Written on September 8th, 2008 at 12:09 am by Darren Rowse

16 Important but Potentially Distracting Blogging Tasks

Featured Posts, Miscellaneous Blog Tips 104 comments

Have you ever had one of those days where you set aside time to blog and while you spend the whole time that you put aside busily doing ’stuff’ - you don’t end up actually writing anything?

I had one of those days this last week. After what felt like a busy day of ‘work’ I realized I’d not actually produced a single blog post.

As I looked back over my day and the things that I’d done it struck me that there are a lot of tasks that bloggers do that are important - but that can at times become distracting from… well… writing posts… the core task of any blogger.

16 Important but Potentially Distracting Blogging Tasks

Following are 16 potentially distracting tasks for bloggers (note, I’m not saying that any of these are not important or worthwhile, just that they can actually become a distraction if we allow ourselves to become sidetracked by them):

  1. Social Messaging - Twitter, Plurk, Friendfeed, Pownce…. (add your favorite micro blogging/social messaging service here). Each can suck up your time if you don’t get focused and put some boundaries around them.
  2. Social Bookmarking - many bloggers become somewhat obsessed with writing posts for and then gathering votes on social media sites like Digg, StumbleUpon, Yahoo Buzz, Reddit etc
  3. Social Networking - building profiles and interacting upon Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace etc - all useful in building a brand and profile as a blogger, but potentially a distraction.
  4. Blog Design - blog design is important at creating a first impression but when you find yourself tweaking it, reworking it, planning your next one more than actually writing content for your blog you might be in trouble.
  5. SEO - like blog design there always seems to be something you could do a little better when it comes to optimizing a blog for search engines. It can be worth your time to do some of this, but one of the most effective ways of doing SEO is to write content that hits the spot with readers.
  6. Reading other Blogs in Your Niche - yet another great use of time, but many bloggers spend so much time on other people’s blogs connecting, leaving comments and even writing about them that they fail to write anything unique on their own.
  7. Reading about How to Blog - this might seem strange coming from a blogger who writes about blogging, but from time to time a blogger comes to me for advice on how to improve their blog who has done so much learning about blogging that my encouragement to them is simply to stop reading about it and start doing it.
  8. Guest Posting - I am a big fan about using guest posting on other peoples blogs to expand your profile and grow your readership - however the best way to utilize guest posting is to have great content on your own blog for the new readers you engage with to see when they come visit.
  9. Interacting with Readers - this is one that I hesitate to write about because I’m a firm believer in allocating time to spend one on one with readers - however as a blog grows it gets more and more difficult to do. There comes a time where most bloggers need to decide how to strike a balance on this front - boundaries and processes can really help.
  10. Networking with other bloggers - another great way to build brand and traffic to your own blog is to connect with other bloggers in your niche - however there are millions of blogs ‘out there’ and it can be an endless task.
  11. Monetization - finding and testing ad networks and affiliate programs can take a lot of time. Then optimizing them for your blog and tracking the results and extending your earning potential by finding private sponsorships and ad sales can really eat up even more of your time.
  12. Starting New Blogs - diversification is an important and worthwhile part of the journey of many bloggers development, however I come across some bloggers who start too many blogs too quickly and don’t give their early ones time to get going and develop before they branch out.
  13. Analyzing Stats - one of the biggest potential time suckers, that many bloggers become distracted with at different times, is analyzing your stats. Sure, you can learn a great deal from looking at who is coming to your blog, from where they come and what they do when they arrive - but at times, when you do it all day everyday, it can be a habit that takes you away from your blogging.
  14. Projects/Competitions/Memes - many bloggers wanting to run a competition or project on their blog don’t realize just how much work it can be to manage (or how hard it can be to get them working). They can bring a lot of life to a blog, but they can also be suck you (and your readers) attention away from your core blogging.
  15. Dealing with Trolls and Trouble makers - it is SO easy to get drawn into passionate (yet pointless) arguments with other bloggers and readers that can leave you emotionally drained and having wasted hours upon hours of your time. While at the time it seems to important to respond - many times it’s best just learn to hold it in.
  16. Tracking down copyright violations - unfortunately in the medium we operate there are people who scrape the content of others, whack ads on it and call it their own. While it can be important to track down these copyright violations down - the statement ‘how long is a piece of string’ comes to mind and some bloggers spend so much time tracking splogs down, issuing DMCA legal notices and attempting to get the content removed that they have little time for much else.

Let me reiterate - there’s nothing wrong with any of these activities…. BUT….

In fact I at different times I’ve recommended and given tips on all of them on this blog! However - this post is about balance and priorities.

