15 Ways to Boost Your Confidence in Your Writing: Kill the Doubt

The first blog post I had ever written for this blog scared me senseless. I knew the material after years assisting Expert Authors and leading an incredible group of editors, but that first post … I stared a blank screen. I wrote a few lines, deleted them, wrote a few lines, deleted them, and continued repeating the cycle. I checked email and caught up on a few other projects. When Penny hinted at my approaching deadline for it, I finally locked the door to my office and churned out one of the worst drafts I’ve likely ever written in my life.

But that’s okay! It’s just the first draft, so who cares?! The first draft is always the toughest, but it didn’t defeat me and it certainly doesn’t have to defeat you. Through confiding in Penny and getting feedback from other writers, it dawned on me, like many of you may have experienced when you began writing or are experiencing right now:

It’s not your skills getting in the way of your first draft. It’s your confidence in your writing that’s holding you back.

Here are 15 ways you can give your writing confidence a shot in the arm to get through any period of doubt and back into the writing saddle.

15 Ways to Boost Your Confidence in Your Writing

    Read: Besides the obvious keeping the pulse on the world and expanding your knowledge base, reading is like immersing yourself in the laboratories of other writers. You learn their discoveries, shadow their experiments, and can use that knowledge to experiment in your own writing as well.
    
    Write Every Day: In a journal, spend at least 10 minutes every day free writing – ignore spelling, grammar, or even staying on topic; write whatever is on your mind for 10 minutes. This will help pave the way to write more throughout your day.
    
    Write with Abandon: In the film world, the “one take wonder” is an incredibly rare thing. Altering this and that, film crews shoot take after take to get what they need. The same is true for writing. You will not have the perfect draft on the first take. Let your first draft be terrible and improve upon it later.
    
    Understand the Language: Often the most intimidating part of writing is grammar and style. Treat grammar like a skill you would acquire for any trade: understand the technicalities (such as apostrophes and rein in ellipses), develop your style, and find your tone.
    
    Be Reasonable: Don’t write as fast as you can to “get it over with.” You’ll only stunt your growth. You know the saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Take your time with your writing, so you can grow. You’ll improve your speed as you improve your skill set.
    
    Re-Motivate: Feel like you’ve gone so far off your original path that you lack the motivation to write? Was it to help others? Was it to share your enthusiasm? Go back to the source and find the real reason why you began writing. Alternately, your reasons for writing may have changed over time – whatever it is find out why you want to write and renew your passion for writing.
    
    Connect With People: Avoid isolating yourself and gain a support network – whether composed of other writers or simply those who support you in your writing endeavors. Use the creative energy that you gain from reaching out to other people and feed it into your writing.
    
    Be Open to Feedback: Many writers cringe at the idea of submitting their precious work for a critique. Find someone you trust (who will be unbiased and honest) to provide suggestions for improvement as well as what they liked or disliked.
    
    Talk About It: Tell friends, family, peers, and even your fans about your current writing projects. Get their input and more importantly, share your enthusiasm. This will help you believe in your writing. That said, know when it’s time to stop talking and start writing.
    
    Be Okay With the Flow: Writers often get a bad reputation for being wildly exuberant or compulsively frenetic. Go with your flow. If you go through crazy productive streaks of writing, then ride it. Just remember to get out and connect with others to avoid isolation.
    
    Think of Editing Positively: Writers will often treat editing like they’re sending their article to the dentist to drill and fill dozens of cavities. Treat editing like you’re sending the article to the spa: a massage for formatting, a manicure for the introduction, a pedicure for the conclusion, etc.
    
    Improve Your Focus: If you can’t sit down without distractions, it may be possible that you are perpetuating those distractions. Identify those habits that steal your time and then adjust your routine. Accommodate the distraction (such as schedule 10 minutes to check your email before you sit down to write) or eliminate it altogether.
    
    Believe You Can Write: You can be your worst critic. Stop beating yourself up each time you hit a writing roadblock. Cultivate your skills, find the right tools, and get feedback, but above all: believe in your ability to write. You’re not going to succeed in writing unless you believe you can.
    
    Write What You Love: There’s the old adage, “Write what you know,” but what if what really makes you want to passionately write for hours on end is based on discovering what you don’t know? Toss that old cliché. Write about what motivates you and interests you because that passion will help you build confidence in your writing.
    
