Taking Control Of Your Day: Making The Most Of Pet Blogging Time

Guest post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess

If, like many of the pet bloggers in our community, you hold
down a job outside of the home, your pet
blogging time is precious and to make
the most of it you need to gain control of your schedule. There are several
tasks you can eliminate from your workday that can help you become more
productive by helping you stay focused.

Here are my top tips to making the most of your pet blogging
time:

• Don’t overload your to-do list. While
  writing down a to-do list helps you see what you need to accomplish in a day,
  it can also lead to overwhelm. If you find yourself compiling a lengthy list of
  items to be accomplished you may be setting yourself up for failure. When the
  day ends and you haven’t made great progress on the list, you might feel
  stressed out. Create a to-do list that is manageable and consists of only
  essential tasks: write pet blog, interview veterinarian, read pet-related book,
  etc.

Stop following up and trying to track
down people who simply aren’t returning your phone calls or emails. If you
reach out multiple times to people and they don’t respond, you’re spinning your
wheels and adding to your stress. Try to communicate in another manner – text or
phone call, if emails haven’t worked. Add a deadline to your messages, “If I
don’t hear from you by XYZ date, I’ll assume you’re no longer interested in
being interviewed.”

Whether you work outside the home or
from a home office, don’t eat lunch at your desk. Step away from the computer,
enjoy your lunch without distractions and save some of your lunch time and use
it to take a brief, brisk walk. The walk will clear your head and help you face
the day with more focus.

Plan your errands wisely. Don’t make
multiple trips for errands. If you have to go to the grocery store, post office
or pharmacy, combine the trips and make your time spent in the car more
effective.

Don’t make piles in your office. Eliminating
clutter you enhance efficiency. You may understand the organizational system
you’ve created but you’ll save time and mental energy if you set up a filing
system in which to put loose papers. The elimination of clutter is also offers
a mental boost to productivity.

 When your pet
blogging time is at a premium you need to make the most of it. What are your
best time-saving and productive time utilization tips?