Welcome to the Productivity Blog

When you’re eating out and you look around the restaurant you’re in, sometimes I can’t believe it. Over the past few years, people have become addicted to technology. But we don’t see it as an addiction. We see it as an extension of ourselves. We’re always tuned in and always, well on. Looking around a restaurant, it’s no surprise to see most people on their phone. And today, that’s become the norm. Seeing people on their phone while they’re supposed to be spending quality time with their loved ones is seen as acceptable behaviour.

I for one, am not one of those people. I believe that when you’re spending time with family, you’re spending time with family, and technology shouldn’t get in the way of that. Taking the odd picture is fair enough, but not a whole browsing session.

This isn’t to say I’ve got a good relationship with my phone! It’s really not. Because I too, am always tuned on. But I can safely say that I’ve gotten a lot better over the years and I realise how important it is to have that separation. So today, I wanted to share some of the ways I’ve found that help me be more intentional with technology. 

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In two months, it’ll mark a year since I applied for the job I’m in now. The fact that I love it just as much as I did in day one makes me feel all kinds of lucky, and I know there’s not a great deal of people out there who can say that. So today, I wanted to share some of the things that helped transform my career and got me to the position I’m in today.

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Friends, I’m excited. Really excited. You see today I get to share with you what I’ve been working on behind-the-scenes over the past few weeks.

The #BloggingBreakthrough community started off as just an idea. An idea to help bloggers with the basics and to share my own experiences so that they might help or inspire others. Then the series launched on the blog over the month of January and after that, the eBook was released. By this point, I had no idea that this would turn into a full blown community, but it has. Now, the people that sign up to the community sign up to be a Breakthrough Blogger.

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you’ll have seen that I’ve been talking about something I’ve been creating for the #BloggingBreakthrough community. I love sending letters to your inbox on a weekly basis. But I felt there was something missing. Something more I could do for you.

The eBook I created showed me just how much I love creating products like that and it made me think – well, why can’t I do something like that more regularly?

I’ve been trying to figure out a way to do this and a few weeks ago, it hit me.

I was preparing a talk I was doing to some high school students about my journey so far. I spoke about how I got to where I am today. As I was planning my script about high school, college, uni and my career, I realised that one huge factor that has stayed with me throughout is magazines.

Reading magazines, analysing magazines, creating magazines – they've been my first love since I was 16 and my ultimate goal was always to work for a magazine.

So I thought, hey – why not create my own mini one?

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Social media is definitely not an easy playing field. In fact, you have to be really smart about it to make it work. Saying that, there are thousands upon thousands of articles out there that tell you how to succeed with social media - and also those that put fear into people by going on about myths that just aren’t true.

When I first started blogging in 2013, I spent six months researching how to promote myself, what platforms I should be spending my time on and how long, plus what I had to do to make myself become a “successful” blogger.

During this set-up time, I spent my days reading too many blog posts to count. They all had contradicting advice that made me question where to even start when it came to social media.

I soon learnt that taking things back to basics, doing things my own way and creating my own unique system that worked for me and my blog was the best thing to do.

After time, I started to ignore all those articles, and now only pay attention to what a handful of bloggers are saying in the social media industry. I ignored the articles that said it’s easy, that said spending money on followers was the right thing to do, and that no one could really grow their blog using social media.

That was probably the best thing I could’ve done for my blog - any more social media myths that portrayed it as a time-sucking soul-destroying place of negativity would have had me cowering in my seat and never starting a blog in the first place.

But even so, it still took me a long while to figure out my path in the social media world and I got through a lot of myths along the way. So today, I wanted to share with you what I’ve learnt so far.

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Sometimes in our journey as a blogger, we can feel like we’re alone. It seems like we’re not really blogging to anyone. It’s very similar to working alone - running a blog can make you feel isolated and the support of a team can really be missed. Especially when there’s always so much to do.

A key to becoming a successful blogger isn’t down to pageviews or even what you actually blog about. What’s really important is the supportive network of family and friends that you have around you - like-minded people. These are the people that will bring out the best in you, that will help you grow, develop and learn more about blogging and about yourself as a person. They’ll be there to give you advice, share your journey, act as a cushion for when you’re having a tough time, and to celebrate with when things are going well.

But if you’re anything like me, it can be really difficult to find this support, especially when reaching out doesn’t come naturally to you. So that’s what I wanted to help you with today.

What you’ve got to realise, and what took me a long time to realise, is that you’ve got to reach out if you want to find this support. It won’t come and find you. You’ve got to seek it yourself. You’ve got to be active. You’ve got to make the effort. For me, there are two key characteristics we need as bloggers that play a crucial part in helping us find this support: honesty and friendliness. 