    Overcome the Fear: What are you waiting for? Publish your articles. There’s that moment before you hit submit, where risk and reward intermingle. Our IT developers here call it “The Fear.” When you’ve crossed all of your t’s and dotted your i’s, but you still have that hairy feeling like you missed something. It’s better to take the risk and try than to never submit. Once you’ve developed a process and a rapport with your editors, it gets much easier.

Sumber : 15 Ways to Boost Your Confidence in Your Writing: Kill the Doubt

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ondeonde 20:26  

7 Keys to Repair a Severed Connection with Your Audience

Maintaining reader engagement is hard.

There are dozens of minuscule details that can make or break your audience’s distraction-prone, hair-trigger attention span. Make it and you’ll have gained a reader. Break it and you’ll lose a reader.

If you ended up making a bad impression due to a down website, a stray typo in your article, or even a negative review, then it’s important to remember: it isn’t the end of the world.

It’s an opportunity.

You may lose a battle here and there, but your commitment to get back up when you fall and improve your strategy will help you achieve a successful outcome.

Take the opportunity now to get back on track.

7 Keys to Repair Your Connection With Your Readers

1. Is That the Time?! You Ran Out of Time, Again

You’re busy. They (your audience) get it. Frankly, your audience doesn’t care whether you balanced a bowl of soup on your head while riding a unicycle, made tea, and wrote your article at the same time. They do care, however, that you took the time to carefully craft that article for them because once they’ve read it, your article will make an impact, big or small, on their personal or professional life.

Your Key to Opportunity: Decide on your goals and the outcome you want to achieve. Create to-do lists and plan for the unexpected by reserving time to deal with it each day. Whatever you do: Write that article.

2. Yawn … Your Audience Isn’t Paying Attention

Your articles are BORING. They regurgitate the same tips everyone else is delivering and they’re duller than [insert the title of the most boring book you've ever read]. Your articles should grab your readers’ attention by the lapels, lively shake them about with descriptive language, and move them with helpful advice they can apply to their lives.

Your Key to Opportunity: Read outside of your niche and consider how it may relate or impact your topic. Learn something new to expand your skillset and experiences. Dredge up those old memories and consider how your audience can learn from your experiences. And don’t leave your audience hanging after delivering an insightful article: propose a call to action where a task or lifestyle change is recommended, and offer incentive when completed or embraced. Direct them towards something that may appeal to them that is original and that they can follow up on it with you.

3. Whoops! You Let an Error Slip Through

Nobody is perfect. When you get called out on a mistake and your credibility takes a hit, it can take a lot out of you. In writing, this can include grammatical errors, spelling blunders, or conflicting information.

Your Key to Opportunity: Thoroughly check your articles (or anything written) before committing them. Get a second set of eyes on it to catch those tiresome errors. If an error is made public, cover your bases with grace and seal the wound. Accept the error with great humility, apologize for it, thank whoever brought it to your attention, correct it or amend it, and propose a healthy resolution for the future.

4. Is This Thing Working? You Have Challenges Spreading the Word

Promoting isn’t always easy. You perform research so your promotion rolls over your audience like a wave of fresh air, rather than an unwanted tidal blast. Who’s your target audience? Are you only in your comfort zone or do you want to step out and test different waters? What worked in the past that is no longer an effective campaign? SO many questions!

Your Key to Opportunity: Find out who your audience is – even if it’s your best guess – and then publish an article targeting them. Measure your audience’s response: consider the message, the tone, the place you placed the article, and much more. Get out there and test. Challenge yourself to leverage the best promotion strategy for your platform.

5. Why Me?! Someone Is Being Difficult

Even in your proudest moment or achievement, there’s always a possibility of someone going after you. Some people like to get under your skin and slow you down when you’re almost at the top. You can even be heckled in front of others.

Your Key to Opportunity: The worst thing you can do is ignore them, or let them feel like their thoughts don’t matter to you. Turn the tables and employ humor. Laughter can help soothe the attack and let the person know you’re confident in your stance and willing to negotiate to create a positive outcome for everyone involved. Ask them to propose a resolution to give them a sense of ownership. From there, you can negotiate a positive outcome.

6. Error 404 or Not Found … Technology Goes Kaput

Technology can simply make the impossible possible. However, it can also cause a lot of stress and leave you hanging. We’ve all had that heart in throat moment when our computers have crashed after an hour’s worth of work and we pray that we saved recently or that all isn’t lost. What’s worse, when our websites decide to go on the fritz and prevents our visitors from interacting with our website.