While these are all great activities the danger is in those times when they sidetrack us from other core aspects of our blogging.

In my own blogging I try to guard against becoming distracted by:

  • Having goals (both long term but also daily goals)
  • Being aware how I’m spending time (periodically throughout each day I stop and ask myself if I’m on track
  • Setting time aside for the most important tasks (I put aside three mornings a week specifically for content creation - I block out this time and remove other distractions for these times.

What distracts you most from blogging? How do you keep yourself on track?

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104 Responses to “16 Important but Potentially Distracting Blogging Tasks”

  • writer dad

    September 8th, 2008 12:43 am

    I was allowing myself to get distracted way too often on all the little doodads. Now, I turn everything off, write my post, then turn it all back on. I don’t ever want my posts to be a shadow of what they could be.

  • Jacob Cass

    September 8th, 2008 12:54 am

    If something has a deadline I turn off everything and focus on that one thing… priorities first.

  • Chetan

    September 8th, 2008 12:54 am

    Totally agree with the Social messaging and Blog design points.
    Twitter wastes a lot of my time and also is a big distraction, but its beneficial too. So can’t go the either way!

  • Trey Anderson

    September 8th, 2008 12:55 am

    Darren,

    Finally something I agree with. It is very important to have proper balance and best to have a preplanned schedule in order to accomplish all of the tasks you have planned on all of the above listed potential distractions.

    This post is a definite must read for every blogger new or seasoned.

  • FilmDr

    September 8th, 2008 12:58 am

    What about the distraction of reading good posts about distractions?

    I think the most evil temptation is to check one’s blog stats all day in a fever of writerly vanity. As you say, content creation matters the most.

  • Blogging MillionaIre

    September 8th, 2008 12:58 am

    I believe there are way too many things that are distracting bloggers these days. What we mainly need to focus on is just commenting on other blogs so that you can maintain a constant amount of traffic to your blog. All those other web sites will help but it always has been proven that if you comment on other blogs and show that you are part of the blogging community others will give back.

  • The WAHM Spot

    September 8th, 2008 1:03 am

    I am guilty of doing all 16 and yes, it can get out of hand. I found that it’s best, as you suggested, to allot x amount of time for all of that….

  • Maria Palma

    September 8th, 2008 1:06 am

    Hi Darren,

    I agree with all your points. I spend a great deal of time with social networking (somewhat addicted to Twitter!) and analyzing stats. I also do quite a bit of reading as well…

    I would add to your list: Checking email! I check my email at least four times a day.

    I stay on track by writing out a To Do list every morning and keep it right beside my computer. Whenever I catch myself wandering in cyberspace too much, I go back to that list which helps get me back to my priorities.

  • Lisa B @ simply His

    September 8th, 2008 1:11 am

    This is so relevant to what I’ve been going through the past few weeks. I have written nothing. I’ve been busy reading other blogs or working — setting up other people’s blogs.

    Now, I’ll be developing a schedule like you suggested to protect my time for writing. I desperately need to get back to it.

  • Dana Lookadoo

    September 8th, 2008 1:11 am

    I almost didn’t visit your post - didn’t want to get distracted. I have seriously been looking at schedule, priorities, goals, how I should be using my time. Are all these activities part of my Greater Purpose in life?

    Your article is timely and greatly appreciated. No more procrastination! We cannot replace time lost with social media distractions.

    Wasn’t it Einstein who said that the definition of insanity was the ability to hold two opposing thoughts in the mind at one time? Email, IM, Twitter, social media…the overload feels like insanity. Blocking chunks of time starting today! Thanks!

  • Hemu

    September 8th, 2008 1:17 am

    Yes Darren, These steps are very important for Beginner Bloggers. But the way they do is very important. Specially Networking.

  • Louise Barnes-Johnston

    September 8th, 2008 1:17 am

    It isn’t only bloggers that get distracted! Your list rings true for me as well. Since I discovered social networking (including blogging) hours can literally fly by and the end of a day arrives with nothing tangible to show for it. I agree with the previous responses about the need to turn everything else off to do what needs doing.

    A good tip I learned a long time ago is to set a timer for, say, 50 minutes and focus on the task you want to get done until the time is up. It’s amazing how much you can achieve doing this a few times.

    Every necessary activity needs to be kept in its place!

  • waterprise2

    September 8th, 2008 1:28 am

    Totally agreed on all points; I am guilty of all, yet see the necessity of all.

    What I have found most helpful, although I still struggle everyday: I read an article by author Walter Mosley on writing. He said that he blocks out 9:00 - noon every workday to turn off and tune out everything else and write.

