Welcome to the Productivity Blog

Like most people in the world, I spend a lot of time at my desk. That means not only do I want it to look good, but I want it to be a comfortable space and that allows me to work efficiently and productively.

When you spend so my time in one place, you want to make sure you’re going to enjoy it. You want to make sure it works for you. Enough space, a place for all your equipment and space to actually move around are all things you need to think about, because these are key things for preventing procrastination and a lack of motivation for the work you actually need to do.

I shared on Instagram recently that I’ve moved all the furniture around in my bedroom to make sure it’s a space that works well for me. Before, I didn’t really have a “working” area. I had a desk, but my bookcase and equipment were all in different parts of the room and it didn’t really flow. Now I’ve changed all that, I’ve never been more productive. So here’s how you can set up your desk space to make sure you’re getting your best work done.

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When you’re a blogger, you receive all sorts of blogging advice from people who think they've got all the experience and want to share a thought or two. But actually, not everything you read or hear is as helpful or as you might initially think.

On Saturday, a lot of you commented on my post “Why I won’t tell you what your blog should be about”, saying that you (like me) had fallen into the trap of taking a lot of advice on board and had struggled with knowing what to believe. I can completely relate. But one big barrier to taking on any piece of advice is knowing who you’re getting it from. Just because one thing worked for one person, doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you.

So today, I wanted to share some pieces of blogging advice I’ve seen or been given in the past and thought it best to ignore for good.

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2016 so far has felt like a period of growth in lots of different ways. The first month of the year saw me grow with my blog by launching the #BloggingBreakthrough eBook, I’m continuing to grow in my career by learning more and being given more responsibility, and I’m growing in my personal life by the different chapters that are starting to appear. 

Reflecting on all of this recently has got me thinking about how crucial growth is for each and every one of us, and how we should embrace that every day.

We start to grow taller from when we are little - that’s growth we can see. But it’s actually the growth we can’t see that’s more important. The growth during school when we’re becoming the person we’re supposed to be. The growth during university and work, where we’re becoming independent. And the continuous growth throughout our lives where we get to understand who we are.

So today, I wanted to share with you, not only why this is important - but also some small things you can do every single day that will help you see your growth.

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I'm really loving putting together these Seven for Sunday posts every week, especially now I've switched them up a bit. After taking a few days off from blogging at the start of the week, it feels good to get back into the swing of things and I'm looking forward to creating all the content I've got planned for this month.

So happy April! This week has been just right, although it was tricky cramming five days worth of work into four! I think at the start of the week I was definitely still in Bank Holiday mode too. March was good, but I'm really looking forward to this month. The days are longer which means there'll be more time spent outside and there's a few nice things to look forward too as well.

This weekend has been a food-filled one - Tom and I made our famous chilli pasta bake for my brother last night before he goes back to uni, and today we're at my Nana's for a family Sunday roast. (Her's are the best in the world, FYI.) I'm also thinking of purchasing one of FitnessBlender's programs and change up my routine a bit, so watch this space.

Anyway, right now I'm drinking gallons of water to stop myself from wanting my tea too early and admiring my bullet journal, because OH MY is it pretty!

Here's how this week has looked.

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A few weeks ago I got an email from a beginner blogger who had some questions about her blog. She wanted to know what she should be blogging about in order to grow her traffic and build a community. I considered her question for a minute and then froze. How would I even begin to answer that?

So I thought about it and started drafting out a reply with some tips. When I’d gotten halfway through, I read back over what I’d written and had a realisation: what was I doing?

A number of thoughts ran through my head at this point.

• Why was I telling this girl what to write about?
• Is it possible to tell someone how to build a blog in just one email?
• Why had she emailed me?

So even as an someone who's been blogging for early three years, I still have moments of panic whenever I get a direct email that asks for my help.

And the truth is, every blogger does.

No one has the answer. No one has the step-by-step formula. No one has the magic trick tucked away in their secret blogging box. So it really makes me uneasy when other bloggers shout from the rooftops about what you should be blogging about.

Should is a funny word, don’t you think? It’s like, when someone tells you that you should do something, where’s their authority to say that? Who’s to say you should believe them?

Sure, it’s definitely a good idea to have some standards, and there are some things that all bloggers do and know work well. But I also think that our blog is our own, and we’re all capable of making our own decisions.

Are there really set rules for what blogging should be like? Aren't there too many already? I’d say so. That’s why I’ll never tell you what your blog should be about. And here are a few more reasons why.

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We’re known as the “busy” generation. Our plates are always full. We've always got too much to do, yet we keep saying yes. Lots of us ask the question, “How do we do it all?”