Don’t be afraid to reach out, whether it be a tweet, comment or email. You might not realise it, but commenting on someone’s blog every time they publish a post is creating a relationship with them, and you’ve no idea how much that could grow, or the opportunities you could get from it. What’s the worst that could happen? 

Finding support online means putting yourself out there. It’s scary, but here’s what I’ve learnt to help make the process a little easier.

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Hey friends. So I'm changing the usual Seven for Sunday post today because it's time for the monthly review. Last time I did one of these we had a four-day weekend and now we're in the middle of a three-day one - I hope it feels as great for you as it does for me! Apart from the fact that the weather has been a washout. Thanks Spring.

In my last Month in Review post, I said that things have calmed down a bit and that's true in some ways. I'm not travelling around as much with my job anymore, but this is one of our busiest periods. We've got events to organise, content to write and refreshed marketing materials to make for when the new academic year starts in September.

I have to say as well, that this has been the month I've enjoyed most for my blog in 2016. I've enjoyed all the content that's been published and I've loved creating stronger relationships with you, especially in the form of guest posts. I've got a schedule to fill up in June and August and it's been great hearing some of your ideas. But what's even more astonishing to me is that you actually want to contribute. It sounds silly, but the fact you want to write a guest post for ABOH fills me with such delight! Watch this space, because there's some great content coming your way.

I've also stepped up my game this month. I've started taking freelance writing more seriously with applying for opportunities and creating a page on my site. And I've also come up with a really exciting idea for the Blogging Breakthrough community which I can't wait to share with you all.

But enough about work - that's not what this post is about! April has been a very positive month, so here's a look at everything that happened.

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Happy Saturday everyone! It's a long weekend and that means another slice of inspiration to treat yourself to. This week's little reminder is something I've been thinking a lot this week in regards to my life, as I finally started calling myself a freelance writer.

I've always been a person that's wanted more for myself. I'm not a settler or a coaster. My parents brought me up to work hard and go after what I wanted. Someone said to me the other day that we shouldn't say to people, "you can be anything you want", because sometimes they just won't get to where they want to be. But I disagree. I don't think that's good advice. Because if you don't try to get somewhere, then really, what's the point? 

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One of my most popular posts on ABOH this month has been "Some of the best magazines worth subscribing to." The fact that you, my readers, response was so enthusiastic (combined with my unconditional love with all things to do with magazines), I thought to myself, there has to be something more I can do with this.

Which brings us onto this - The Magazine List. A monthly series where I'll review the best magazines and why they were so great. They'll be full of reading recommendations for you and if you love them like I do, then it's something else we get to share in common together. 

So for this month's instalment, there are four in particular that I want to talk to you about. Oh and P.S - I've also thought of another rather brilliant way to bring magazines more to this blog, so if you're intrigued, watch this space!

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Stephie writes things, over thinks things and drinks too much tea. Sometimes, the three collide and she makes a show. Other times, she blogs. She started her own theatre company and currently works as a programmer, working hard to follow her dream.

I asked Stephie to be the guest for this month's interview and share her career journey so far. I hope it will make you feel as appreciative and inspired as it made me.

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Maybe it’s just because my middle name is “motivation”, but I’ve always needed a good, strong workspace to help me achieve my best work. My office space has seen me throughout college, university and my Masters degree, but it’s not just the way I’ve set it out – it’s the actual supplies that do it for me.

A few weeks ago, I shared a post about how I set up my desk to increase my productivity, and I enjoyed that so much that I decided to get a post together about all the best accessories. I’ve come across so many great brands that have really great desktop supplies, so here’s my favourite picks to help keep you motivated and tick off that to-do list.

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Last week when I took a whole week off from work, I did a hell of a lot of typing. Blog posts, social media updates, website maintenance, emails - I did it all, and learnt a lot. So if you’ve ever said “I don’t have time to do this”, or “There are so many things I want to do for my blog but I just don’t have time”, - both of which I’ve definitely said! - then today’s post is for you. 

As someone who has a full-time job and runs a blog alongside it (not to mention all the other parts of life), I completely understand how difficult, frustrating and stressful it can all get.

Keeping all of these plates spinning has been my daily routine for the past couple of years and while I LOVE both my day job and my blog and wouldn't give either of them up for the world, I definitely sympathise with the overwhelm and guilt each and every one of us feels on a regular basis. 

But I also believe that you can make the things you want to happen for your blog happen, even if you’re on a very limited amount of time. It all starts with actually wanting them to happen in the first place. And for the things in this list, you only need ten minutes.

