If there is one lesson that I’ve learned very well as a blogger, it is that you must learn how to manage your time effectively to stay productive.

I’m sure you’ve heard all about bloggers that are making a great deal of money from their blogs just by spending a couple of hours a day writing posts or reviews about their favorite subjects, all while sitting around in their pajamas without a care in the world.

You’ve been painted this beautiful picture of having the luxury of being able to blog and not have to worry about time constraints.  You can blog and just take as much time as you like and be free to do what you please.

While it is true to some extent that you do have a lot more free time if you are able to become a professional blogger, it doesn’t mean that you have all the time in the world.

When you work from home or your favorite coffee shop, as many bloggers do, it can be very difficult to focus on your work.  That’s what your blog has become, your work. Albeit work that you absolutely love doing because you are your own boss and you do get to make your own schedule.

But, to be a great and productive blogger, you still have to make your own schedule, and stick to it.

I can’t tell you how many times I sit down to write a short article or a review and get distracted by one of a number of things, from emails to a short walk with my dog.  Suddenly, that article that was supposed to take me 30 minutes to write has now stretched into several hours.

Your level of frustration can rise very quickly when you don’t get a lot accomplished on your blog.  I’ve had it happen to me many times.

But, I’ve got 5 great tips for you that I’ve started to use in my own blogging to help me become more productive.  I know that you’ll benefit greatly from them, too.

1.    Make the decision that you can not accomplish everything that you want all at one time.  You need patience to be a successful time manager.  Once you start earning a decent income from your blog, you’ll want to do more with your site.  Whether it be adding video or audio or doing more posting, your expectations will increase.  Realize that you can’t do everything all at the same time.  Once you do, you’ll relieve a lot of the pressure you put on yourself.

2.    Relax your mind set.  You need to be able to focus on what you need to do and how to accomplish it.  When you can relax your mind from its frantic, overwhelmed state, you are better able to see just what it is that is the most important aspect of you time.  Make sure you are doing activities that cater to the highest, best use of your time.  Anything less and you cheat yourself and your readers.

3.    When it comes to deciding what is the most important thing to accomplish at this moment, go with what your senses and your gut tell you to.  The fact is that your body is working hard behind the scenes and while you may be overwhelmed, your body is still able to know what the best decisions are.  Go with that gut feeling!

4.    Make a list.  Those that are successful at planning their time are people that have a list of things that need to be done.  This way, you can see what is in front of you, make decisions about their importance and not feel like there is no end in sight.  Include everything you can on that list that you need to accomplish, small and big.  Then, invest the time in organizing it by the most important to the least important.

5.    Get a planner and plan your work day.  You don’t have to run out and buy the most expensive planner on the market.  Heck, you can use just a simple calendar you print from your computer!  Plan out what you need to accomplish in blocks of time.  You need to schedule time to accomplish your goals and your tasks.  When you do this, your mind is less overwhelmed and you are more likely to achieve the goals that you have, too.  This simple step will be the most important aspect to overcoming your frustrations and the overwhelmed feeling you have.

These five things are simple, right?  You can accomplish them right now in a matter of minutes in most cases.  Make yourself stick to a daily blogging routine. Do that and see what your first initial reaction is.  You may find yourself in the best position that you have been in over the last few weeks or months.

But, don’t stop there.  There is much more to learn and to implement into your daily life as you work to become a better blogger.