How I Stay Motivated - Professional Daydreamer | Guest Week

Hello lovelies,

Lou was kind enough to let me take over her blog for a post, I'm hoping this isn't too bad because my writing is nowhere as good as hers. However I thought I would chat to you all about week-daily blogging, how I manage to come up with my ideas and what inspires me to write.

When I started my little blog, professional daydreamer, I posted whenever I wanted and there was no real structure to my posts. Granted there's no structure to my posts now but after going through many different blog schedules, I finally settled on posting on the weekdays. That's 5 blog posts a week that I attempt to make my best.

I'm not going to lie and say it's easy to write my posts, I work 4 days a week and have to fit my blog around my life which is getting a bit busier lately. I could cut down my blog posts but my blog is my little escape from reality and has become my main focus.

So how do I stay motivated to blog? Well some days I don't feel like writing at all. You know the days when you just want to lay in one position all day, eat and then just nap whenever? Well I have days like that but I push through that by thinking well if I get some writing done then I can treat myself to some online shopping. My blog posts go up at 6:30am Monday to Friday. Some weeks I'm really prepared and have the whole weeks posts written and ready to be edited. Other days, well I sometimes forget, then I'm up until about 4 in the morning frantically writing a post to be up that same morning. The blog post on the 16th of March for instance. I was at Adele the night before and I had completely forgotten to write the post, that meant the minute I got home I was writing. I was up until about 4.

Sometimes I do feel pressured, I know no one actually reads my blog but I like to have a schedule. I think because then if you gather a few devoted readers then they know when to expect a new post. I don't mind when bloggers upload irregularly but I like it when I know what days new content is coming. That's why I make sure I post Monday to Friday at 6:30am every morning. There are times when I would love to just take the week off blogging but I miss it if I don't write. It's an odd thing, writing never used to interest me and now I can't go a day without writing down all my thoughts or ideas for a post. Here's a little list of the bits and bobs that keep me motivated and what I do to make sure I have topics to write about.

Scheduling |

This is my best friend on blogger. For me I think its clear that I don't get up everyday to set my posts live at 6.30am, I write and edit my posts and then schedule them. This is so handy for if I'm not going to be near the internet for a few days, week-daily blogging means I need to get 5 posts up a week and I would be lost without the schedule tool. Also if your having a rough few days you can just write and then let them upload on their own. That means you can take some time to just take some well deserved you time.

Drafts |

When I first started my blog my head as full of ideas, those ideas got put in my drafts so that when I was ready I could go back and write that post. Now I do it a little differently, I make the titles for each post I want to write but I also do a little summary of what I want to include in the post. This helped me so much because then I know exactly what I wanted to talk about, its also fun to see how my thoughts have changed since that idea and then I can draw on experiences.

Bloggers |

I'm not saying copy other bloggers, definitely not. I'm just saying that sometimes it helps me to read my favourite blogs to get inspiration for different posts and maybe helps me get motivated to write again. Most of my blog reading is done very late at night, when I'm snuggled into my bed and have my candles lit. I like to be really relaxed when I'm reading blogs, partly because I want to read it how the writer intended, I'm not saying bloggers want you to read their posts in a candle lit room, I'm just saying they wrote it for your enjoyment and you should enjoy it while relaxing.

Tags |

Tag posts are my saviour. There are days when I don't feel like writing or I'm just out of ideas, that means I can just find a nice tag to do and just answer questions. Sometimes its much easier for me to just have a little fun answering questions from other bloggers, its also nice because then you can link back to that blog. Therefore leading more people to the lovely blog you saw the tag on.

Why did I start it |

A question that always makes me stop procrastinating and get some writing done. I stared my blog in a very bad place mentally, I've grown so much mentally since then and I love that I use my space online as my diary. I started my blog as my escape, my own little wonderland and that's why I'm always writing. People think I do nothing in my spare time, when I'm actually at home writing and connecting with other bloggers. I have this whole world online that's honestly one of the most important things in the world to me. I never thought a URL could mean so much, but my URL is the key to unlock my mind. Literally, everything that goes on in my mind goes online, good or bad. I don't portray my life to be perfect online, I like to keep it real and this is the only place I can be free to say whatever I feel.

Twitter will help |

Whenever I feel like not blogging I tell my followers, just to let them know and they always reply saying to take my time and just relax. They're always asking if I'm okay and they are honestly the most supportive bunch I could ask for. If you are feeling really uninspired then log onto twitter, ask for help and I promise you that they will help. My twitter shows me just how much support there is for me and its so nice to interact with everyone.