This post brought to you by ATracker by Wonderapps. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Feeling Fit.

Bloggers juggle so many roles, here are some tips that I have learned that help me to manage my blogging time. I am also excited to share one of my favorite free time management apps  ATracker (App store) and how to use it to help manage your time as a blogger.

Time Management Tips For Bloggers

A blogger’s job is never done! Writing content, creating images, researching articles, testing products, connecting with collaborators, promoting on social media. Whew! There is always something to do.

Most bloggers do not have the luxury of focussing on their blog full time. We juggle our blogs with other work, family, fitness (hopefully!), and the rest of our lives.

A year of blogging has taught me a lot about time management. I also still have a lot to learn. I just wanted to share a few tips on time management for bloggers.

Tips To Manage Your Time As A Blogger:

1. Put First Things First

I believe I borrowed that from the classic self-help book “Seven Habits of Productive People.”  Or in other words — Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize! As bloggers, we juggle many roles. There is always something we need to do. If we choose what is most important to us and to our readers, then life is easier.

2. Learn To Say No

I spent the first year of my blogging life saying “yes!”. If an appropriate and interesting opportunity came along, I decided to fit it in. I don’t regret this as I learned so much about what does and does not work for me. But I have a long list of things I want to do “when I have time”. This year I will make time but saying no a little more often.

3. Curate Ruthlessly

Lifestyle bloggers tend to be curators. We curate other posts for round-ups, we curate trends, tips, resources. As a frequent reviewer, I see reviewing products as a step in the curation process. The best curators stick with a theme, intention, or purpose. Always wear your curation hat while blogging. Visiting another blogger’s site? Great, this may be a great time to note URLs that you want to share on your social media or in round-up posts. Looking for that perfect stock image? If you see another, you think you may use, download it and note the source.

4. See Where Your Time Is Going

The easiest way to track how you spend your time is to use ATracker. You simply open the app and click on the category you wish to time, tap again to stop the timer.

ATracker is immensely valuable if you feel busy, but just do not know where the time goes. Try following your normal schedule, but use ATracker to keep track of the time you spend in your different tasks or roles as a blogger.

I like to track my activity by categories; I track time spent networking on social media, promoting posts, answering email messages, writing posts, working on graphics, dealing with technical issues, etc.

After you track this information, ATracker makes it easy to see where your time went. The presentation  includes colorful charts and graphics. 

I learned I spend way too much time answering email and on social media. Be sure and carefully evaluate how you used your time. Was it productive? Did you spend too much time on the things that do not matter? Did you spend enough time on those first things that you are putting first?

ATracker is as stylish as it is useful. Some versions of the app allow custom colors and custom “skins.”

5. Budget Your Time

After you evaluate how you spend your time, consider what (if anything) you want to change.

Use that information to budget your blogging time and use ATracker to track your progress.

6. Make Use of Helpful Time-Saving Apps

The right apps can save hours. I like apps that automate certain tasks, allow me to pre-schedule tasks or index my notes and information into an easily searchable virtual library.

Some of my favorite time-saving apps

• ATracker — an easy to use, fantastic time management app
• Evernote — multiplatform notes app that make my notes searchable
• Google — I use Gmail, Google calendar, Google Docs, Google Analytics, the list goes on. The nice thing is they play nicely together. If an email contains a deadline, I can click on the date to create a calendar entry or task.

I have other favorites, but those are the biggies for time management.

7. Consider a paper planner

As much as I like my apps, there are certain things I find easier with a paper planner. I like to use a paper planner to write my intentions and planned todo’s for the day. This is a personal preference, but there is just something about writing.

 

If you are interested in seeing more information about ATracker, be sure to visit my previous review. Or download ATracker (App store) 

Talking Points:

What are your favorite ways to save or manage time? What time management challenges do you face? I would love to hear from you!