    I am trying; on my calendar I have “return phone calls” from noon-1 p.m., then take a 30 minute walk with my dogs from 1 - 1:30 to clear my mind and re-focus.

    With my elderly father totally incapacitated and my elderly mother as his primary caregiver, I used to answer the phone every time my mother called. But now I don’t, because it’s is rarely an emergency. If my mom really needed me, she’d call my husband (who has a “real” salaried job) who would then text me to call her. That way; I’ll know if it’s an emergency; otherwise, it can wait.

    Ditto for everyone who calls me because I’m “home” anyway.

    Same with Twitter. I only have a few that are on my phone for instant notification (including ProBlogger), the rest I check on my breaks on my desktop.

    I work very hard to keep to my “editorial calendar” and self-imposed “time log”.

  • Hamdani

    September 8th, 2008 1:33 am

    No 6 distracting me most of the time during my content creation. Sometimes I stray from the actual task just because I read to much blog.

    I provide three day in a week for content creation and those day I must create 2-3 content and schedule it for the whole week. The remaining 4 day I do other things like No 2 and No 3.

  • Shane Hudson

    September 8th, 2008 1:36 am

    Hello Darren,
    When I had Lonely Designs I was constantly distracted by all of these. And that is what caused my downfall.

    Dont let it happen to you guys!

  • Gary McElwain

    September 8th, 2008 1:47 am

    Darren thanks for putting it all into perspective. Now that I see the list laid out in front of me like this, I can see what is happening. And just where I am spending my time.

    Understanably we should have a plan laid out before we start. But when the acion begins, and the connections start to develop the time just seems irrelevant.

    Appreciate the strategy at the end, we all need a stopping point. That will direct us back to our original intention. Writing some great content for our blog.

    Which reminds me!

    Gary McElwain

  • Jorge

    September 8th, 2008 1:48 am

    I completely agree, and in most of the points I can see myself reflected. Fortunately I have changed my workflow following exactly this points.

    This is a must-read post. Congratulations.

  • stephentrepreneur

    September 8th, 2008 2:03 am

    Darren: My response got lengthy, so I published it on my journal : Distractions.

  • Random Good Stuff

    September 8th, 2008 2:16 am

    Hey - you are taking all the fun away from being a full-time blogger. ;)!

  • --Deb

    September 8th, 2008 2:44 am

    It sounds like you’re describing my day yesterday!

  • Veronica

    September 8th, 2008 2:46 am

    Your post hit me dead-on….as I was reading blog posts as “avoidance behavior,” distracting me from an unpleasant writing project. Thank you, again, for your insight and excellent reminders.

  • Andrew

    September 8th, 2008 2:50 am

    Since five years ago, when the company I worked for went bust, my wife and I have been running a meal delivery business from home. Ideally employing a live-in maid would really help free up time for me to concentrate on my websites, but taking on hired help would only add to our costs. Add to that rising fuel and food prices, a fluctuating customer base, and the fact that we are a very close and private family, we’ve decided that we will continue as a mom-and-pop business. So I try to work on my sites when the kids have gone to bed, like now.

    And what happens? Doing what is supposed to be research, I land on Problogger.com and spend almost 10 minutes wording a post, adding content to HIS site instead of mine!!!

    Darn… you’re a distraction Darren!!!

  • Vintage Mommy

    September 8th, 2008 2:56 am

    Numbers 6 & 7 are my downfall, but I have learned so much and made such good cyberfriends that I feel at least some of the time is well-worth it.

    But when I know I’m “clicking around” as a way to procrastinate, I have to stop.

  • Steven Wilson Marketing

    September 8th, 2008 3:08 am

    Distractions are one of the biggest downfalls to most bloggers.There are so many social sites,forums,and such we tend to spend to much time on instead of concentrating on our own sites.One should set a certain time each day to work on their site,and their site alone.

  • sean

    September 8th, 2008 3:09 am

    since i’m just starting my blogging i am finding this is definitely the case.

    i have so many one-off tasks. Like this evening i have been setting up a number of email addys for differents parts of my blog and all the design stuff.

    plus i need to work on making connections ie reading and commenting on other blogs.

  • Syed Balkhi

    September 8th, 2008 3:11 am

    Peope Im’ing me distracts me the most. But rest I have control over.

  • Darren Cronian

    September 8th, 2008 3:51 am

    This weekend I wrote down a list of 16 tasks that I want to complete. I think I’ve completed 7 of them, but what distracted me was Twitter/Other blogs (like problogger)/looking at stats when i was stumbled heavily/online videos.