Your Key to Opportunity: First, always compulsively save and remain calm. If it’s lost, then you’ll just have to start over or change your strategy. No sense in losing your head over it. Secondly, there are dozens of free services you can sign up for to alert you when your website isn’t running smoothly. Many times, the first place people will go to find out if a website is down is on social media, so be sure to send out a message on those channels letting your audience know that your website is back and running. Most people are compassionate and understand the issues when you reach out to them.

7. You Think You’re Better Than Me or Huh? Your Content Is Over Their Head

“[Jargon, jargon, and more jargon]. If you don’t do [jargon], then [more jargon]. That’s why you should [some more jargon].” What are you trying to say? No one wants to read an article or content that they can’t relate to or makes them feel like an idiot.

Your Key to Opportunity: You’re the expert, but your audience may not be. Avoid regurgitating facts people can’t relate. Find common ground with your audience and connect on a broader approach by sharing relatable and relevant experiences while breaking down confusing content into terms your audience can understand.

Keeping your readers engaged while effectively avoiding possible disaster can be hard work for the average writer. Check in with your audience personally to see what they’re currently interested in and ask for feedback to get a bird’s eye view of how they’re responding to your content. Take polls or surveys to keep on your toes and show your readers that they matter. Not only will your tips and advice brilliantly shine, but your commitment to excellence will too.

How do you ensure you’re connected to your readers? Do you have any stories to share about having severed a connection with your audience and how your repaired it? Let us know – we’d love to hear from you!

Sumber : 7 Keys to Repair a Severed Connection with Your Audience

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ondeonde 20:23  

10 Ways to Make People Fall in Love with Your Article

We’re going to skip the cliches about love, romance, and other sundries.

You want to know how to make people fall in love with your articles.

Let me be frank with you: it’s not a walk in the park. It takes being honest with yourself and practice, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile!

These 10 steps will help you connect with readers, build your exposure, and you’ll have a lot more fun with your writing in the process.

Let’s get started.

1. Calling all thrill-seeking titles!

A good title is the difference between stating “I have a story to tell you” and “you’re not going to believe what just happened to me.” The latter always trumps the former – always. People want to be surprised and even possibly shocked. They want to feel included, like you’re sharing some private secret or giving them information that’s exclusively for them.

Write a title. In fact, write up to 10 different titles approaching your topic from varying angles – surprise, danger, hope, happiness, etc. Review your list. Which one jumps out and grabs you the most? Pick the title that uses strong power words, promises information while still evoking curiosity, and is most relevant to your readers.


2. Ha! You call that an introduction?

“Benjamin Franklin was a great inventor.” Yawn! Stop writing like you’re a teenager just trying to get by with your boring old essay introductions to your English teacher. “Want to lose weight?” Well, considering there’s 192,000,000 results in Google alone for that phrase – that’s a safe assumption for a good many people. Can we do a little better, people?

You can. Forget the niceties and jump right into it. Introductions are no place for small talk – they are where you reveal information that compels your reader to continue reading. Make it honest. Make it memorable. Make it count.

3. Nice body.

Are your articles easy on the eyes? Many authors make the mistake of writing articles, again, like they’re writing an essay for their high school English teacher: An introduction, body, and conclusion without pause between paragraphs. Or they write 400 words in one fat paragraph – the equivalent of throwing reader’s attention span into a pool and demanding it to hold its breath for 2 minutes.

Whip your article body into shape! Watch those word counts by trimming irrelevant information. Keep paragraphs between 4-5 sentences (depending on the length of each sentence of course!). Break up content into bite-sized chunks using revealing sub-headers before main paragraphs as well as integrate easy-to-read ordered or unordered lists.

4. Leave your fingerprint.

You wouldn’t attempt to peddle a knock off, like a purse, shoes, or device, of another brand, would you? So why would you take another author’s idea and spin it or try to pass it off as your own? Knock offs are never better than the real deal. Your content is an extension of you and your brand. It’s your contribution – not someone else’s – to your niche.

Don’t imitate, spin, plagiarize, and be ambiguous. By that token, you obviously can’t hold yourself back by reinventing the tried and trusted proverbial wheel. Create original, custom content that has your unique fingerprint. Share your experiences. Use your voice. Tell your story through your writing. Allow your personality to shine.


5. Drive action with active voice.

First, we have no objections to passive voice – it has it’s time and place. However, when your readers want answers and they want them yesterday, the ever promising and less-confusing active voice is the way to go. Next, consider if you were speaking in front of a room full of strangers looking to you for help: would you rather be that charismatic motivator or the wet-blanket afterthought? Hopefully, not the latter because you may be in the wrong business.

