When is the Greatest Time to Write Weblog Posts?

Blogging can unlock a world of possibility for you, but have you ever had the experience of sitting down in front of your computer and just staring at a blank screen for hours on end? Maybe you allow yourself to get distracted with Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. And then, nothing gets written and you feel pretty crummy about it.

It’s certainly true that time freedom is one of the greatest advantages to the dot com lifestyle. It means that you can get yourself in front of your computer on your terms and on a schedule that works for you. But when is actually the best time for you to do that?

Everyone is going to be different and your circumstances may vary, but there are at least two key factors that are practically universal among all successful bloggers, writers and creative professionals.

Before a Meal, Not After

If you want to let those creative juices flow as freely as possible, if you want to have inspiration smack you in the face with some brilliant ideas, then you should be blogging before you eat and not after your meal.

The reasoning here is two-fold. First, let’s say that you plan on eating lunch around noon. Maybe you’re meeting someone somewhere. It doesn’t really matter. The key here is that you have a particular time in mind. As you get closer to that time, you’ll feel more compelled to get something done. You’ll feel more obligated to finish your blog post before going to lunch, because you don’t want to return to it after lunch.

There is nothing in this world more inspiring than a looming deadline, even if it is self-imposed.

Second, you want the very chemistry of consumption to work in your favor. When you’re hungry, you want to get things done. You’re motivated. After you’ve had your lunch, your body will want to shift into digestion mode. Have you ever had a particularly heavy meal and all you want to do is nap? It’s pretty hard to write your blog post when you’re feeling sleepy, wouldn’t you say? Work with your natural energy flow, not against it.

After the Gym, Not Before

This isn’t really meant to be a health-related article, per se, but the way you treat you body is going to have a natural impact on the work you’ll be able to do as a blogger. You need to take care of your body if you want to take care of your mind. And just about every fitness professional will tell you that diet and exercise are the pillars of good health.

If you’ve developed a routine for going to the gym (or otherwise engaging in other fitness activities), then you’ll also need to decide if you’re going to do your blogging before or after you hit the gym. My argument is that you should after.

If you sit down in front of your computer right before you plan on lifting some weights or going for a run, you’re going to have some anxious energy flowing through your body. You might develop a bit of the jitters. While it’s good to have some energy while writing, too much energy can take away from your ability to focus. Your body wants to move, not just your fingers.

In contrast, let’s consider what your body is like after you’ve gone to the gym. You’ve burned through a good deal of physical energy, but that exercise has also unleashed a bunch of endorphins into your brain. That’s the “happiness” hormone, so to speak. Your physical body no longer yearns to move around, but your mind is in a positive state and you’re ready to focus on writing some truly killer content.

Any Way You Want It

The only way that you will ever get good at blogging is if you stick with it on a regular and consistent basis. You need to commit to it. And if it means that you need to figure out how to “work” when you’re not actually working, you’ll be well on your way to discovering life-work integration. And that’s the path to achieving the dot com lifestyle of a professional blogger.