    That said I have published blog posts over the weekend, so I can’t grumble too much.

    Tip: To create a task list use rememberthemilk.com its’ free and great at helping organising yourself.

  • Andre Kibbe

    September 8th, 2008 4:10 am

    I put these activities in an editorial spreadsheet. My main focus is always content, but I do need to make sure that the other focus areas are getting reviewed and addressed appropriately. Having them framed in a grid is a good way of making sure that I don’t imbalance the whole array of tasks by overindulging in any one.

  • Shafar

    September 8th, 2008 4:14 am

    I waste a lot of time on my Blog Design. Earlier, I used to change my blog template frequently. Because of that I became a little expert in HTML now..!

  • Clint

    September 8th, 2008 5:11 am

    I think part of this plays into the whole 80-20 paradigm. For me, it’s realizing that there are few things that I can do which will help me the most with my business, and those are the things I need to spend most of my time on.

  • Mike Nichols

    September 8th, 2008 6:08 am

    In any given week, I am guilty of all 16 of these time-suckers, and on any given day at least half of them.

    I’d like to add to the list, doing research for blog posts. Most of my posts require research, and I sometimes get so carried away researching that I have no more time left for writing!

    Balance in blogging, as in life, is essential. Setting priorities and time limits to extraneous activities is required in both.

    So easy to say, so hard to do!

  • Ali Tkhagapsov

    September 8th, 2008 7:41 am

    Thank You Sensei!

  • jhay

    September 8th, 2008 8:36 am

    Balance is the key word here. Learn how and what to prioritize in blogging and stick to it.

  • Jess

    September 8th, 2008 8:43 am

    It’s so true….
    And what about just reading other people’s blogs? I waste so much time doing that…

    It’s amazing how time flies when your on the computer…I study on line as well. So I spend too much time on the computer than what I’d like. These days I actually force myself to have a bit more balance. I do gardening or go for a walk in the afternoons. Try and break it up a bit, otherwise it’s just unhealthy.

  • Scott Sheaffer

    September 8th, 2008 11:50 am

    100% correct on all counts. Balance in these things and good content are what we should strive for.

  • Ken Stewart

    September 8th, 2008 12:19 pm

    Can I get an amen! This stuff is all so incredibly useful and so very distracting. As they say, everything in moderation.

  • Jake@compounding-dividends.com

    September 8th, 2008 12:40 pm

    Good posts Darren but the list could just as easily be called “16 Things you must do as a Blogger”

  • Lipton of Starfeeder

    September 8th, 2008 12:56 pm

    Thanks for the reminder Darren :)

    I think I’ve focused a bit too much on that entire list for the last few months.. got to get back to the core, writing about the thing you love :)

  • Deepak

    September 8th, 2008 1:54 pm

    I totally agree with the SEO and design part of it.. Time just gets sucked up while doing those.
    http://projinfo.org

  • Ray The Money Man

    September 8th, 2008 2:05 pm

    OK, sometimes I feel like you are like a little devil sitting on my shoulder watching me. I am GUILTY of spending to much time on all of these important things and letting the content slide. Especially on my older “better” blogs. Thanks again for a great post, I am getting back on track tomorrow.

    http://tech-stock-investor.blogspot.com

  • Chris

    September 8th, 2008 2:36 pm

    Guilty as charged. It’s just so fun and rewarding–when it works. OK, balance is the key. Great post!

  • At Home with Kim Vallee

    September 8th, 2008 3:14 pm

    Since I often look for more time these days, I was in the process to set up a realistic schedule. I wish to better plan my time. People do not realize that being a blogger can require that many efforts. Like you said, it is a balancing act.

    I will keep your 16 points in mind in building my own agenda. I used to be a statistician, so I passed too much time looking at stats. At least, I am good at fulfilling my daily objective of how many posts a day. Thanks for shedding some light on the matter.

  • Dr. Michael Beck | Chiropractic Marketing

    September 8th, 2008 3:41 pm

    Mine are definitely SEO, reading others blogs, and analyzing stats. See, I’m even doing it now by readying this blog :)

  • cofidis

    September 8th, 2008 4:22 pm

    twitter is the most distractring tasks of all the above, i really recommend to try to disconect from any social media if you want to keep as a good blogger.

  • Kelvin Kao

    September 8th, 2008 4:47 pm

    Yeah, I agree with this points, and about the reading about how to blog part… Yeah, I used to spend more time here reading about that topic, but after a while, I am not learning as much anymore, and that’s just a natural thing. I know that I already have a lot of the knowledge being given, and it’s just a matter of choosing what works for me and putting it to work. It’s like reading about losing fat… you can learn all about what diet is good for you but it’s a waste of time if you already know that stuff and just don’t do it.

