and end of the day. Try this for a few days and you will be happy you did.
This post was guest blogged by Jane May. She teaches readers how to create and monetize blogs on Daily Web Ideas.
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Wow. Nice set of tips. Really like the “Figure Out What You Like Least And Make Yourself Spend Time Doing It.”
*(Maybe you can consider guess blog at one of my blog—in the future =? :).
I agree. In many movies and books, too many say “the hardest thing to do is usually the right thing.” Similar in some sense. Same thing as, “do what poor people don’t do and you’ll be rich.”
lolz..“do what poor people don’t do and you’ll be rich.”
that is true and it really works
Seems simple, and certainly is if you work smart!
One of the most challenging things I’ve had to do is dicipline myself to research the net for hours before writing. Trust me, it sometimes sucks, but it’s well worth it and I’ve gotten better because of it.
nice set of tips? good one, r those yours? no the line silly, did u make that up? just for that funny line, i’m a new subscriber to your blog. like it. keep up your good work, u funny stinker.
johnny card
Great thoughts Jane! I also make it a point to do the most unpleasant tasks first, getting them out of my way early. It’s too easy to procrastinate and avoid them otherwise.
Nice to see you here!
I agree!
Very nice advices. All we need is a little bit more self-control.
The need for money and thinking what you can do of it helps
I used the same mentality for school. The subjects I hated most went first and the ones I liked best came at the end since they were easier for me.
Very good advice. Time management becomes even more critical when your working for yourself. I’m bad at it but working on it.
Ya, with all the freedom, working does become a little off the mark at times!
It’s easy to slack off sometimes, but that’s when I focus on my goals and if what I’m doing is getting me to my goals.
We don’t realize it as much, but being our own boss can be tough, too, sometimes.
Sometimes even tougher! The responsibility is all on you.
Exactly! Personally, I don’t think I’m a perfectionist, but I do like to work a certain way and I like the outcome of my work to be a certain way, too. We are our own worst critic I should say.
It’s always about YOU! If it’s too easy it’s not worth it right?
A great quote about YOU focus
http://www.stephenwelton.com/?p=43
Yep, it’s all about me. I was even TIME Magazine’s person of the year!
Good points, Jane … I really, really, really need to concentrate on that main one … do the things you don’t like first … once tey are out of the way it’s the same kind of feeling as if some income stream just doubled … feels great, when I can rember to do it.
I’m with you on the email as well. It’s a great time waster if you let it run away, but essential to skim through and see important issues. For those who use OutLook, my method is to read the mail, answer or act on it if it is of extreme importance … if it is not, I right click and assign a color-coded follow-up flag … an easy, two-click process … different colors for different levels of urgency. Some recommend moving emails into different action folders, which I am sure is a good method, but doesn’t work for me … things get lost in the folders … with the flags, everything is visible in the in-box so I can go do the important things, like making a blog post and come right back to email when the time is right.
Another tip: If you have comments enabled read them and respond to them.
Thats definitely an important one. John does do a very good job of that.
That’s a pretty good habit. It also helps generate new ideas for future posts.
New ideas is definitely a perk. I look through my comments to give me inspiration all the time.
It also shows that you value your readers thoughts and opinions.
It’s as though you have been ignored and we all love attention.
Reply to comments!
Many times, once your blog is established enough, even readers themselves take care of the questions, so there is not much load on you.
That’s a great one
Well, my luck is that i’d have to put making the to do list as the first item…
It’s really easy; once you get the hang of it, it won’t won’t seem so necessary and laborious anymore.
It’s one thing when you’re on the company payroll, because you theoretically get paid whether you accomplish your goals or not (unless you’re on commission). For an entrepreneur like myself, however, if I don’t work, I don’t get paid and this is one of the greatest challenges to working from home (especially when you’re working for yourself).
The first thing that I do when I log into my computer in the morning is check my email and respond to anything that I think is urgent. I am guilty of getting sidetracked in doing this, because I’ll find myself reading John Chow dot Com, for example, instead of actually getting down to the things that pay the bills. I’m not a morning person, so it’s hard to “get started” fresh out of bed.
Instead of setting the five to ten items on your “to do” list as soon as you wake up, I think that it is a better strategy to do this before you go to bed the night before, revisiting these goals when you wake up. Things usually appear a little different after you sleep on them, so it’s good to see two perspectives on what needs to be done, even if both perspectives are your own.
Okay, I’m starting to ramble a bit. I might have to expand this comment into a blog post of my own.
Whether its in the morning or at night, the to-do lists are important because if helps you do your tasks with the end result or goal in mind.
Oh god, the stats one was me for a good while. I ended up having to turn off Firefoxes Adsense Notifier plugin. It was too damn distracting watching my earnings go up a few cents at a time each day. I never got anything done.
me too, in the start, i spent 90% of my time refreshing my stats! But will improve now, Thanks Jane!
lol…i know what you mean
I admit, stat watching and the firefox adsense notifier are making me nuts, so I had better wean myself off them for awhile
thanks for a great post
It’s like looking at the scale to check much you weigh everyday — completely unnecessary. Instead of obsessing about stats, you can obsess about other directly productive things.
Checking stats (5-6 times) is consuming mt time. I need to spend more time creating content.
That’s probably a good idea.
Money is a result of being successful. Success in blogging is directly related to providing value through great content. If there is one thing you can do is focus in on that.
You will be fine!
Thanks, your suggestions rox
Thanks for the quality post Jane.
I’m glad you found value in it…i try
Very nice post. I am not an efficient person when it comes to online stuff. I get caught up in things.
I get caught up surfing the web instead of doing important stuff. Most of the time I have to plan my day to get work done. ughhh
If we use the “buy me a beer” link at the end of the post, does Jane get the beer?
Maybe if you make a note when you pay, John will be kind enough to forward the funds to Jane… but that means that Paypal takes two cuts instead of one.
Very good point on the two cuts Michael! Thanks for the insight.
If you wish to buy Jane a beer, you should do so at her blog. like Micheal says, I can forward the funds but then Paypal take another cut.
It’ll probably be easier for everyone if you just do it on my site…thanks for asking Kumiko!!
it´s so real the point about stadistics, this time can be spent in a great post.
Thanks for the useful post.
Dear Jane,
The post written very nicely. I agree with your thoughts. I am working in a MNC and I have to follow the same rules. When I was new, it was some difficult to me. My boss is very generous to me and he tought me the lession just same as your post. As the time past it is now become my habit and now I find it very helping. In the morning first of all I read my Official mails then after personal mails. If is there any urgent requirement I make it number one priority in my list. I generally make a list in night just before going to bed. The task left undone today, is added as next day assignment. I always carry a small pocket dairy with me and whenever I find anything important I just write it down and open it every evening to find out the actual advantage. When a task is completed I make a rigt mark that “I Have Done It”
Thanks for such a wonderful post.
Regards
FameFire
Sounds like you now have the system down pat! Great to hear.
What a great post! Very direct and to the point. I really need to do the do list and stick to it. THanks, Jane.
Good list of things to do. It’s only human nature to procrastinate so I always start things as soon as possible to get the ball rolling. If I don’t initiate tasks right away, the day can easily be a complete write-off.