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Running a business is a time suck of epic proportion.\u00a0Planning, administration, product development, sales, delivery, email,\u00a0bookkeeping, social media, marketing. It takes time.\u00a0Throw in a family and you\u00a0flit\u00a0from demand to crisis without a moment to reheat that cup of tea you made three hours ago.<\/p>\n
Your blog post\u00a0\u2013 that important but not urgent\u00a0task<\/a> \u2013 is often the victim of the go-go-go life. You know it\u2019s important for but there it is, languishing at the bottom of the \u2018to do\u2019 list day after day after day.<\/p>\n \u2018I must write that blog post.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n \u2018I really should write a blog post.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n \u2018Today I will write a blog post.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n \u2018Tomorrow I will write that\u00a0blog post\u2026\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n Sound familiar?<\/p>\n I am in awe of bloggers and business owners who casually comment, \u2018I write a blog post in 15 to 20 minutes and I batch them. I just sit and write six or seven in a row.\u2019<\/p>\n You what?<\/em><\/p>\n Blog posts take me hours. Not minutes. Hours. Write one and I\u2019m creatively spent. I need to\u00a0lie down, take a walk\u00a0or faff about on Facebook for 30 minutes to recover. By then a crisis has flared up. Forget batching.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not so hot on the \u2018stream of consciousness\u2019 approach either. It\u2019s great for therapy but no-one wants to read my therapy. Not even me.<\/p>\n Despite this I write regularly and professionally. I get it done and I\u2019m getting faster with practice.\u00a0I\u2019ve also picked up a tip or five from my occupation, psychology.<\/p>\n So here\u2019s what works to write blog posts faster \u2013 and why.<\/p>\n I used to procrastinate until the day before my publish date (or even the day of) then wait for inspiration to hit and the words to flow. It doesn\u2019t work. It\u2019s slow and frustrating. To get faster I need to know what I\u2019m going to write. Better yet I need some bullet points and links to research I\u2019ll need.<\/p>\n Why it works:<\/strong> In psychology task planning is called an \u2018implementation intention\u2019.\u00a0Its complex and uses the front part of your brain, the prefrontal cortex. Implementation intentions reduce procrastination.\u00a0Without a plan your brain says, \u2018Oops, too hard\u2019 when faced with a big, vague task like writing a blog post. It wanders off to find somewhere else to focus its attention. With a plan you ease its path to your goal, making resistance \u2013 and procrastination \u2013 less likely.<\/p>\n Planning then writing in one period is brain overload. Break it into two separate tasks and you\u00a0increase your efficiency and produce a better result. I like to brainstorm and plan over a coffee at a favourite caf\u00e9. I\u2019ll write later in my office at my laptop.<\/p>\n Why it works<\/strong>: Cues in our environment trigger our habits. Keep looking at the same four walls and you\u2019ll keep thinking in the same old way. To break through a creative block, arrive at fresh ideas and then get writing, mix it up and work in different environments. Large spaces with good natural light and fresh air are great for prompting new thoughts and ideas.<\/p>\n Fellow ProBlogger contributor Kelly Exeter<\/a> put me on to this. Once I\u2019ve got my plan I sit at the laptop, take note of the time, put away distractions and write for 15 minutes. It doesn\u2019t matter what you write. In fact Kelly suggests that if you\u2019re stuck, just keep\u00a0writing \u2018I don\u2019t know what to write here\u2019 until an idea arrives. Try it, it works. What\u2019s more, once you\u00a0start\u00a0and find\u00a0your flow you may find that you just keep\u00a0going until it\u2019s done.<\/p>\n Why it works: <\/strong>Getting started is often the hardest part of any task, particularly one that feels difficult. The good news is that once we\u2019ve started we\u2019re likely to push on until the job\u00a0is complete. This is called the Zeigarnik Effect. Your brain doesn\u2019t like starting a task and then stopping part way through. It will linger on your unfinished business, making you anxious until the task is done. Get started and your mind will kick in with the motivation you need to keep going.<\/p>\n A joy of being the boss is the flex in your deadlines. Don\u2019t feel like writing today? Do something else instead. There\u2019s plenty of work to do. Except that\u2019s\u00a0how the important but not urgent blog post is set adrift.<\/p>\n Sitting, thinking and writing is hard work for your brain. It rewards you by prioritizing that task last, letting you off the hook. It\u2019s a short term gain however. The blog post still isn\u2019t written.<\/p>\n I set myself deadlines for every blog post to trick my brain into getting it done. The shorter the deadline, the more focused you are.<\/p>\n Why it works: <\/strong>Motivation is complex, psychologically, but we know for sure that as a deadline approaches our stress levels rise. When our stress levels rise our brain and body is primed for action. We get started and we work hard to get the task done. This is known as the Yerkes-Dodson Law<\/a>. No deadline? Not enough stress to get you moving. If you\u2019re a conscientious type like me self imposed deadlines will work. If you\u2019re not, find a way to get others to set deadlines for you.<\/p>\n The anticipation of a holiday is often the best part, right? Imagine yourself lying by the pool, cocktail in hand, responsibility free. It motivates you to pack and get out of the door.<\/p>\n This works for getting blog posts written too. Generating ideas and writing might feel difficult but don\u2019t focus on that part. Focus on the reward. For me that\u2019s hitting the publish button or sending a finished piece to an editor. \u00a0Even better is positive feedback.<\/p>\n Work out where your motivation lies. What\u2019s the reward you get from writing that blog post? Where\u2019s the thrill? Focus on that to get it done.<\/p>\nNot batching\u2026 slogging.<\/h2>\n
1. Have a plan<\/h2>\n
2. Make planning a separate exercise<\/h2>\n
3. Write for 15 minutes a day<\/h2>\n
4. Set a deadline<\/h2>\n
5. Focus on the end result<\/h2>\n