Motivators activate. A good way to remember how to use active voice is to situate your writing so your subject performs the action, rather than receives it. For example, when this passive statement, “excuses should be let go by you,” becomes “let go of excuses” (with a few liberties on dropping “you” in commands of course), we’ve activated the tone. Compel with action: use active voice.

6. Write conversationally …

… while adhering to acceptable etiquette of course! (Please keep profanity to yourself!) Most people don’t go out of their way to avoid ending sentences in a preposition. For example, in the formal “For whom is this apple?” vs. the informal “Who is this apple for?” most readers are inclined to feel the latter is more relatable – more their speed – than the former. My point is not to call attention to whether it’s a sad state of affairs that grammar is evolving at an unfavorable speed (or direction) or not.

People feel more comfortable with contractions (like “You didn’t write” vs. “You did not write”) because it seems less accusatory or that sense of finality. They like short to mid-length sentences that don’t make them feel clumsy for tripping over a semicolon. It’s not about challenge – they still want challenge! If they didn’t, the likes of Leo Tolstoy and James Joyce would be lost forever. It’s about understanding the content in a way they can relate to and understand in as little time as possible. Again, this is article writing and content marketing – not academic writing. Keep it simple!

7. Stir emotion!

Your writing can make a huge impact on your readers – but only if you choose to be honest with them in a way they can relate. Now, I’m not saying every part of your article needs the “wear your heart on your sleeve” honesty. However, I am saying that if you want to connect with your readers, you need to appeal to their emotions.

Emotions are triggered by memories. So tap into your readers’ happiness, anger, joy, frustration, hope, and emotional identity by sharing yours in multi-color. Again, think of yourself as a charismatic speaker in front of a crowd. If you get up there to tell them black and white facts, all you’re going to hear is the occasional cough interrupting the crickets. You know you need to develop momentum and no forward building motion is built better than telling an honest story that readers can relate to.

8. Make them feel.

Feeling and sensation is a powerful tool that many authors fail to achieve in their writing because they often confuse it with emotion. Tapping into feeling can make your articles more memorable: it’s the difference between saying, “He was ready to take offense” and “He was prickly.” The former is a personality trait that’s not entirely memorable. However, the latter depicts a bristling man whose thorny attitude will only result in pricking you should you choose to engage with him.

Tap into your audience’s senses: sight, touch, smell, and taste. Describe moments or ideas objectively or subjectively. Employ analogies by comparing two or more things, use similes to show how something is like another, and try out a metaphor to convey an idea.

9. Don’t over promise and under deliver.

Many, many new authors make this mistake: Promising all of the answers in the title, but failing to deliver in the article or not delivering any new information than what already can be found. So when readers stumble into titles such as “Get Rich Quick” (suggests to start an online business, but fails to state anything beyond that) or “Lose Weight FAST” (suggests the standard drink water, exercise, and watch your food intake), readers are bound to be disappointed. That’s not to say the information in the articles wouldn’t be helpful! The issue is the author set the readers’ expectations and hopes too high without delivering upon those expectations.

Be honest! Besides writing a great title (see point 1 again) that you can deliver on, the key to preventing your articles from dashing the hopes and expectations of readers is by over delivering in your article body. This will involve continuous discovery, critical thinking, collaboration, and niche study. Why? Because you’re going to be a leading authority in your niche and you need to build your authoritative knowledge so you can deliver content that makes an impact.

10. Encourage feedback.

It’s implied that you keep tabs on your audience by asking them questions or soliciting feedback. In some cases, you may feel like you’re stalking them on social media. You need to know your audience, but do they feel like all of that feedback they have invested or may invest in you will be lost to the abyss of marketing schemes? Are you actually listening or are you just making them feel as though they’ve contributed?

Show them that you’re listening in your articles. Show them you are responding to their feedback, comments, questions, and suggestions. It may be as simple as sharing their question (“Katie, a client from New York asked recently …” or “I was having a discussion Greg from the Google+ community …”) and then illustrating your response. At the end of your articles, encourage more questions, comments, and suggestions. Ask them what they want to see in the future and then deliver.

Sumber : 10 Ways to Make People Fall in Love with Your Article

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ondeonde 20:13  

10 Ways to Inspire, Motivate, and Encourage a Young Writer

10 Ways to Inspire, Motivate, and Encourage a Young Writer


From poems to short stories to autobiographies to much more, young writers are getting a burst of writing inspiration today!