  • Ray Harvard

    September 8th, 2008 5:22 pm

    I’ve definitely had those days, where you’ve been busy working all day, but then come to the end of it and can’t remember what you’ve achieve and whay tou have done.

    I’ve started quickly jotting down the things I’m doing on a piece of paper, so that I can ook back at the end of the day and see what I actually did.

    Pretty useful for getting a grip on not having too many of those
    “What did I do”
    days.

  • WD Favour

    September 8th, 2008 5:40 pm

    I’ve had many of those days myself…
    This article simply goes to the heart of the matter. So far, my major source of distraction seems to be designing and redesign my blog site…

  • L-Jay

    September 8th, 2008 6:32 pm

    What distracts me from blogging is blogging too much. It sounds silly (at first) but sometimes I get ‘distracted’ on churning out posts rather than writing as a ‘blogger’ (meaning posting ‘value content’).

    How do I keep myself on track? - I live life. I get outside the house, I play with my family and I have personal interactions and experiences that always seem to re-focus me on my blogging. I blog about life in Norway - so it would be silly of me to sit at the computer all day writing (I don’t want to be ‘a Lonely Planet writer’…lol ;)

  • Lusy

    September 8th, 2008 6:58 pm

    This is a nice reminder.

    I’ve just started to use some of the services online and found them to be quite useful. There are times when I have to take a break from posting since I have to set them up properly. I don’t just open a service then leave it blank. Things are easy to use when they are organized.

    I can say one thing though. Twitter is addictive. I’m guilty beyond charge for that. :-P

    Yes, I agree with you - priority and balance. Thanks!

  • SEO Genius

    September 8th, 2008 8:29 pm

    Great post, i always seem to fall down that hole take for example now. I need to write articles but instead i find myself doing anything but writing articles.

    Its quite hard to stay focused.

  • Richard X. Thripp

    September 8th, 2008 9:09 pm

    Reading other personal development blogs and improving my design has been my biggest time sink. I’m finally getting away from that and writing with my own voice, though.

    Blog design is over-rated. Unless you have yellow text at 6 pt. on a white background, you’re fine. Interesting content gets read by interesting people, even if they have to read it in an ugly format. Once you build up popularity from your interesting content, people will be begging for the privilege of redesigning your blog for you. :)

  • Mike Collins

    September 8th, 2008 10:35 pm

    Great post Darren! I used to suffer from just about every form of distraction you can imagine (and still do at times). Then one day I realized I was spending so much time spinning my wheels that I wasn’t getting anywhere. That’s when I started scheduling time for reading other blogs, posting in forums, etc. I’ve found that blocking out a chunk of time for those activities helps me stay focused the rest of the day and my productivity has gone through the ceiling.

  • Ryan McLean

    September 8th, 2008 11:11 pm

    WOW! 52 Responses before mine.
    Bummer. Probably no one will ever read this.
    Thanks for the post darren

  • Pangeran

    September 8th, 2008 11:55 pm

    The only thing that can distracts me is the call of my beloved and the sounds of the Movie my mother watching. I can help to sit around with her and watch the movie with her. Besides, what this is all about (Try to make money - Online or Off line) if not for our family… Isn’t it?

    Who don’t agree?

  • Martina

    September 9th, 2008 12:10 am

    I can relate to all these potential time wasters - particularly the social networking sites and their somewhat annoying applications. Between all the poking here and poking there, you can’t get anything done ha h!
    At the moment I am juggling the planning of my nearly 4 year old daughter’s birthday party, keeping on top of my new blog which is about gifts, fashion, accessories & party ideas for little girls (so yes, both relate to each other) but I like Louise’s (Barnes Johnson) idea of setting a timer - it is so easy to get side tracked that this would work well for me - great post Darren & thanks for the tip Louise : )

  • autocad

    September 9th, 2008 12:13 am

    I think those you mentioned are all important but should be balanced. What hinders me really is procrastination and those things like looking at the stats all day are just the effect of procrastination. This is only my opinion and I’m maybe wrong….

  • Ross

    September 9th, 2008 12:20 am

    Also - site tweaking…

    I often find myself (wasting?) spending hours looking at little tweaks, updates, plugins and ways to improve site layout…

    Not that its not important, but can distract from most important thing - blogging!

  • Dr. Sandeep @ Famous Places in India

    September 9th, 2008 12:38 am

    The most distracting thing for me is my full time job.Often I have plans of posting lie 2-3 posts a day but the plan is spoiled when suddenly get a call from my hospital.

