Have you ever wondered when the best time is to write a blog post? When are you at your creative peak? While it may differ from person-to-person, I've come across the advice many times to write first thing in the morning, and it works best for me. Write in the morning before you do anything else and before the day can get to you. It's a similar notion to "exercise in the morning before your body realizes what's going on."
This may not be an easy habit to start, though. Most people aren't getting the quality of sleep they should, so waking up with enough time to coherently write a few thoughts probably seems like a joke.
However, you'll be surprised what comes out. I've done it two ways: gotten coffee and gone to the computer -or- used an app on my phone without even leaving bed. Be careful, though. Don't be tempted to check Facebook or check email. I have a bad habit of leaving my work email open on my laptop, inviting me to tackle the never-ending barrage of new mail. Learning to control the urge will take time but feel refreshing in the end.
What if you take an hour...or 15 minutes even... to clear your mind and sort through a few ideas? Get your worries and stresses out first. Clear them away so you can think bigger. Have a section of your notebook/word document/online journal for personal thoughts and for the thoughts you want to share with the world (i.e. your blog post drafts).
Steps for writing in the morning:
1. Commit to a specific amount of time each morning
2. Choose how you'll write (computer, phone app, journal)
3. Choose your location (free from distractions)
4. Set an alarm for your time limit and don't stray from writing
Try it for one week and see what kind of results you get. I was very surprised!
Blogging will be much easier when you have a collection of drafts and ideas ready to go.
Recommended phone apps with website access + syncing:
Diaro 3
Evernote
If your experiment fails:
The true best time to write is ANY time, as long as you're writing daily. Schedule it in.
Bonus Tip: Use a small notebook or phone app to collect thoughts as the day goes.
Inspiration will strike at any time, so be ready to collect your thoughts, conversations and questions to use later!