Here’s the thing: being too busy is a lie. Each of us has 24 hours in a day and you get to decide how you’re going to spend your time. Every single hour. You know the feeling you get when you say, “I don’t have time.” It makes us feel weak and that we aren’t spending our time in a worthwhile way. That means we rush to tick off our to-do lists, and then we wonder what we've actually spent our time doing.

If you say you don’t have enough time, then that comes down to how you’re spending it. Because the truth is, you are in control of your life.

I’ve definitely been in this place, so if this speaks to you too, here are some steps you can take to start feeling more in control of your time.

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After the amazing response to my post Behind-the-Scenes: A Journey down My Career Path so Far, I started thinking about sharing the journey that other people had been on. So on the last Thursday of every month, I will be introducing all sorts of people in different industries to share the career journey that they have been on.

For the first round of posts, I reached out on Twitter to see who would like to take part and got some fantastic responses. I'm hoping the series - which will run permanently - will provide a little insight into how different each of our career paths can be. I also know how much valuable information these people are going to give you and I hope you're as excited about the series as I am. 

So here we go with the first interview.

 

Jessica Freeman is an Atlanta-based designer and the owner of Jess Creatives. Jess works with entrepreneurs to create a brand that shines on and offline. After hours, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Aaron, and their pup, Morgan.

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Hey friends. First of all, let me start off by saying that I hope you had a wonderful long Easter weekend. I was so excited to have four days off, but it still felt like Tuesday rolled around too quickly!

In my last Month in Review post, I said that February had been quite a whirlwind. Thankfully, March hasn't been so manic. I’ve finished my evening work for my job now until September which is really making a difference, and now that the clocks have gone forward it’s making the days a lot longer which I love.

I’ve also not been feeling as overwhelmed this month and I know that’s because I’ve had less work on my plate. I don’t have any public speaking gigs coming up and my freelance work is slow too – although I am in the process of creating a freelance services page so watch this space.

For some reason (and without getting too deep and meaningful), I’ve been thinking a lot about my future this month. Tom and I have been playing house for the past week while his mum and dad have been away. And whilst I love getting to see what it’s going to be like living with him permanently, I’ve also found myself missing home a lot. It’s a weird feeling being torn between different emotions, but I guess eventually it’s something we’ll all have to get used to!

The most important lesson I’ve learnt this month is that family comes before anything. Over Easter, I took a complete break from the digital world to spend time with the people that mean the most to me, and it’s done me the world of good. So now let’s have a look at what happened in March.

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I'm writing this from the comfort of Tom's sofa, in a nice, quiet room with the four day Easter weekend ahead of me. Bliss.

I may or may not have had extra super-early nights this week just so I could be ready for it. I'm taking like 9:30pm early. And yep, I'm nearly 25. 

Although it's 8:30pm right now and my eyes are getting heavy, but we'll just brush over that.

This week has been made a lot better knowing the Easter weekend was ahead - but it's also been extra busy because 1 - my manager has been off sick all week, and 2 - I've had to squeeze my normal five days worth of work into four.

But safe to say I blasted through and ticked everything off my list which my oh my, felt good. I also had my last dose of evening work this week until September - another reason to celebrate!

So without any more chitter chatter, I'm going to go right ahead and get into this week's Seven for Sunday. Oh - and Happy Easter :)

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Most of us know all too well the feeling of overwhelm we can get from blogging.  Juggling the day-to-day demands of running a blog alongside a day job and our daily lives is challenging to say the least. I’m there with you right now, juggling social media, taking photographs and we won’t even mention emails.

"Overwhelming" is probably a good word you’d use to describe it. Especially when you feel like no one is reading, commenting or even listening. Growth can be slow, and sometimes, you wonder what the hell else you need to do to see a difference.

Don’t you wish someone could give you some secret information and let you know about some tips to help you create amazing blog posts and ultimately grow your audience and online presence?

That’s why I’m writing this post today.

Like most bloggers, I check in with my stats around once a month to see what changes there have been. But recently, I was interested to see what had happened over time, starting right at the very beginning.

What I found really surprised me.

The way I created my most popular post of all time is exactly how I go about creating my blog posts today. It’s popular for a reason, and it’s because I did certain things that made people want to read it.

So if you’re looking for some fresh ideas for creating content or you just want to try some things that actually work, you’ll get it all right here. Let’s get going.

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I know you won’t be a stranger to the “what’s in my bag” style blog posts.

But there are two main reasons why I wanted to write this. One, because I love these types of posts. And two, because we’re all career-focused women and who doesn’t want to have a peek into someone’s work bag?