So why not include articles into the mix? Encourage young writers to offer their insights to the world through article writing!

Yes, even kids are specialists – in their own way. Many kids, with just an ounce of encouragement, will talk your ear off about their hobbies or interests. They know how to perform complicated tasks that even adults have a difficult time handling. And they are often more aware of the latest trends than adults!

Help them channel all of that youthful knowledge and passion by encouraging them to write. Here’s how!

10 Ways to Encourage Young Writers

You can help kids overcome writing anxieties and motivate them to write. Here are 10 ways you can write or discuss writing to encourage young writers:

    Reading helps promote writing! Write an article that prescribes a reading list for parents. Include a paragraph about each book that quickly summarizes the plot and how the book will benefit young readers.
    
    Write a book review about your favorite children’s or young adult book and then encourage young writers to write a book review of their own.
    
    Write an article giving advice to a young writer – you can even write it as if you’re addressing your younger self! Remember your audience: they’re young! Be interesting, descriptive, and compelling as well as avoid confusing jargon.
    
    Address writer’s block by writing an article that helps young writers overcome writing anxiety. Give them the preventive tools to ward it off!
    
    Talk about writing with kids. Provide meaningful comments about their writing without being overly critical. Build their confidence so they know writing is not a scary thing and it can be fun as well as rewarding!
    
    Encourage young writers to write every day in a journal. Not only does it have the benefit of unloading their thoughts and expressing their worries, writing every day helps them look at the world differently.
    
    Create a chain story, which is a fun, collaborative-writing strategy. Write the beginning of a story. Pass it on with the instruction that the next person writes a sentence or two that moves the story forward and then pass it back.
    
    Encourage them to practice the art of letter writing! Whether they write to a family member, friend, or pen pal, letter writing is a great old-fashioned way to promote communication, understand their audience, and improve writing skills.
    
    Instruct a young writer to keep a travel journal – this can be based on trips or daily observations of the physical and social environment around them.
    
    Encourage young writers to provide a how-to article on something they know. Use the How-To Article Template as your guide!

Sumber : 10 Ways to Inspire, Motivate, and Encourage a Young Writer

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ondeonde 20:10  

Be Better, Faster: Make Writing a Daily HabitBe Better, Faster: Make Writing a Daily Habit

Many authors hit the proverbial wall or performance plateau: Your attention wanes, distractions increase, you can’t seem to break any new ground in your writing, and the finish line is further away …

No matter what: Stay on track! Don’t give up. You’ve got a goal to meet and we can help.

Ready? Let’s do this!

5 Basic Steps to Get It Done

To increase your writing speed and fluency, practice regularly. Use these 5 steps to develop a writing routine.

·         Step One: Make Writing a Daily Habit

Think about your day. Your schedule may be impeccably organized and prioritized down to the minute. Or it might be so loose that you may have a few routines (brush teeth, shower, eat, etc.), but you allow whatever comes your way to spontaneously take over. Most people are somewhere in between. If your day is rigid, make sure your writing goal is high up on your priorities and adjust your schedule accordingly. If your day is loose, make writing your first priority before you do anything else to ensure it doesn’t get lost on other impulses. Find balance by putting your derriere in your writing chair for at least 20 minutes every day to make writing a daily habit. Even if you cannot write X amount of words or an entire article, it’s better than nothing.

·         Step Two: Find a Time and Stick to It

Pick a time that works for your creativity level and lifestyle. Many authors choose to write in the early hours of the morning or late into the night because they find the time is optimal for their creative output and they’re distraction free while everyone else is asleep. Don’t forget to rest! Adjust your sleep schedule accordingly to ensure you’re alert while writing for optimal creativity and productivity.

·         Step Three: Pick the Setting

Routines are best established when they’re simple. Once you’ve establish a time you can commit to, pick a location with the basic tools to get the job done and stick to it. Elaborate tools and writing in “romantic” settings won’t bring success – you bring your own success. Making sure you have the right latte; the best voice operating software; a chair that has just the right amount of firmness and back support (but not too much or it’s going to be too relaxing); the right fountain pen and paper so smooth, it’s like writing on silk; etc. – you don’t need these things. You need something (anything) to write with, to be relatively comfortable, and you. Keep it simple and stick to it.

