A lot of people tend to feel overwhelmed when it comes to blogging. There are a lot of questions about it. How often should I be writing? How many blog posts should I write per month? Do I need a professional photographer or is my cell phone okay? I already have a full-time job, how do I focus on blogging?

There is never a one size fits all strategy otherwise there would be a blog post online on it and everyone would be successful. It helps to identify your goal(s) so you can specifically work toward that and identify what success means to you. Some blog coaches offer structured lessons, Facebook masterminds and groups, and all that cool stuff. Everyone is different and you get to decide what is a good fit for you. 

When working with me, ultimately, it's your blog & brand. You are free to call all the shots, execute any changes, & implement any strategies. As a professional blogging coach, I give you professional advice & guidance based on over 7 years of agency, corporate, & solo experience. I can give you tips and strategies and marketing advice, but it's up to the individual to implement them.

Take a look at my press & media page for all the brands I've worked with. Whether you're trying to create a better or successful blog strategy, trying to figure out which affiliate networks to use, how to improve your traffic, I provide insight, tips, tricks, & hacks.

My client Nicole came to me asking about blog coaching services. For our coaching sessions, we worked together for a few one-on-one video sessions. Nicole says, "[Carmen] gave me guidance and direction that I never expected! I had to be myself - otherwise, she could not help me the way I needed. She was like an anchor while I was floundering around. She kept me grounded and on track."

Instead of sitting, waiting, & wishing for things to happen, establish clear goals & create actionable tasks to complete them. There's no time to wait. NOW IS THE TIME. Follow these tips to make the most of your goals. Interested in establishing successful blogs?

Take it from me, someone who CONSTANTLY gets off track. These strategies increased my overall productivity compared to the month before. 

1. WRITE IT DOWN

What good is a goal if you can't even remember it? Write your goals somewhere so you can see it. Type them in the notes section of your phone. Write it down on paper. Looking at your list serves as a constant reminder to strive for your goals.

2. BE SPECIFIC

Simply saying "I want to blog more" doesn't amount to much. How often do you want to blog? For how long? On which days? Where? What were you doing before? Vagueness is not your friend. The small details make a difference. A better & more specific goal is: "I want to publish one blog per week for the next 4 weeks. I can commit to writing, editing, & photographing my post on Saturday mornings since that's my only free time."

3. SHARE YOUR GOALS

What pushes you more (or is more embarrassing) than having a friend ask, "Did you ever finish that thing you were working on?" or "I thought you were going to give up watching so much Netflix." Sharing your goals might be the shove in the right direction. If you feel unmotivated, your friend asking "Whatever happened to...?" could be just what you need to keep going. So tell your friends & family! Share it on your blog or on social media. You could also hire me as your coach. :]

4. DON'T GIVE UP

It isn't easy to create successful blogs these days. Whatever your goals are, don't give up if it doesn't happen or work out right away. Sometimes life gets in the way. Distractions happen, but don't let it completely derail you. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't instantly work out. Keep at it! I was blogging for 4 years before I earned even one cent!!

5. DO IT

Don't just say you're going to do something, do it. Don't procrastinate. You want to workout more or write more? Well, get up off your butt & head to the gym or go on a walk or start typing on your laptop, even if you have nothing to say. Actions speak louder than words, so let your actions do the talking.

Hello my friend,

It sounds like you're on the verge of giving up on that thing you've been working toward. That's a totally normal feeling. It's hard out there, been there myself. So, you're on the verge of giving up but you haven't quit quite yet. I just wanted to say...

THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR YOU SO DON'T YOU STOP!!!

Don't forget that every single minuscule effort & thought that you put in matters. It matters in life, it matters for your dreams, it matters for your work, it matters in your relationships. Those big moments matter, but so do those teeny tiny ones!

The current struggle is that you can't see it. Since you can't see the changes, improvements, benefits, it feels like nothing is happening. Know that sometimes you have to BELIEVE. It's there. It's happening. Things are HAPPENING. 

Believe in yourself. Believe in the process. Just believe.

I know that seems like a near impossible task.