 So here we are. Now I probably don’t carry as much in my bag as other people, because I just like to have the essentials (and a few back-ups). I actually think I do a pretty good job at keeping my bag tidy – but I’ll let you be the judge of that!

It’s safe to say that even though these are my daily essentials, my bag is still full of receipts, random hairs and yep – every time I get my headphones out they’re tangled. I try to be more glamorous that…promise.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure you’d benefit from all of these items too, so take note and let’s get organising our bags!

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Hands up if you’re looking forward to the long weekend? I can’t wait!

I love my job, but having breaks is so important for you to be able to switch off and forget about work.

Holidays are a time for relaxation, enjoyment and spending time on the things that mean the most to you in life. But, it’s also a great time to catch up on anything you’ve been putting off or that you’ve not had time to do. Whether it’s getting up to date with your blog posts, booking an appointment at the gym or sorting out a room in your house, a long break gives you chance to tackle these things that normally, you wouldn't have time for.

As for me, I’m not overloading myself too much – I want to take these four days to be with my family and do things that fill me up with joy. I’ll be going on a long walk, doing some Easter baking, catching up on the pile of magazines I’ve got to read, and I’ll write some blog posts too.

But there’s also lots of other things on my list. So if you’re wondering how to spend your time over the long weekend, here’s a list of really productive things to do.

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Last year, I wrote a post about how I wanted to live a more intentional life. 

I wanted to be more purposeful with my time and my choices. I wanted to be present in the moment instead of thinking about other things. I wanted to play an active part in my own journey.

It’s easy to just coast through life – but instead, I believe we should live on purpose, and the sooner we understand this lesson, the better.

Our world is naturally “busy”. We’re always on the ball, we've got hectic schedules and it seems like we've always got to be doing something. So really, trying to live on purpose is difficult.

Since I wrote that post six months ago, I’ve been trying really hard to live more intentionally and I’ve definitely noticed a change. So instead of telling you what you can do to live on purpose, today I wanted to share some things that are really useful to remember.

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When I first started using Instagram, I used no hashtags whatsoever. Then once I got to know how effective they could be, the problem turned into how to actually use them. I always see lots of accounts who know exactly the right hashtags to use to make them the most visible – but what I noticed more was that they seemed to be using the same ones over and over.

At the end of last year I decided to completely revamp my Instagram strategy and boy, has it paid off. There are a few things that have contributed to my growth on this platform, like good editing and thoughtful captions. But the thing that has made the biggest difference has got to be hashtags.

Now, I feel confident enough with Instagram to tell you that if you use hashtags, you’ll see an increase in your likes, followers and engagement. So today I wanted to share with you what I’ve learnt about hashtags, how to use them and the best ones to use. Here we go.

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Since I got my new job last September, life has been really good.

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost seven months since that chapter in my life started!

During that time, I feel like I’ve had more revelations than I’ve had in my whole life. It taught me a lot and now, I feel like I’m a much better person because of it. I went through hard times, suffered and came out the other side.

I remember this time last year, starting another new job in which I wouldn't be happy and almost reaching rock bottom.

Given all the other bad jobs I’d had up until this point, plus feeling lost with my blog and letting my relationships suffer, I found myself stuck in a negative way of thinking. Every situation I was in, I thought negatively about it, and I couldn't find a way to change my perspective.

I knew it was all down to me. And part of me wanted to tell myself to get a grip, snap out of it and be happy. But the other, bigger part didn't know how. So the negativity continued.

I was stuck in that way for a good few months, having negative thought after negative thought.It was affecting everything. My blog, my relationships and the way I saw myself as a person. I wasn't happy with myself.

For a long time, I’ve always been a high achiever. I’m the type of person who has high expectations and wants a lot for myself. But to be perfectly honest, being in that negative place twelve months ago made me think I’d never get to where I wanted to be.

Dealing with my expectations has never been my strong point - I’ve always believed that if I act in a positive way towards others then they’ll do the same. It didn't take me long to figure out that sometimes this just isn't true. I’ve also always found it difficult to see the bigger picture. When I’m in a situation I usually have tunnel vision, and if that situation is a bad one, my negative thinking takes over. But I knew I needed to shift my mindset in order for me to grow and move forward.

So since that moment last July when I thought there was no way out, I forced myself to do a re-boot. I forced myself from that point on to start changing my mindset. Because really, it’s all about how you perceive things. It’s all about how you look at something. And even if a situation is negative, you can do the best you can to find the silver linings.

Today I wanted to share with you the four simple things that have made a huge difference in changing my mindset, giving me the confidence to believe in my path and trust that everything is going to be okay.

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So there's something slightly different about this post this week and something the same.