·         Step Four: Let Your Intentions Be Known

In Friday’s post, we mentioned: “Inform those you live with of the importance of your goal and how they can specifically help you (even if it’s “don’t bother me” during a particular period of time).” To expand on this further: Tell friends and family of your writing goals and your plans to achieve it. Set boundaries and include them in your efforts by sharing an idea, asking them questions, and more. You’d be surprised how much your friends and family will respect and support your writing goal if you involve them in some manner. To ensure they don’t feel attention starved, plan one-on-one time with them.

·         Step Five: Be Accountable to Your Goals

If writing is really important to you, then ensure it’s a priority and be mindful of that priority. Short of a life-threatening scenario, give yourself over to your writing goals no matter what. Don’t let non-essentials and less important people or things draw you away from your goal. Be accountable if you miss your daily writing session by ensuring you make up for it and reward yourself when you achieve milestones.

 Sumber : Be Better, Faster: Make Writing a Daily HabitBe Better, Faster: Make Writing a Daily Habit

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ondeonde 23:15  

30 Time-Saving Tips to Free Up More Time to Write

Don’t take the “bull in a china shop” approach by aggressively overhauling your lifestyle. You may not be able to implement all of these tips, but over time (and even with a little tweaking) you may find a strategy that works for you. Pick a few strategies until you’ve mastered them or you’re comfortable moving on to the next strategy.

Take it one step at a time to gain more time!

1.    Focus on the Important Things

Do less. I’m reminded by one of my favorite Bruce Lee quotes: “It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the inessential.” As they say, “Less is more.” Get rid of clutter: junk and nonessential tasks. Stop playing games and surfing social media. Focus on what’s important.

2.    Remove the Clutter

Much of our “visual noise” is caused by stuff. Practice a three-part clutter rating system that will help you prevent and remove clutter:

o    It’s important now. Use it and then put it in its home (where it’s supposed to be).

o    It will be important. Put it in its home (where it’s supposed to be).

o    It’s not important. Get rid of it: Toss it or if possible, consider donating it.

3.    Get Organized and Stay That Way

Pick an organizational system, execute it, and stick to it. Your new system may feel foreign at first, but it will eventually form into a habit. If you slip or feel like you’re ready to give up, recall the benefits of being organized and pick up where you left off. When necessary, make adjustments, but avoid switching to new organizational systems or you’ll lose the benefits.

4.    Keep a One-Stop Weekly Calendar

Whether it’s a pocket calendar, wall calendar, smartphone app, etc. – keep ONE calendar. First, keep track of the usual calendar suspects: events, birthdays, and appointments. Second, use your weekly calendar to keep track of bills, plan menus, make appointments with yourself to write, etc. This will help prevent the scenario of sifting through bills, notes, and multiple calendars.

5.    Get Ready the Night Before

Get it out of your head. Plan out your next day by listing quick notes about what you need to do and even lay out your clothes, pack your lunch, etc. to prevent those early morning rushes.

6.    Set Daily Goals and Rewards

In the morning, take 5-10 minutes to look at the day ahead (reviewing and revising the list you prepared the night before, right?) and set goals. For each goal achieved, set a reward equal to the goal. Finished that 30-day project? Treat yourself by scheduling a 30-minute massage. Cleaned your email inbox? Indulge in 5 minutes of social media or the latest puzzle app.

7.    Do the Important Stuff First

This is the ultimate “Procrastination Be Gone” formula: Pick 2-3 things you want to accomplish today and do them first. No “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts” – do it.

8.    Focus on What’s in Front of You

Of course, not all tasks require 100% focus, but for tasks like writing, never multitask. If you refocus your attention on another task, it can take more time to refocus on your original task. Don’t do it. Stay focused.

9.    I Mean It: Stay Focused

Turn off your phone and disconnect from the Internet during tasks, like writing, to focus. Don’t drop what you’re currently doing to address something you just thought of or remembered. If you think of something completely unrelated to what you’re working on, jot down a few quick notes (a word or two to jog your memory will suffice). Keep up momentum: FOCUS.

10. Execute Decisions Faster

If you find yourself hemming and hawing over a decision, make a decision then and there. If the task has a lot hanging on the outcome, seek/ask for more information if you need it, but the key is: make a decision now.

11. Delegate and Learn to Love It

We can be greedy with our workloads. Drop the “if you want things done right, you have to do it yourself” mentality. If it can be done by someone else (more effectively) and it’s not an important task, then delegate it.

12. Just Say “No”

Stop agreeing to take on things for which you don’t have time. If you don’t have time for it or it will take your focus away from other priorities, say no.