But keep on keeping on.

Remember your goal.

Remember that success is a series of small wins.

Remember to do something each & every day, even if it's super small. After a year of daily effort, 365 tiny things turns into something huge.

Sometimes you have to do something scary or out of your comfort zone.



Ready for some real talk? I feel the saaaaame way. Sometimes I genuinely have no clue what to do next, which step to take, if it'll work. But that's all a part of the process. We're ALL winging life. We're ALL the oldest we've ever been.

I got out of my comfort zone just a few days ago at the Vans Warped Tour 2018 press kick off event. It's always a bit nerve-wracking for me to go to events. I have to hype myself & pump myself up just to step out the door. But it gets easier every time I do! I ended up having a blast eating rainbow sprinkle & Oreo ice cream, scoping out the Vans headquarters, & doing something new.

When I feel on the verge of giving up, I remember to breathe in & out. I remember that everything takes time & effort. I remember to focus on things that bring me joy, happiness, knowledge, love, friendship. I remember to believe. I remember that baby steps count, even if it's just a few steps out the door. It counts!

Thank you to Tile, Inc., for sponsoring today’s post & inspiring me to keep track of everything that matters.

The last couple months have been so hectic as a new entrepreneur & there are no signs of it slowing down. Yesterday, I came home from a wedding only to realize I still hadn't unpacked from my Palm Springs trip two weeks ago. I kicked off my baby pink velvet pumps & walked over to my wall calendar to tally up the days until the next excursion. 

Just as I thought. Later this week, I'm heading to Northern California for a media trip. I get to stay in a hotel room for one night to create buzz on my blog for their holiday amenities. It's going to be a blast! Then, yep, London is in 2 weeks. 

I love this. 

I love that this is my life. 

I love that I am free. I can work from anywhere as long as I get Wi-Fi. Whether I'm crafting a blog post, sharing an update to my social media channels, or chatting via video call with one of my coaching clients, my workday feels like the summers of my childhood — long, exciting, beautiful, hopeful, marvelous, inspirational. But I always knew those childhood summer breaks from school would end. 

Summer ended, but I'm still here. That's the beauty of it. That's the beauty of being your own boss, of being an entrepreneur, of being self-employed, working from ANYWHERE. You don't know what next month will hold or next year. It's all within my own hands. 

But that's also the challenge. 

I'm constantly switching suitcases, bags, folders, backpacks. Sometimes it's hard to keep track where everything is. Did I leave my camera charger in the Palm Springs suitcase? Where the heck is my planner? Which backpack is my favorite sweater in?

Cue Tile.

Use Tile & the Tile app to be a part of the lost-and-found community, where friends & strangers come together to find everything that matters. You can easily hook, stick, or slide a Tile onto or into anything you don’t want to lose like the earrings your grandmother gave you or Earnie the stuffed panda, & of course, keys, phones, wallets. I put Tile in my business planner.

My planner contains receipts, deadlines, tasks, & everything I could possibly need to stay organized while traveling, blogging, & working from anywhere.

Tile gives me peace of mind so I can track my item in a jiffy. I use my phone to locate my planner & figure where it is. It ended up saving me time because rather than sifting through yesterday's suitcase & today's purse & everything in-between. Beep beep beep. I can find it right away.

My planner means a lot to me. It keeps me on track. It keeps me organized. It keeps me moving forward. It shows every single client session I've had this year. It's been there with me as I transitioned from corporate cubicle to the world of entrepreneurship. If there is something you can't stand to lose, put a Tile on it!

Hey you, 

I know you're a little stressed out lately. I know you've been feeling overworked & overwhelmed. I know you feel like your life is passing by & you're not really sure if you're doing what's best for your mind, body, spirit.

It feels like some people post all the wonderful things of life but never post sad days, those moments where you can't find any inspirational motivation. Those days where you get a paper cut, stub your toe, get laid off, & then get rear-ended. It Doesn't feel like life does that sometimes? Everything crappy and overwhelming all at once?