What's different is whereas last week I wrote this to you from my desk, I'm now writing it to you from my kitchen table, where I'm drinking a tea and listening to a Hits playlist on Spotify, because hey weekend!

What's the same is that I've had my eyes glued to a spreadsheet - again.

I'm not complaining, because obviously I love my job. But oh my word, my eyes were like squares again by the end of the day.

Anyway, I'm celebrating today because my late nights at work are finally over. I've got one more next week and that's it until September. We're all really happy in the office to get our evenings back, especially as the warmer months start approaching. And on that note, here's seven very spring things for you to enjoy!

Let's get on with it, shall we?

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When it comes to your blog, you’ve got to make sure you’re writing about what you want to write about. And even if you think you’ve got it all figured out – whether it’s the way you write your headlines, the times you post to social media or your content plan – you’re always developing as a person and it’s important for you to re-evaluate and adapt.

Nothing ever stays static, and if you’re like me, you always want to be growing, challenging yourself and moving forward. But at the heart of it, you want to always come back to what made you love blogging in the first place.

That’s exactly what happened with A Branch of Holly.

Last August I moved platforms from Blogger to Squarespace, so over the past seven months, my online presence has grown and so has my vision for this online space.

I needed to find a way to make my categories more concise. I wanted to be more intentional with what I was blogging about and make sure it directly reflected my purpose and the keywords I associate with ABOH. And instead of completely re-branding or starting a new blog, instead, I decided some changes to my categories were needed.

Maybe you’re in the same place right now. Maybe you want to go back to blogging about what you love. Or maybe you’re just curious about the changes to my site categories and the reasons behind it.

Either way, today’s post is the one for you! So here’s a look behind-the-scenes at what changes I’ve made and why.

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It’s been three months since I started publishing content everyday on this blog, and even though it’s tough, I’m so glad I made that decision.

But there’s been a post I’ve wanted to write for a while now and it’s coming to you today. I don’t know why I haven’t written it earlier. Maybe it was because I just burnt out after launching #BloggingBreakthrough and doing my public speaking gigs. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen negativity around the community lately that has stopped me from writing this. Or maybe it was something else that’s just made this the right time to do it.

As of September, I’ll have been blogging for three years. It’s officially seven months since I refreshed the ABOH brand and moved over to Squarespace. And three months since I started publishing content every day. I feel like blogging is such a huge part of my life now that I can’t imaging not having it. Over the past few months and years, there have been so many huge, exciting changes to our industry, and new things are happening daily.

This blog went from sharing my entire life, to digital marketing and blogging tips and tricks. I’ve spoken before about how I feel like my day jobs have affected exactly what I was writing about, and I’ve definitely struggled to find my feet. But now, I feel like I’ve got a really good balance, and I’m in a really good place with everything, even if my pageviews aren’t as high as other bloggers I know.

But as my own blog has changed, I feel like the blogging community has changed with it.

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Last month, I was in Lancaster speaking to students who were part of the Marketing Society. It was amazing to see the variety in their interests and the subjects they studied.

They were really looking forward to what I was going to speak to them about, which was personal branding. But they had more questions about job interviews – and because I’d been successful in my interviews, they wanted to pick my brain.

I was talking to them about the types of things they might be asked in an interview and when I said that it’s likely they'd have to do a presentation, their faces went blank.

They had absolutely no idea where to start with something like that.

And it’s scary. You’re asked to present on something you think you know a lot about, but when it comes to it, you start to doubt yourself and a vicious cycle starts.

But actually, creating a presentation isn't that difficult.

Why? Because there was a time when I’d never done one and for the job I’m in now, it was my presentation that really impressed the panel. Plus, I now enjoy presenting so much that public speaking is part of my personal brand.

In my personal experience, I know how likely it is that you’ll have to deliver a presentation for a job that you apply for. Luckily, I happen to like talking about careers, because I believe myself to be very successful in my own, plus I love what I do. So while I’m not actively applying for jobs, I’ve definitely been there and know exactly how to help you prepare while you’re job hunting.

So today, I want to share the three keys to creating a successful presentation plus my top tips on how to deliver it.

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Something I’ve been told recently by my loved ones is that I “do too much”.

I definitely know what they're talking about. In all honestly, at one point earlier this year, I had so much on my plate that I burnt myself out completely. It’s really taught me a thing or two.

I’ve learned enough from that experience to realise I need to make some changes. That feeling of burnout doesn’t just last for one day – it can hit you years down the road. And I didn't want burnout to be a regular thing for me.

So since I’ve suffered from this recently, I wanted to share some thoughts with you today on how I’m getting rid of the fear or burnout for good, and how you can too.

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