These three things will screw up your time making more money.

I wanted to say this because I only realized this after being woken early in the morning by my 3-year-old daughter. With a big smile on her face, she was ready for play. I wasn’t.

The first thing I did was smile back.

The next thing I did was check my mobile phone for incoming messages. There were none.

Although my 3-year-old is a happy-go-lucky girl, I felt terrible as a father.

I had taken away that time with my daughter over a stupid mobile phone.

And then there was this statement.

“Mom is always looking at her phone,” my kids would tease.

I only knew then they needed our attention and time.

Now, this is not about family relationships so I won’t bore you.

The thing is, I couldn’t help but relate these moments to my business.

Think about it. When we lose focus on stuff that matters like blogging, writing lead magnets, or an ebook, we get distracted and waste time.

It’s those times lost that matter because time equals money.

On that note.

Let me share these three bad things. It may be trivial, but you’d be surprised how much of our time is wasted.

1. Scrolling Social Media.

I must admit I’ve fallen for the occasional aimless social rabbit hole.

You know. When I’m supposed to be working on social media, I get pulled into this other social media vortex.

I see images, messages, and notifications plastered all over my feed. It’s there. I check it because I cannot help myself.

Before you know it, an hour has passed and I’ve accomplished nothing.

Why is Social Media freaking distracting? 

Part of the reason is that it is designed to be addictive.

Social media platforms use algorithms to show users content that will likely keep them engaged.

So, if you’re scrolling through your feed and seeing a lot of engaging content, it’s not surprising that you’ll have a hard time ignoring them.

Another factor is FOMO or the fear of missing out.

If you see your friends posting about their fun weekend plans, you might start feeling like you’re missing out on something. The solution?

Try limiting your time on social media, and set aside specific times for checking social media instead of scrolling aimlessly.

Or you can bypass the fun part of social media with a scheduler.

Let me explain.

A scheduler can help you stay on course with your social media goals without getting pulled into the time-sucking black hole that is your feed.

Schedulers help you plan and publish your content in advance, so you’re not scrambling at the last minute to come up with something to share.

And depending on the scheduler, you can get statistics for each post so you can see how your content is performing and adjust accordingly.

The point is this.

Since you’re not spending time on social media every day, you’re less likely to get sucked in and distracted by what everyone else is doing.

The bottom line in all this is. 

Limit your time on personal social stuff.

2. The Dumb News.

I’m drawn to the news. It’s never-ending.

It’s on the TV. It’s on the internet. It’s on every mobile device.

When I lose focus at home, it’s so easy to launch a browser and check out what is going on.

And before you know it, 1 hour down the drain. That’s time lost I can never get back.

I think I should get off Reddit.

It can be a huge time suck for me.

The thing is, does the news matter?

Will the news today help me improve my relationship with my wife?

Nope.

Will the news about Celebrity A’s IVF drama help me move my business forward?

I don’t think so.

Yes, some news is important. But if you’re spending your time reading news that doesn’t help your business, then you’re wasting valuable time.

The next time you browse for any headline news. Ask yourself this. What’s more important?

Today’s news or your valuable time?

As online entrepreneurs, we have to be more mindful of how we use our time and be more selective about the news we consume.

Otherwise, we’ll continue to get drawn into more distractions and lose time.

3. Stupid Television.

A big distraction for my family is television. It’s a peacekeeper with the kids. All I need to do is power on the TV, and they’ll become zombies glued to it.

Even a Western taipan snake won’t be able to pry them off the TV!

As a rule, we don’t have the television on while having dinner. I prefer to have quality time with my kids and Mrs over a meal.

Anyway, watching television is mindless. It’s just an escape to nowhere.

The bad thing about it, it can take our time away from earning more money because it is a constant distraction.

And when you’re working at home, TV is an even bigger issue.

I know because when I first started blogging, I’d use to have the television on in the background.

Stupid, wasn’t it?

You cannot. I repeat. You cannot devote 100% of your attention to maximizing your income.

Because dividing your attention between television and content creation does not work.

And, as we all know, divided attention is not ideal.

This brings me to this.

Television can take your time away from earning more money.

Instead of watching TV, you should invest in your personal development.

Like.

Reading marketing books (blogging, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc), participating in online courses, or, watching experts in your niche on all things, Youtube.

Whatever helps you move the needle.

So, choose personal development over television.

And yes, focus on your special ones.

Final Takeaway on How Bloggers Make Money

I’m not saying you shouldn’t enjoy the occasional television, news, or social to relax. Just be smart about it.

Optimize your time, so you can focus on earning more money online (and start paying attention to your special people).

Thank you.

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