    The second most distracting thing is what you called ‘Analyzing stats’. Sometimes I start studying the anatomy of the blog stats for hours.

  • Roger

    September 9th, 2008 1:17 am

    Great advice! Thanks.

  • Tip Dad

    September 9th, 2008 1:44 am

    To be honest, most of my distractions happen offline (work, family, etc.). However, I have found networking to be a distraction in terms of the interaction required to maintain those relationships. Of course, I owe much of my early success to fellow network partners, so membership really is a double-edged sword.

  • 5 New Do-Follow Social Bookmarks

    September 9th, 2008 4:42 am

    Great observation, it is important to keep balance and still perform all the important tasks

  • Holly

    September 9th, 2008 5:14 am

    I spent a ton of my time doing these things for a while, then I realized that between school and socializing I did not get any blogging done. So I stopped and it’s worked much better.

  • Angel Cuala

    September 9th, 2008 10:16 am

    When I sit and open my pc, the first thing I check is my mail and if there are comments on my blog posts, I moderate them, reply if I feel it is necessary or visit their blogs whether they are my niche or not. For me, the most important people in my blog are my readers so I prioritize them.

    I also read some of my subscriptions such as yours, so I guess you are a part of the distraction. Well, not really because I am learning a lot from you, Darren.

    Anyway, I think you forgot to mention managing and joining blog contests. I once held a contest to promote my blog, and it is really time consuming although it was rewarding in the end.

    You’re right though. This is all about time balancing and management. It is all about setting priorities. And it is the time that is killing us bloggers.

    Thanks!

  • Stefani

    September 9th, 2008 11:05 am

    Thanks so much for this - I really needed it. I tend to go off balance either in too many of these activities and no writing, or all writing and none of the activities. I’m new and so the balance thing just hasn’t happened yet. I’ll be bookmarking this post so I can reference it to keep tabs on myself. Thanks again!

  • FaridSulaiman.com

    September 9th, 2008 12:39 pm

    Sometime I spend 2 hours reading other people blog to get some information and learn sometihing new, like this blog.

  • UK VPS

    September 9th, 2008 3:28 pm

    Yeh there is no point trying to get at people for copyright violations, unless you are rich and have a team of laywers. Better just to create some new content and tell google about it staight away using digg.

  • Dilip

    September 9th, 2008 6:13 pm

    Social network is definitely a distraction. But social life can be a distraction too. For example if I have a fight with my wife, I am unable to blog for the rest of the day.

  • gout

    September 9th, 2008 6:43 pm

    yes darren, very useful for me …thanks

  • Nappy Rash

    September 9th, 2008 6:46 pm

    I have to agree that it is incredibly easy to spend a great deal amount of time doing tasks that distract you from your main goal and focus - and a worthwhile skil to learn to do the opposite. A lot of things you do on the Internet look as if they are making a contribution and are worthy tasks, but these are perhaps not as effective at contributing to your overall goal as other (perhaps less fun) tasks. Since time began a core human skill has been learning to prioritize and organize your time by tackling the most important tasks first and this will never really change. It has always amazed me how some of the most successful people in the world do not appear to work very hard, but they just ‘work smart’ to use and old cliche.

  • Mel Menzies

    September 9th, 2008 8:33 pm

    Hi Darren,
    Yet again - spot on advice. I’m very new to this and probably in a different league to everyone else in that I’m in the business of writing books, so my blog is to attract readers to buy them. I spend hours looking at stats for my site and worrying about why, of all the readers who come, so few leave comments. I’ve asked questions. I’m about to do a guest blog. I’m running a competition. I’d love for you to look at my blog and see what recommendations you could make.

    Incidentally, when you talk about guest blogging, do you put the guest’s content on your blog, or do you link with theirs?
    Mel Menzies

  • Julie

    September 10th, 2008 1:58 am

    Thank you, thank you, Darren. As a brand new blogger and not a bit technical or savvy or with it or anything else that leads to popularity in the blogging world, I was overwhelmed at first.

    I very quickly realized I needed to keep my priorities straight. For me, it’s not about popularity. I just want to have a place where I can share my thoughts and practice finding my voice. It’s not to build readership or have the most or best or any other superlative of any aspect of blogging. And at the outset, I could see (on other sites) there were people commenting for the sake of doing so. What a time waster for everyone!

    You have reaffirmed to me that I’m doing okay. Of course I can make improvements (and I’m gathering some ideas), but my main focus for now is how to add this beautiful task to an already overpacked schedule—and to learn to do it fairly well. I think that’s enough for a start.