You wake up to the sound of the alarm & dread the rest of the day up until the moment you can come back home again. Then deep inside you still kind of dread it because you know you have to do the same thing again tomorrow. 

Success is a series of small wins. Things don't happen overnight; make sure you chip away at it day by day. 

Life can get hard. Many days are good, some are better, and then of course there are those days where you feel like there's so much information and nothing gets done. If you're feeling completely overwhelmed, it's okay to ask for help or to get help. It may be difficult but mental health and wellness are such important parts of life.

Life is complex and it's hard to stay motivated and focused on what really matters. There's always something new, new information, new goals, new work to do. It always seems important at the time but that's where we need to take a moment to reflect. When we work all the time, it feels like you never have a free moment to learn, live, or focus on what you want.

That's why success is a series of small wins, it's not always big moments like graduating from school, getting engaged, adopting your first dog. Sometimes success is progress, making a positive change and impact on yourself, the people around you.

If your goal is to quit your job by the end of the year, what is something small you can do today to benefit yourself? Maybe it's updating your resume. Maybe it's putting $20 in savings. Maybe it's taking an online class. Maybe it's getting a certification. Maybe it's spending an hour reading industry news. 

If you want to create your own business, how can you better prepare for it? Maybe it's taking a business class first. Maybe it's establishing your top goals for each quarter. Maybe it's buying a business license.  Maybe it's taking an important first step such as setting up your website.

If your goal is to travel the world, what small step can you accomplish today? Maybe writing down a list of your top destinations. Maybe it's browsing flight deal options in the coming months. Maybe it's sending in your passport application. Maybe it's setting aside $20 each week to build your travel fund.

Remember: success is a series of small wins. Figure out your goal & move forward every day toward it. It may feel frustrating at times, almost like you're not making any progress at all. But just you wait & see.

Do something each day, even if it feels so ridiculously small. Because after a year of daily effort, 365 small things is actually quite enormous.

You can do this.

Your friend, 

Carmen

As a social media & blogging professional who makes money at home, I need to maximize my time without getting distracted. I can't waste time hopping from room to room searching for a signal, pleading with the Internet faeries to do their magic. I can't waste time using old, slow equipment. I can't waste time moving back & forth between tasks because I didn't plan out my day. I've come up with my go-to time management tips for bloggers & those working from home! Check it out!

Read my yearly freelancing anniversary updates from Years 1, 2, & 3!

1. Use Quality Equipment

My laptop is less than two years old. My camera & lenses are around the same age. I use the Sony a6000. I need all these things to function as a blogger. I made sure to invest in myself in order to create a better business. I remember how excruciatingly slow the photo editing process was with my old (eight-year-old) laptop. Eliminate the struggle by using quality equipment.

2. Upgrade Your Wi-Fi

Picture this: you're sitting at home working on a deadline, furiously typing away on your laptop. Your Wi-Fi signal flickers weakly then disappears into the abyss. Connection lost. How are you supposed to get your work done now?


I recently installed the all-new Deco M5 Wi-Fi system from TP-Link which covers my whole home with an interactive Internet access, allowing me to surf the web, stream to my devices, & download on a safe, reliable connection. Yippee! Set up was super simple using the TP-Link Deco app. After all, they're the word's #1 consumer Wi-Fi brand.

TP-Link HomeCare has robust parental controls. You can manage & monitor allowance & access, regardless of the application or URL, even when you aren't home. Genius. Although I don't have kids, this is perfect for when Fred's 7-year-old niece comes to visit. Her mom can feel comfortable knowing we can apply the same house rules to our home too. Deco M5 is a whole-home Wi-Fi!

3. Plan Your Day

Write a list of everything that you need to do. Organize it in order of importance. Identify your goals for the day. Write everything out so you can keep yourself accountable. I jot down tasks in my planner as soon as I receive an email, get a campaign update, or follow up with a client. I noticed that since investing in a planner, I've been more efficient & less all over the place.

