How to Avoid Distractions While You’re Blogging for a Living
There are two types of people who blog: those who do it to make money and those who do it simply because they have a passion for the subject.
In an ideal world, these two camps would overlap perfectly. However, for the blogger who’s depending on his or her platform to make a living, working at home can be a challenge for avoiding distractions. How can you whip up a blog about your latest Paleo recipe when Grey’s Anatomy is about to start?
Working from home means you probably need a killer Internet/phone/cable package (even though you can write it off later), because you should have the fastest possible connections to optimize your freelancing gigs. However, if you keep putting off your next blog piece because of distractions, it might be time to make some changes.
Here’s how to build the ultimate home office no matter what your setup entails.
Keep it separate
Many work-from-home types do their best when they have a dedicated space that’s free from all distractions. Choose a room where there’s no TV and where your sole purpose is to blog.
It shouldn’t be near the kitchen, it should be quiet, and you should kit it out in a way that puts you in work mode. Schedule times for breaks (you can have several short ones throughout the day), and stick to your plan. This is the best approach for procrastinators.
If you’re one of the lucky few who can easily bust out those quality blogs while you’re on the couch and How I Met Your Mother is playing on mute, go for it. Why not live the dream, if it works for you?
Just be honest with yourself. Some people need to get dressed as if they’re going to the office, while others are perfectly fine blogging in yoga pants.
Develop A-type qualities
According to many studies, the most successful workers are morning people, they get to work right away, and they’re allergic to missing deadlines. This does not mean that night-owls who prefer an hour of meditation when they get up at 9 a.m. are doomed.
However, try shifting your schedule and see if your productivity improves. If it does, it might be worth changing your stripes.
Most important, don’t let anyone tell you blogging isn’t a “real job” or that working from home is “so easy.” You know it’s not true, especially if you’ve been successful at monetizing it.
Keep your own goals in mind, adjust them and write them down as necessary, and don’t be afraid to march to your own drum.
