Many of us here know that content is king and search engines continue to strive to put relevant, regular content on top of their search listings. To get your website out there you are going to need some good quality content. The trouble is, where do you find the time to write some? Many of us when faced in front of computer are facing too many distractions, there is just too much going on. This is why I find writing on my BlackBerry smartphone a lot more efficient. I am not faced with all the support tickets, websites, social media messages that I am when on my computer. Also I usually do this when I am in transit or at a coffee shop, I get an idea about something, and compose an email. I now have a special email account that I send all the post to. The subject becomes the title, the body the content and paragraph after paragraph, I write. I am currently writing this in a limo on the way back from the airport and will publish later. You are going to need many articles, posts, and guides about whatever it is you are selling. My advice is get started and make use of every idle minute as time waits for no one.
Sometimes, tho - you can get so busy making the most of every 'idle minute' while on limo trips toying with your fancy phone that you forget to pay attention to the small details, like spell-checking the titles of posts you make on Internet forums.
I write when I write and don't when I don't. I hate watching television if my mind is on what I think I should be writing about next. I hate thinking about work when I am cooking or on the phone. Work and life are separate for me. That's how I work best. I would rather spend 8 hours straight on my computer actually working than typing text on my phone screen all the time. Na! Can't. It's good if you can do that though. To each his own.
@OP, If you have a Mac, have you tried the program "WriteRoom?" It's free software. Basically, it's just a word processor that blocks out everything else going on at your computer and allows you to concentrate on the blank page. I've used it myself and found it effective. I don't know what the PC equivalent is, but I'm sure you could find a similar program in that case, too. I like to create a skeleton outline for my blog posts. This can be done, like you said, at coffee shops or wherever else I'm on the go. But when I sit down to really write, I need to be in one place and focused. @blueink What you're talking about reminds me of "The Gray Zone." Tony Schwartz came up with this concept; you should definitely Google it. The gray zone is basically that uncomfortable feeling when you aren't really "working" and you aren't really "relaxed" either. This is becoming a real problem in our society with smart phones, text messages, etc. People are "working," but they wished they relaxed more. Or when they are trying to "relax" they feel guilty for not working harder. The lack of a clear distinction between the two ruins productivity and makes people chronically unhappy. Bad news... but something you can definitely watch out for and improve! Corey
While I would love to have something at hand to write down stray ideas or get down full articles when they come to me, I would hate to spend every waking moment working. Be careful or life is going to pass you by and you'll wonder what the money you earned is even good for.
But I have ample time. What I don't have is 'that' great deal of work that can keep me really glued to the system ;-). I second that. I can accomplish double the quantity with a notch higher in my quality by focusing hard at my desk. I despise taking work along with me when I am not working. Can't be said better... happy people do one thing at a time!
Reminds me of the poem with the words: '' Where's the time to just sit and stare..'' or something similar. Wordsworth I think. Important thing to remember in today's times. However, some people are just good at multi-tasking. I am not though.
Totally. And the bad thing is that its so easy getting into that kind of thinking. It's destructive actually. Everyone who has a Blackberry seem to be in the 'Gray Zone' like you said. They keep checking their emails even when they are trying to sleep at night with their partners beside them. Sad, but that's how modern life is.
@ cjp214 The tool for PC is Freedom. This locks you out of the net only, not from other aspects of the computer. It's good because it won't let you back in.Unless you reboot. The general consensus by by everyone (other writers?) is that downtime is good. I'm in total agreement. When I'm in my office I'm there to work, but when I sign off at the end of the day, there's no way I want to write or do anything that's related to work. That downtime frees my mind and puts me in gear for my next writing project.
I really struggle to shut off at the end of the day. I have to actually force myself to stop working at around 11pm and if there are jobs I haven't finished I will continually think about it until I go back and do it. Working from home is so hard - there is nothing separating your work life from your personal life and regaining my personal life and relaxing is something that I really need to work on. The first step is turning off Skype.
I guess I'm old. I only use my BlackBerry to make/receive calls and send/receive the occasional text message. lol! When I'm working, I'm working. When I'm out horesback riding through the mountains, doing household chores, driving my car, riding on the commuter train or subway/metro, shoveling snow, or playing with my 8mth old baby girl, that's my time to unwind / unplug. My mind isn't on the next piece of text copy I need to compose or how many emails I received while I was away from my computer. Sure, a random thought might come to mind that I'll sometimes tuck away for future use, but I refuse to be attached to my cell phone, laptop, or netbook. The only times that I've done work while I was in the midst of traveling somewhere was when I was delayed at an airport for 4 hours and when I take the train home to visit family and friends. (The train ride is 10 hours). When I'm finished for the day, I'm finished. I simply walk away from the computer and won't bother with it again until my routine starts over again the next day. I'll read a book, soak in a hot bath, watch TV, or whatever. The mind has to relax and unwind naturally. One needs to unplug and be content with themselves and their own thoughts. Constant go-go-go and making optimal use of every single moment of every day, just isn't healthy. Work. Play. Rest.
I work from home and have been for many years now. You can separate work from home life. You need to do this. It's not easy at first because there are many distractions and many temptations. The computer / work keeps calling you back. You hear a tone that a new message or new email arrives and you instantly must go check it. You can't relax and enjoy a movie or your favorite TV show because you might be missing a message or a new job listing. You can't leave the computer because you must do things to increase your income... You need to figure out a system, a schedule that works for you that incorporates work time and personal time. When work time is finished, walk away from the computer. Mute the sound. Turn off the computer. Turn the screen off. Whatever. If your home office is in a separate room from your living space, close the office door when your work time is finished. Do not go back to the computer until it is time to work again. When it is work time, it is work time. Not time to visit Facebook or play your favorite game. It is not time to browse random sites. There is a time for email, a time for Skype, a time for forums. Then there is the time to work. Then there is a time for Facebook, visit random sites, play computer games, or whatever you like to do. Then there is the time where you close the computer down and walk away. Turn off any notifications or apps you may have that alert you on your cell phone when you get a new email or IM message. You can work all of these things into a routine, a schedule. You absolutely need to take time for yourself. You need to unplug and spend time with family, friends, or whatever it is you enjoy that does not involve the computer or internet. Unplug. You will be far more productive and the quality of your work will improve if you take time for yourself. It takes a little bit of fumbling around, breaking negative habits / distractions, and develop a bit of self discipline until you work out a routine, a schedule, that you can live with. It gets easier with time. You'll notice your productivity increases. When your productivity increases, so does your income.