If you want your message to reach the maximum number of people, a blog is hands down the best means I know. But who’s got time?
It doesn’t matter if I’m speaking with someone just starting to blog or someone who’s been building their platform for a few years, the first struggle people face is finding enough time in the day to do it. Maybe you can identify. I definitely can. In fact there have been times I’ve wondered if I even have what it takes to keep up the pace with any sort of consistency, but I’ve found seven strategies that help me make and maximize my time for blogging.
1- I Own My Schedule
This is foundational. Nobody has more time than anyone else. We just have different commitments and demands on the time we have. The important thing to remember is that we have agency when it comes those commitments and demands. We don’t find time so much as we make it. It’s not accidental. It takes intentionality, determination, and the willingness to make tradeoffs. That means I have to take responsibility for my time. If I don’t prioritize my life, as Greg McKeown says in Essentialism, “someone else will.”
2- I Set My Schedule

3- I Use a Timer
One of the world’s greatest productivity tools is a deadline - and that goes for micro deadlines like setting a timer for writing. If I have ninety minutes in which to finish a post, I set myself an alarm and work as intently as possible toward that goal. Part of owning our schedules is making them work for us, and setting a timer forces me to stay focused, get to the point, and keep the schedule I’ve set for myself.
4- I Write

“Let me tell you about writers,” says John Podhoretz. “Writers sit. Then, after a while, they stand. They pace. They sit again. Sometimes, they talk on their telephone. Or they surf the Internet. At some point, they generate words.”
Here’s the truth: it’s hard to stay focused and write. While coaching another writer, Flannery O’Connor said she thought the person spent too much time reading during their writing time. And of course research, social media, even fiddling around with formatting can slow us down. Now when I write, I write, at least when I’m being good. I try to have all my research ready to go when I start, and I learned to stay drilled in on the work.
5- I Stay Close to My Subject

6- I Keep a Notebook
Part of staying close to my subject is keeping my subject close to me. I have a notebook where I keep research, quotes, post ideas, anything that will keep me present to the work. I never have to work from scratch because I can always pick up an idea and get started.
7- I Use a Template

We all know that blogging consistently is crucial for building our platforms. The questions to ask yourself are: how much influence do you want to have and how far to do you want your message to go? If you get connected to what’s a stake, it makes the decision to blog consistently a no-brainer, and it doesn’t have to be torture. Like anything, it just takes commitment and a little help from a good system.
What are the biggest obstacles you face to blogging consistently? Tell me!