13. HELP Is not a Dirty 4-Letter Word

Ask for help (nicely). Sometimes a fresh set of eyes is all you need to get back on track, but be sure your plea is directed at the right person and is respectful of their own priorities.

14. Time Activities

We all can get swept away by television, social media, Internet browsing, repinning, article reading, and games. Allot yourself an amount of time for online activities and playing games. Set an alarm. When the time is up, stop the activity.

15. Time Your Conversations and Meetings

I’m not recommending that you “don’t socialize” or be rude. I’m recommending that you don’t allow conversations or meetings to completely disrupt your day. Allot yourself time. For “water cooler” talks, give yourself 5 minutes and keep them infrequent. For meetings, estimate how much time you’ll need to address the needs of those involved, come prepared, and if there isn’t already an agenda, propose talking points to squeeze more value out of the meeting.

16. Call, Don’t Text

Text messaging is supposed to be quick and to the point – not long, drawn out conversations. For anything beyond a quick yes or no question, call. For example, call for emergencies and all of those “how are you” and “what ‘cha doin’” questions. If it goes to voicemail, don’t worry. Most people have access to visual voicemail anyway, so it will be like a text. Either way, trust that they will get the message.

17. Turn Aimless Browsing Into Growth Opportunities

Create an ongoing list of questions, curiosities, or things you’ve always wanted to find out more about. When you sit down to browse the Internet, start looking for answers. You might surprise yourself with what you find.

18. Do Your Errands at the Same Time

Schedule time to do errands and plan a route ahead of time to ensure you’re not wasting time bouncing back and forth across town.

19. Filter Your Email

How much time do you waste in your inbox? Filter your email:

o    Create rules for recurring emails that don’t require an action to be archived in a particular folder.

o    Set rigorous anti-spam settings to block unwanted email from reaching your inbox.

o    Form a habit of touching an email once: If you open it, you have to address it (e.g., respond and file).

On a related note: When you’re at a checkout counter of a shop you don’t frequent often and the clerk asks for your email address, politely decline. You can always like their Facebook page, follow their Twitter account, etc. to stay up-to-date with their announcements and promotions.

20. Automate Responses

If you find yourself replying with the same or nearly identical responses for clients, keep a template to quickly copy/paste the response and tweak it as necessary to personalize the message.

21. Automate Bill Payments

For any recurring bills that you have: AUTOMATE. Not only will this save you time, it may even save you money and raise your credit score if you’re the forgetful type.

22. Sort the Mail in Your Hand

When you get your mail, don’t let it sit in a moldering pile. Sort out the junk right away and then prioritize other items respectively (see weekly calendar). If possible, go green by electing not to receive the hard copy.

23. Avoid Rush Hour

Do you commute to work? Negotiate a work schedule to travel during non-traffic delayed times. You can easily turn a 30-minute, traffic-jammed commute into 15 minutes by getting ahead of the traffic or waiting it out.

24. Keep a Running Shopping List

Create a policy that for whoever squeezes the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube, kills the mustard bottle, etc., they are responsible to write it down on the shopping list (failure to adhere to this rule results in a penalty: additional chores or tasks on demand). In doing so, this will save time from taking inventory as well as keep your shopping trip quick – get into the store, grab what you need, and go (rather than meandering down aisles).

25. Cook for Tomorrow

Double the amount of what your cooking and refrigerate/freeze the leftovers. It may take you a small amount of time to double what you’re already making, but it will save you much more time making your next meal by not having to start from scratch.

26. Wash Dishes While You Cook

Rather than letting it all stack up on the kitchen counter or in the sink (this personally grosses me out on levels I cannot describe), wash your dishes and utensils you have finished using while you’re cooking. This turns that huge cleanup event at the end into a more manageable task. It also prevents food from drying and obnoxiously sticking to dishes.

27. Spend Less Time on Laundry

Presort laundry. This way, you don’t have to dump all of your clothes on your bedroom or laundry room floor so you can pick out the whites, the delicate garments, etc. Once that particular presorted load of laundry is full, then you’re ready to wash, dry, fold, and put it away. If you have kids old enough to participate, let them fold their stuff and put it away.

28. Learn While You Workout

Listen to news, podcasts, and audiobooks rather than music to keep up with trends in your niche, current events, books, and learning at large.

29. Exercise More Effectively

Exchange moderation for higher intensity. You can have a more effective and efficient workout by putting more effort into a 30-minute high-intensity workout than 90 minutes of low-to-medium effort. Check with your doctor for information on your target heart rate and what exercises may be right for you.