4. Time Block Your Tasks

What is time blocking? Time blocking is a strategy to help maximize your time, increase productivity, & give you better structure by blocking out specific sets of time for each task.  I like to do 30-minute or 60-minute blocks, depending on the amount of work or concentration needed. This allows me to set time aside to work on a variety of things without feeling like I missed something. I can always go back & apply another 30-60 minute chunk of time when needed.

5. Batch Similar Tasks Together

My work from home time usually revolves around one of the following categories: writing, photographing, editing, coaching, social media, & sending emails. That said, I can use my planner & time blocking skills to get these tasks done in batches. I'll send out follow up emails to my blog coaching clients for a 30-minute block of time. I'll edit photos for three different blog posts in a 60-minutes block of time, etc. When applicable & feasible, batch similar tasks together.

Quality equipment & a fast Internet connection are the cornerstones to my time management. Without those, planning my day, time blocking my tasks, & batching similar tasks together wouldn't even be possible.


The Deco M5 Wi-Fi system gives me seamless & secure internet, so I can spend more time actually working — rather than trying to reset my Wi-Fi, unplug the router, & again, beg the internet faeries to do me a solid.

Taking some "me time" or time for self-care is extremely vital to one's entire well-being. Although I already knew this, I came to the realization that it was time to follow my own advice. As I worked on enhancing my blog, growing my social media channels, & starting up my coaching business, I found that I was working around the clock.

I answered emails at 11 p.m. I got the distinctive ping of a Facebook message at 2 a.m. I worked on a sponsored post in the morning & then prepared for my coaching session in the afternoon, only to have dinner plans with a friend in the evening. I kept buzzing around until a couple days ago when I felt completely burned out.

I physically & mentally couldn't do anything even though I had an endless task list. I decided to take a day off to boost my morale. Keep reading to find out my tips on how to avoid blogger burnout! Hint: it includes Netflix & green tea.

Read my yearly freelancing anniversary updates from Years 1, 2, & 3!

1. Sleep In

After so many mornings of getting up at 6:45 a.m. I allowed myself to get a little extra sleep. Don't start off a new day tired & unprepared. Those extra moments of shut eye helped me feel rested & ready to crush the day! After constant hustling & bustling, it doesn't hurt to get a few extra winks.

2. Exercise

I was so busy that I completely forgot to take care of myself. To eliminate blogger burnout, I started to regularly integrate exercise into my life, even if only for 20 minutes. I know myself & understand that I'm pretty aimless at the gym, so I usually opt for workout videos on YouTube. They get me moving, sweating, & elevate my heart rate. I always feel better after a workout!

3. Set Business Hours

Three unread emails loomed in my inbox. Five Facebook messages sat unread. My social media notifications grew out of control. A friend texted me to ask a couple of social media questions. I couldn't take it anymore. The around-the-clock work didn't look good on me. I decided to set some business hours for myself. No more constant work. No more blogger burnout.

4. Unwind

I put my phone on airplane mode & made myself a cup of tea — two, actually. Sometimes there's nothing more uplifting than a warm mug of tea, & that's a fact. I went to Alberstons to stock up on some Lipton Green Tea & Lipton Green Tea Purple Acai Blueberry. I like to add a bit of "vitali-tea" to my every day. I'm sipping on some right now. Lipton's green teas allow me to stop, reset, & enjoy a moment to myself when things get hectic. I love the ritual of sip, sip, sipping as I wind down.

5. Treat Yo' Self

Now's the time to catch up on the latest episode of my favorite show. Let's be real, I know I'll just watch Friends on Netflix for the billionth time. I took some time to plan my next vacation — Paris. I drank my Lipton Green Tea Purple Acai Blueberry, listened to music, & helped my boyfriend, Fred, come up with his top 25 must-see Paris attractions. I finally had a chance to paint my nails a nice pastel blue for spring. I finally read my 3-month-old magazine because that's how behind I am! T'was a great day.


Blogger burnout is a real thing & should be treated with self-love & care. The smooth great taste & refreshing aroma of green tea inspires me to take a moment to feel good! Don't forget to stock up at your local Albertsons with $1 off Lipton Green Tea & let me know how it helps you #FillUpToFeelGood