Life Hacks, Productivity, and Blogging

thumb

I think I’ve developed a mild case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. I constantly check my blog traffic stats, emails, and discussion forums to the point where it became counter-productive. Does refreshing my browser repeatedly to see updated stats and new discussions in various forums help me reach my goals? No, not at all! I do not get any more traffic, subscribers, comments, or ads income. This is a huge time waster!

Clock
Photo from stock.xchng

Stop Wasting Time and Focus on Productive Tasks

So I will be checking my blog stats, discussion forums, and co.mments (comments tracking tool) only once per day…may be twice. Instead, each day I will be spending the time on activities that help me achieve my goals instead:

  • Write one good post
  • Answer comments on my blog
  • Read 5-10 blog posts and leave at least 5 thoughtful comments
  • Read a few business and finance articles
  • Identify opportunity to write guest posts — i.e., the one I did for BeingFrugal.net and Get Rich Slowly
  • Complete a few grammar lessons — English is my second language and I am trying to improve my writing skill.

What does this have anything to do with personal finance?

Well…

  • Do you check your investment portfolios and the stock market obsessively?
  • Do you spend too much time worrying about how to pay bills? May be you can use the time to doing things that save you money or make you money instead.
  • Do you spend hours doing something to save a few bucks when you could be doing something else that has greater value?

Read more about

Time Wasters, co mments, statistics, life-hacks, obsessive compulsive disorder, forums, Productivity, grammar lessons, investment portfolios, productive tasks

Recommended articles

Get free updates

  twitter  via Twitter
  twitter  via Facebook
  rss  via RSS or Email

Share this article

Pinyo
Pinyo is the brain behind Moolanomy personal finance blog and a few other web sites. If you like this article, please subscribe for free daily email updates.

All posts by Pinyo

13 Comments

  1. gravatar
    Flexo
    September 29, 2007, 7:25

    This sounds like a great plan. My time working on my blogs are completely inefficient. Every time I try to stick to some sort of productivity plan, I fail. Good luck with it… and if you ever want to write a post at Consumerism Commentary, let me know.

  2. gravatar
    Lynnae @ Being Frugal
    September 29, 2007, 8:43

    What you write is so true. And I love the analogy to personal finance. I think it can apply to any area of life.

    I think I’m going to start constantly asking myself if I’m doing things that bring me closer to achieving my goals. And if not, I’m going to change the way I do things!

  3. gravatar
    mariam
    September 29, 2007, 9:51

    Yep, me as well. It’s not so much that I’m obsessed with the stats but more about the technology. I check under the hood of how it works when I should be reading more personal finances. Afterall, blogging might come and go, but I’m hoping to build my financial future.

  4. gravatar
    Millionaire Mommy Next Door
    September 29, 2007, 15:08

    Nothing can sideswipe my attention and redirect my efforts quite like the world wide web. My favorite productivity tool for blogging is a digital kitchen timer. The timer keeps me focused, motivated and targeted on the individual task at hand.

  5. gravatar
    Pinyo
    September 29, 2007, 13:55

    @Flexo – I am surprised because I always think of you as one of the most productive bloggers in our niche. Regarding your offer…are you kidding? I would love to do it. Please look for my email.

    @Lynnae – that’s a great way to go about it — asking if what you’re doing bring you closer to your goals.

    @Mariam – welcome to Moolanomy. I tend to do that too…tweaking my blog as opposed to writing good content. when it’s good content that really matters.

  6. gravatar
    Eric
    September 30, 2007, 7:31

    Pinyo – I can completely relate! Being new to the blogging world, I find myself checking stats *far* too frequently. It’s very distracting. I thought the novelty would wear off after a bit, but it sounds like even seasoned bloggers can become “obsessed” checking their stats. I’m working on cutting back too, and those sound like great goals.

  7. gravatar
    Pinyo
    September 30, 2007, 7:38

    @Eric – I wouldn’t call myself seasoned. :-) But, yeah, it’s still a problem after 2 and a half months.

  8. gravatar
    plonkee
    September 30, 2007, 8:31

    A lot of my blogging time is taken up with checking other people’s blogs and commenting. I think that’s ok because this is my hobby – I don’t need to be the best as long as I write good content.

  9. gravatar
    mariam
    September 30, 2007, 10:27

    Whaaat? You’ve only been blogging two and a half months?! I thought you had been around a lot longer… The look and the content of your blog seems really professional. I’ve been blogging around the same amount of time but I take it a lot less seriously so not to put pressure on myself for deadlines and such.

  10. gravatar
    Pinyo
    September 30, 2007, 18:58

    @Millionaire Mommy – I think that’s a simple and good idea. Also, congratulation about Lifehacker; that’s a big deal.

    @Plonkee – doing what you love is the best. For me, I got too distracted with the numbers instead of focusing on the important stuff.

    @Mariam – thank you for the compliment. It takes a lot of hard work :-)

  11. gravatar
    Patrick
    October 5, 2007, 6:49

    I agree Pinyo. I check my stats too often, constantly check the forums, and otherwise waste time that could be better spent being productive. I’m working on it though. I’ve even been using a digital timer for awhile (although I have read Millionaire Mommy’s post yet… I should though. I might just learn something new!)

  12. gravatar
    Make Friends, Earn Money
    May 26, 2008, 3:16

    Brilliant goals here Pinyo. It’s so tempting to keep checking the stats, but they will come if we create good content like you have here on Moolanomy. Great work.

  13. gravatar
    MoneyEnergy
    April 22, 2009, 10:56

    Yes, I’ve been through this process…. good to see how you’ve managed to get over this hump, too! And it’s funny how lessons learned in blogging start to apply to other areas of our lives, too.

Please share your comment:


Please do not use the name of your site or keywords.


Email will not be published.

Comment Rules: Constructive criticism is welcomed. Please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name or URL, as the latter comes off like spam and I'll most likely delete your comment. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! Here's our comment policy and guidelines.

2 blogs that link to this article:

If your trackback does not show in 24 hours, please resend to this trackback URI.

  1. The Roundup - Busy Weekend Edition : A Penny Closer
  2. Get Your Post Inspiration from Referer Keywords : The Blog Herald

Your Credit Score

Featured Reviews

Featured Articles

Recent Articles

Affiliate Relationships

As required by FTC regulations, please note that we have a financial relationship with many of the companies mentioned on this site. We occasionally review products or services that we have been given access to for free. However, we do not accept compensation in any form in exchange for positive reviews and the reviews found on this site represent the opinions of the author.
 

Important Notice:

The information found on Moolanomy is provided and intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or other advice of any kind. The information contained on this site is aimed at a general audience, and does not attempt to offer specific advice to your specific circumstances. If you are looking for professional advice, you should consult with an independent financial adviser.

This site contains information about third party products and services, such as credit card offers, online banking, discount brokers, and credit score services. While we endeavor to ensure that the information presented on this site is accurate at the time of publication, any offers and rates shown on Moolanomy can and do change without notice. Visit the official site of the offer for up-to-date information.

For additional information, please review our Terms and Conditions.

Archives By Year

2007, 2008, and 2009

Additional Resources

  • CheapLoans.co.uk - A simple way to find cheap loans. For a hassle free quotation, apply now!
  • Mortgage Refinance - FHA lender offers fixed rate mortgage refinance loans for consolidating adjustable rate debt and loans, getting cash back and financing a new home remodel.