    You’ve calmed my little internal storm, and I thank you very much. I don’t feel quite so much like a wee one lost in the dark, anymore.

    ~Julie

    PS: I’m saving your list! I might need reminding. ;)

  • Athan

    September 10th, 2008 4:01 am

    blog designs and social networking.. these two are somehow what I consider distracting my focus on blogging. whew!

  • att

    September 10th, 2008 10:11 am

    Such a delicate balance…only the truly successful bloggers have mastered it.

  • impNERD

    September 10th, 2008 1:11 pm

    Happens all the time! It is hard to manage the time, but it is important to set aside a certain amount for each activity.

  • Workplace

    September 11th, 2008 1:31 am

    I guess I am wasting my time in your blog.

  • Marie Thompson

    September 11th, 2008 6:53 am

    I agree with your post and have faced the same problems/distractions as a newbie blogger. The most time consuming distraction for me had to be thinking of ways to improve my site layout ..therefore improving number of visitors, until I found this amazing copywriting tool called Glyphius. The Glyphius software can be used for any blog layout and all other copywriting needs. This product has saved me a tremendous amount of time and effort in tweeking my site design in addition to improving the flow of traffic to my site.

  • Carla

    September 11th, 2008 9:17 am

    I tend to get distracted with trying to solve a problem (usually computed/web based) and end up spending hours on it. Like transferring my Wordpress.com blog to .org. That took me half the day!

  • Norm

    September 11th, 2008 1:32 pm

    Yeah I always getting distracted reading others people blogs. But perhaps best way to combat this is to set aside a set time each day or week to do certain task. Read people blogs once a week instead of daily.

    Been a blogger it is important to socialise and do all those things.

  • suskanchan

    September 11th, 2008 2:24 pm

    I totally agree with you. Be it social media, social networking or just posting comments to some other blogs, you DO tend to get distracted from the core component of blogging i.e, content creation. Look at me, I just logged on and found this post, and now I can’t resist the temptation to post a comment although my day has been scheduled to begin otherwise. Anyways, nice post…

  • bagus

    September 12th, 2008 1:39 am

    Just did most of the list today…and one of it were read your posts in this blog lol

  • J.D.

    September 12th, 2008 3:18 am

    It’s all about Discipline. Write your content first. Then, work on all the other important stuff.

    1. Write your content.
    2. You really need to Guest Blog.
    3. Work on everything else, like networking with other bloggers, your Del.icio.us social bookmarking, and posting on bloggers forums, helping out your fellow bloggers, and posting replies on pertinent blogs.

    You gotta have discipline. There is so much going on in blogging, that personal discipline is paramount. Otherwise you just drown in all the other stuff.

  • Nappy Rash

    September 12th, 2008 3:33 am

    Does anyone know of any good task management websites - online task management. I know there are list makers out there but I was thinking about something closer to Microsoft Project but online, similar functionality. This would hugely help prioritization for me at least.

  • Mr

    September 12th, 2008 5:37 am

    Wow so true. Doing almost all the 16 every single day. Good post.

  • Amy Derby

    September 12th, 2008 8:56 am

    My biggest distraction is reading other blogs. It’s a fun, worthwhile distraction, but a distraction nonetheless. :-)

  • How to Blog

    September 12th, 2008 10:02 am

    Recently, tweaking with my Blog’s Design and tweaking with AdSense colors and placement was my big “time consumer.” Not to mention the fact that I was always checking my statistics and my earnings when I could have been providing quality content for my readers.

    Content is king. If you write more and your articles are well written then the links will follow. The true way to blogging success… Content is king. Period.

  • Ryan Graves

    September 12th, 2008 2:23 pm

    I think that reading and intelligently commenting on other blogs in your niche are the most important things that you can do to drive travel and grow your base.

    Also, to answer as many comments as humanly possible. If you don’t talk back than other won’t comment. Driving the conversation is mission critical!

    check me out at http://ryanagraves.com

  • Nathan

    September 12th, 2008 7:30 pm

    Good post and I find myself distracted by many of those items. Tools like Twitter are useful when used properly, but it is so easy to become obsessed or distracted with every post on the list. My personal strategy is to follow who I can and hope that my reader list will grow, but also realizing that quality content trumps most other forms of advertising.
    I use addons to tweet new posts and make social bookmarking on my site easy for the readers, which saves me time and hassle.

  • iAke

    September 13th, 2008 12:47 am

    Thank you for your god post.

    I love to submit digg, every time I post a new entry.

