As I wind down this blogging experiment, it’s time to start thinking about the future of WriterSanctuary. No, I’m not going anywhere. But I do need to come up with a plan that will keep us going in the right direction.
Writing 90 blog posts in 30 days isn’t as easy as some might think. It’s not like I just simply whip out a piece of content inside of an hour. Especially since I usually focus on long-form content and SEO most of the time.
Also, keep in mind that I do work for GreenGeeks on top of all this. Needless to say, I simply don’t have time to do everything I want to do.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though. Sometimes it’s best to pull back on some things so others can get your full attention to become successful.
What is the Plan of Action for October?
Even though my stress levels are peaking, I’m still kind of glad that I put myself through this little slice of hell. It opened my eyes to just how much I’m trying to do and that I’m not superhuman.
It was a lesson that I really needed to learn as I have a habit of saying, “Sure, I can add that to the pile.”
So, after this little experiment is over in the next day or two, I’ve been thinking about how I am going to handle the next month.
Taking Some Time Off!
I haven’t had an actual day off since August 29th. And technically, I won’t have one until October 2nd. But, I am going to relax a bit throughout the week after my GreenGeeks work is done.
Instead of worrying about content, I’m going to focus on myself for a change. For one thing, I haven’t pulled out the Halloween decorations yet.
I know I’ll probably feel a bit guilty for not writing or making videos. But if I don’t take time for myself, I run the risk of burning out and just being done with everything.
And I really don’t want that.
Prioritizing Certain Projects
After my break, I’m going to get back into production mode. What this means is that I’m going to start focusing on projects that are a priority for myself and my audience.
For example, I am dedicating massive swaths of time specifically to finishing the eBook. One of my goals is to actually start the self-publishing process before Halloween.
I’m also going to dedicate specific time blocks to setting up YouTube videos. After all, I’m almost to the finish line of being monetized. I would love to do a celebratory giveaway once that happens.
My point is that I need to take a day to figure out exactly what the most important things are to me right now and make sure they are getting adequate time.
Going Back to Flesh Out Well-Written Pieces
I’m also setting time aside to go back over articles of the past month and flesh them out. Some of them have the potential to drive quite a bit of traffic.
Updates usually don’t take much time to throw together. Some might require a bit more research for length, style, search intent, and context. However, some might just need a bit here and there to rank high in a few months.
I’ve seen blog posts grow over 8,000% in six months from simple 200-word additions.
Not to mention that I always try to deliver the best information I can. And some of this month’s articles were a bit lacking, I think.
Changing Daily Goals
So, here is probably one of the most important changes I’m making after this month of blogging hell. Instead of focusing so much on word count, I am going to shift to time management.
I want to be more efficient in my day, and a lot of what I do nowadays doesn’t involve a lot of writing.
This doesn’t mean that I’m a bad blogger. It just means my priorities have changed slightly. Besides, I’m still working on content. It’s just in other forms, such as the YouTube channel or eBooks.
Since I keep track of every minute I put into work and projects, my goal is to make sure I surpass my yearly average of time per day. And yes, this is tracked by my spreadsheet as I love convoluted equations.
Deep Diving Certain Content
Although my viewers and readers often drive what I create, I do need to spend a bit of time diving deeper into certain forms of content. This doesn’t mean that you don’t inspire me to create, though.
It just means that I need to find a few topics each month that are focused on what the majority of consumers are looking for in Google and YouTube.
I plan on setting aside a block of time for R&D for the blog and YouTube channel. In fact, I plan on paying for Rank Tracker to help with this in the near future.
Yep, I’m actually dumping a bit of money into content development.
Pulling Back on Certain “Wants”
One of the biggest reasons why I’m not more successful as an author, YouTuber, Twitch streamer, or blogger is because I spread myself too thin. When you take on as much as I do, there’s not enough adequate time to put into the things that actually work.
This past blogging experiment has demonstrated to me that I need to release a few things so that the priorities can be realized.
I’m not totally giving up on the side projects, mind you. I’m just pulling back a little bit, delegating some tasks, and focusing added attention on the more important projects.
For instance, I want the gaming channel to take off. But I need to get my eBook and VII written and published.
Not Stressing if I Can’t Get it All Done
One thing I am guilty of doing a lot these days is stressing out because I can’t get everything done in a day. I feel like I’m letting people down and not providing the best version of myself.
I need to realize that some things are just unavoidable. Sometimes a good piece of content is going to take much longer than an hour and a half to write.
Sometimes a YouTube video is going to take six hours to record, edit, and upload.
As long as I hit my goals for being time-efficient, that’s all that should really matter. It’s good for my mental health as well as for the audience because it means you’ll get higher-quality content.
Plenty of Personal Records Broken in 2021!
In January, I was focusing on making 2021 a banner year for myself. Here I am, 10 months later, and I’ve broken a slew of personal and professional records.
Every website is on track to have more visitors this year than last. I am just one chapter away from having my first official eBook published. The YouTube channel is roughly two months away from being monetized.
I’ve even already put more time into working and being a creator than I did in 2020. It’s been an epic year.
The one thing that has stayed consistent throughout this whole ordeal is the reaction from my audience. You guys are awesome, and the support you’ve given me over the years just keeps me wanting to take things further.
I suppose that’s why I get so mad at myself when I skip a blog post or when I don’t upload a new video. I constantly feel like I let you guys down.
However, I plan on making the last quarter of the year something spectacular. I just need to take a breath after this past month.
What Are Your Plans for October?
We still have three full months left of 2021. Even if the last nine haven’t been all that grandiose for you, there’s still time to end it on a high note. It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish.
So, let’s get some motivation going and see what we can do to end 2021 with a bang. Let’s set some goals and put in the effort to see them through.
What kinds of things are you looking to accomplish this month?
- Goals I’m Working On to Wrap Up 2024 - November 1, 2024
- Showing vs Telling: How to Engage a Reader - October 30, 2024
- Writing the Book: Ideas to Finish the First Draft - October 28, 2024