Things for Boys

Sewing, baking and making

Keep your Blogging Organised with a Calendar

by 12 Comments

In Part One of this series, I told you all the ins and outs of using a spreadsheet to help keep you organised. Originally, this was all going in one post, but it grew and grew and hubby said I should I decided to break it up into a mini series. By using a calendar to keep my posts organised, I easily split the one post up into a few and planned when to post them. Here’s how I use a calendar to keep me on track.

USE A CALENDAR

I’ve never been one to use a calendar on my computer. I like to be able to scribble on it and easily move things around, so I like to print out monthly calendar pages. I use pdfcalendar.com to customise my calendar and print it out how I like.
Post-It Notes
I typically have the current month and the next two printed out and stuck on the wall in my sewing area. At first, I would write on the calendar, but ultimately I’d change my mind on something and the calendar would end up scribbled all over and a mess! Now I use Post-Its. They’re easy to move around, so I can chop and change as I like. I like the combination of discipline from the calendar and freedom of the Post-Its.

I get the standard square ones and then cut them in half up the middle to make 2 stacks of skinny Post-Its.

I often stick blank Post-Its up too. I try to blog consistently (by choice – bit gives me something to work towards) so I put up blank notes on days I want to do a post, even though I don’t yet have an idea of what to blog about.

Colour Coding
If you want to be super organised, you can use different colours for different things. Use different coloured Post-It notes, highlighters or different coloured pens. I use different colours for things like:
– blog posts (you may also like to split these further, such as one colour for cooking, another for craft)
– posts that can’t move (such as guest posts, sew-alongs, Father’s Day)
– advertising commitments

Keep track of other Blog Related Commitments

Keeping a calendar is also useful for other blogging commitments outside of your own posts. Have a guest post coming up or want to join in a sew-along? Pop it on the calendar. Have an advertising campaign going live next month? Pop it on the calendar. Want to blog about National Peanut Butter Day? Pop it on the calendar.It’s up to you how much information you want to keep on there, just make sure you don’t put so much on there that you can’t stand to look at it.

Use the Margins
Along the bottom of the calendar, I will stick a couple blank Post-Its. If I’m in the middle of a project and have an idea for another, I write it on one of these. I take them down to the computer later and add the ideas to my spreadsheet (see Part One).

You can see all of this in my calendar above, which is for September, October and November. I’ve now covered the main tools I use to keep me organised.

Do you have any tips for keeping your blogging organised? Please leave a comment.

See also:
Part One: Keep your Blogging Organised with a Spreadsheet
Part Two: Keep your Blogging Organised with a Calendar
Part Three: Keep your Blogging Time Efficient

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. This series is really helpful, I’m a complete disorganized mess when it comes to blogging and it kind of stresses me out. I have a question regarding your sewing projects, how do you organize those? I mean at all times my head is swimming with three-four different projects and I can’t seem to settle on which ones to do first and how to prioritize them. Do you have any tips on that?

    Reply

    • Thanks Alisa! I think we all daydream about sewing projects. Picking which one to start first can be tricky…I usually end up working on whichever is ‘due’ first. So if it’s a top for Roman to wear to a party, then that gets done first. If it’s a Birthday present for next week then that gets done. If none of them have a deadline as such, I tend to pick whichever I’m most excited about that day. I try not to have too many projects on the go at once, I prefer to finish one before starting the next, though I often have a few on the go. If there’s too many then my sewing area looks a mess and it puts me off. If I can’t pick a project to sew, I usually start cutting. If I’ve got a few projects cut and ready to sew it seems to make picking one easier. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  2. When I was young with a family I like total organisation, absolutely military and rigid. Wow, we achieved lots.
    Now I am as old as the hills I like to read what young people are doing and reflect. I now live in complete chaos and enjoy it. My family did not turn out fabulously well because I was super organised. All manner of hideous events collided with my orderly lifestyle. When I am very old I intend to drink alcohol every day, sometimes leave the washing up for hours, and play the TV unreasonably loud. I will blog at random on topics that interest only me.
    Actually I blog at scattered times even now and never make any plans. It is important to me to be human and write for my own pleasure.

    Reply

  3. Abby this series is so helpful 🙂 Someday I want to make my blog my job, but with the two little kids I much prefer to hang out with them ^_^ However this is really motivating me to be a little bit more organised 🙂

    Reply

  5. Actually, as I thought a little more of what I wrote I think you might get the wrong idea of why I read your blog. I found it originally when you wrote about some fabulous Easter foods. I find your writing full of charm. Fresh. Lively. Varied topics. The best part is that you are only a little like my eccentric family, but that little bit is a terrific hook.

    Reply

    • Thanks Louise! Do you have a Russian background too? I ask because of your comment about the Easter food. Eccentric (crazy, sometimes annoying) family on both sides here…makes for some very funny conversation!

      Reply

  7. Over the years I’ve ordered dozens of calendars that were printed with less than expected quality. Last year my company printed some calendars with PCA Delta in Pompano Beach FL, and they were great. I’ve been printing with them ever since. If you need calendars printed go to http://www.pcadeltaprinting.com/ I strongly recommend them.

    Reply

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