30. Combine Activities

Need to catch up with a friend, but you need to bake cookies for the kiddos’ bake sale? Invite your friend over and you may find they have a great love for cookie decorating! Need to run, but you also have to take the dog for a walk? Run with the dog – he/she will love it. This will save you tons of time and can be fun in the process!

Looking at this list, I realize that’s a lot more time-saving tips than I set out to write (I initially was going to run a “Top 7″ post) and there’s so much more to share!

 Sumber : 30 Time-Saving Tips to Free Up More Time to Write

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ondeonde 23:13  

7 Tips to Improve Your Mindset in Article Writing

When tomorrow’s tasks should have been done yesterday, we begin to feel an overwhelming time crunch. In the name of Efficiency and Speed, we may find ourselves turning into machines and may even do things we typically would never carry out.

Avoid losing focus on your priorities. If you find yourself squinting at your values on the horizon, you have a choice to make: either give into temptation or stand by your values.

No matter how alluring, never yield to temptations that compromise your values. Your success should come from your values and your passion for writing, not from poor choices or bad influences. Work on setting goals that can be completed without losing control of what’s important to you and we can help.

Dig in your heels and show your true grit by improving your mindset with these tips.

7 Tips to Improve Your Mindset in Article Writing

1.    Practice Self-Control: A lack of self-control can disrupt your progress and damage your credibility. Every one of us has a strong desire for something, whether it’s for personal, professional, or financial gain. For example, to generate traffic and backlinks to your site, you can create quality and original content, which takes time to create and mature in the web-scape. Impatient people may resort to bad practices like submitting plagiarized articles and other “get rich quick” schemes. Control the urge to cut corners with unfavorable tactics that compromise your credibility. Your content should always be your best and most original work.

 

2.    Embrace Change: You may feel safe sticking to content that you know won’t make waves and it works, but you need to take risks for growth. You may ask, “Why would I change a perfectly sound system if it works?” When you stick to the same content topics, it may appear that you have nothing new to offer and you’re repeating information simply for quantity purposes. This stagnation can hurt your ability to engage new audiences. Branch out into new topics and test your limits by stepping into another role. Never fear change; embrace it!

 

3.    Let Things Develop: Wealth, fame, or the spotlight – whatever it is, you’ve set your sights on it and you want it bad. Be patient and balance your priorities. In time, you will develop the necessary skills, resources, and network to work your way up to the top without toppling over. Writing is an investment. Your eagerness is expected, but accomplishing your goals won’t be done overnight. Allow room for healthy growth and continue delivering quality content to your readers.

 

4.    Get Excited to Write: A disconnect between the author and the topic can be spotted easily. Whether it’s giving into distractions or attempting to find the “quick ‘n easy” cheap route, this disconnect can happen to the most successful writers. The failure to channel your unique talent is a tragedy because it stops innovation. If writing is your passion, you should be excited about it! Find your passion and make sure your enthusiasm shines because excitement is contagious. Get excited!

 

5.    Remain Calm & Collected: When you’re irritated or angry, you will create content without thinking clearly. It should never be a goal to write an article because you’re seeking revenge in some manner. Negative energy begets negative energy, so get rid of it and then write. Learning how to stay calm in intense situations will have a positive effect on your productivity as well as prevent writer’s block and other paralyzing effects of self-doubt. Establish a strong force of positive energy and move forward.

 

6.    Quit Worrying About Competition: Your writing should be remarkable and that kind of writing – the kind that hooks readers – simply cannot be born from sarcasm, envy, or a grudge. You have enough on your plate building your reputation and establishing trust with your readers. Don’t impede your progress connecting with your audience because you’re worrying about the “other guy.” In the field of writing, competition is not going away anytime soon. Yes, find ways to outsmart and conquer your competitors with great content. Carve out your own position in your niche by stretching your creative legs and lose that “grass is always greener on the other side” mentality.

 

7.    Practice Humility: It’s not uncommon to see a writer’s pride get in the way of creating something truly remarkable. You should be proud of your work, but obsessing about it can get out of hand when you don’t realize the damage you’re causing (your reputation, your peers, and your audience). Don’t settle into satisfaction. Push yourself to be better. Let others in by accepting criticism with grace, seeing opportunities to improve, trying new tactics recommended by others, and delegating tasks (if you can).

 Sumber : 7 Tips to Improve Your Mindset in Article Writing

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ondeonde 23:10