  • Chika de Manila

    September 13th, 2008 2:25 am

    #4 & 12
    I spent so much time changing templates, designing, redesigning, tweaking, resizing, only to end up going back to the basics, and ignoring all what I’ve done. I have lost count on the number of blogs and website I have created and closed.
    But at least I learned a lot from doing these.

  • The Collegiate Gourmet

    September 13th, 2008 4:59 am

    I came up with a daily checklist, because I was way too scattered with all of the things you talk about in this post. Now, I can sit down, check all of the items off and then get down to writing.

  • Nick Stamoulis

    September 13th, 2008 10:25 am

    The web is a double-edged sword..we have the ability to do great things on it but sites like these completely take us away from much of what has to be done! Too many distractions!

  • Jack Payne

    September 13th, 2008 2:21 pm

    Too good a description of my time–a big waste.

  • NATASHA, Think-ologist

    September 13th, 2008 9:22 pm

    This is so true. Great info.
    Wellness & Blessings to you

  • Young Che

    September 14th, 2008 12:59 am

    I had a day like that yesterday. I ended up getting sidetracked by #4 - Blog Design. Today it looks like its gonna be a combination of
    #6 - Reading other Blogs in Your Niche & #7 - Reading about How to Blog. Blocking time for content creation is a great suggestion that I will have to implement.

  • The Good Blog Guide

    September 14th, 2008 1:42 am

    My classic mistake is spending too much time trying to tweak the look of my site.

    Im very happy with how it looks now but I still find myself neglecting the important tasks that need doing.

    Listen to Darren everyone. He is a Pro after all!! :)

  • VeRonda

    September 14th, 2008 10:11 am

    Hey Darren… You know, I feel you on these items. As a blogger, you really just want to get it all right, but like anything else, it takes time. Thanks for the reminder of what’s really important and setting priorities.

  • Holly

    September 15th, 2008 3:02 am

    I find it very difficult to stay on track when promoting because just blog hopping can turn into an all day task very easily. You go to a blog, read a post, comment, find another post you like, comment and etc. and before you know it, you’ve read 4 blogs from start to finish, archives and all and it’s 8 hours later and you’re tired and want to go to bed. I find it works to keep an eye on the clock, make sure I’m at least standing up, if not going away from the computer at least once an hour or so, getting something to eat and going back to what I had first intended to do.

  • pearlin

    September 15th, 2008 5:05 am

    The trick lies in prioritising - do what is important that will move you towards your goals. Jack Canfield, co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul, developed what he calls the “Rule of 5″ to meet his goal of getting Chicken Soup for the Soul, to the top of the New York Times Best-Seller List.

    Jack’s “Rule of 5″ requires that every day, Jack does five specific things to move his goal to completion.

    Completing five things each day doesn’t sound like much, but imagine this:
    Five pages of writing a day equal seven 250 page books in a year.
    Five new customers a day equal 1,825 customers in a year.
    The list could go on forever.
    By the way, Jack met his goal. Chicken Soup for the Soul, eventually sold over 8 million copies in 39 languages.
    How did he do it?

    He did five things a day.

  • Henry Griner -WhoIsHenry-com

    September 15th, 2008 6:33 am

    Yup Darren, you hit me right between the eyes with this one… but your list is tooo short.

    I have way too many interests in techie things and many others so I would add to your list with:

    17. Testing new video software.

    18. Editing my videos to make them “perfect” for posting to my blog and other websites.

    19. Talking too long on the phone with clients and prospects about the “how to’s” of Internet Marketing.

    20. And a big one for me, now in my 7th month of being free of the J.O.B., taking time off whenever I want to or my wife wants me to rather than planning time off for good behavior in my daily and weekly schedule.

    Being a full-time Internet Marketer/Blogger requires me to constantly look at better ways to manage my time. Thanks for your post that reminds me of this important part of my daily work.

    Henry

  • Jo

    September 15th, 2008 12:09 pm

    You are so right, it is so easy to get sidetracked. One really needs to stay focused in order to accomplish short and long term goals.

  • Jason Cunningham

    September 15th, 2008 1:07 pm

    Sometimes it is easy to get distracted. You have listed a number of good reasons why bloggers get sidetracked. Good post!

  • amy

    September 20th, 2008 10:11 pm

    these are really some useful tips. I got to know about a lot from your blog , as I also used commit some mistakes mentioned by you.

  • Hicham

    September 21st, 2008 8:43 am

    Thanks a lot for this handy checklist to follow-up with. I already apply some tasks but others need to be on the track.

  • JLibbey

    October 8th, 2008 1:05 am

    My biggest distractions are Google analytics and checking my multiple email accounts, including three for my business.

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