If you want to increase your visibility online, be seen more in the blogging community, and grow your audience, this list of ten minute updates will start you off on your way to improving your blog. Let’s go.

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Sometimes in life, we’ve got to go through hurdles and obstacles to get to where we want to be. But unfortunately, we can also come to the realisation that we can’t always get what we want. You can try and try, but sometimes life is tough and it just doesn’t happen. 

When things aren’t going your way, it can be frustrating, upsetting and completely demoralising. Something you’ve been so sure about and had your heart set on can disappear in front you in a matter of seconds, like the sky changing from bright sunshine to pouring rain, making you feel cold and lost.

You could spend a really long time trying to figure out the cause of the downpour and wondering why it happened. Why to you? Why now? Why after all this time? Why after you’ve been working so hard? You can go back through your journey in your mind, trying to pinpoint what you did wrong or the moment that made everything turn out this way. Usually there’s no answer - and that’s one of the hardest things to understand in life.

I’ve been in the downpour before, wondering why things just aren’t going my way. Today I wanted to share my thoughts with you and tell you how you can pick yourself back up again.

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This week has been pure bliss.

If you read this blog often or you keep up to date with me on social media you might have seen me say that I've had a whole week off. At first I felt quite nervous and overwhelmed. I mean, it was five whole days ahead of me. I had no plans, no appointments, no early starts - nothing. So I kind of didn't know where to start.

But then my family talked some sense into me and made me realise how lucky I was to have this time off ahead me. They said I should use it wisely. So I did.

Have I done anything grand? No. Did I jet off on a plane? No. Did I got on a road trip? No. But what I did do was even better.

I had time to myself. I spent a lot of time with my nana and grandad that reminded me of when I was at college and university. I spent time outside, reading and catching the sun. I spent time with my animals. I spent time just being happy within my own company.

And what better way to show you what else I've done than with a Seven for Sunday round-up?

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Happy Saturday internet family! So today I'm bringing you the official second instalment of the Inspirational Reminder series. I loved your responses to the start of this last week and I'm really excited for this new path. I'm also thinking of turning this into a hashtag on Instagram: #YourInspirationalReminder. That way, we can keep up with how we're all using the reminder and giving each other support too.

I decided on this week's reminder as I was having a browse through Pinterest and saw this quote in my feed. I actually thought it described this week perfectly and saved it ready for this post.

On Tuesday, I was asked to go back into my old high school to talk to a group of 14-15 year-old's and deliver a motivational talk about my journey from school to where I am now. Of course, I jumped at the chance. So I told them my journey and made it as aspirational as possible. The great thing about it was that I'd been sat exactly where they were so if they listened to anyone, it'd be great to listen to me.

Then my mum (who works at the school) thought it would be a good idea if I came in to present the same talk to the final year pupils - the 15-16 year-old's, because they're completely unmotivated. I asked her to describe to me what she meant, and I couldn't comprehend what she said.

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If there's one thing Tom and I would pick to do together in our spare time, it wouldn't be going on a night out or a trip to the cinema. It would be walking. There's something about going for a walk that we both connect with more than other activities. And in the two and a half years we've been together, I can safely say that we've never walked the exact same route more than once.

Before I met Tom I liked walking, but it's only since I've met him that he's opened my mind to seeing it in a completely different light. It's just the two of us. Nobody else. No problems, no hurdles to cross. We're just together with only the noise of nature and the sound of our thoughts that we hear.

Usually, Tom will pick a route for us when we go on a walk and I'll have absolutely no idea where we are. But that's how I like it. I like the facts he tells me. I like being surprised at turning a corner. I like all the animals we come across, like friendly dogs and lazy sheep. I like waiting for the smallest moment to reveal itself.

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Our career is a huge part of our lives. We work for a long time each day so making sure we’re in a job we enjoy is really important. But I’ve learnt something else important when it comes to a career and that’s making sure you’re working somewhere where you’re valued and rewarded.

Feeling under appreciated at work is a horrible situation to be in. It’s demoralising, frustrating, draining and affects your whole life in a very negative way. If your colleagues don’t appreciate you at work, you come home and begin to appreciate yourself less to. It even gets to the point where you don’t believe you deserve appreciation. 

I know this happens too often - and it’s even happened to me in one of my previous jobs. If you’re currently not appreciated at work it doesn't have to be that way. Here are some signs you need to look out for and what to do about it.

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It’s not intelligence or lack of ability that stops people from reaching their goals and getting to where they want to be - it’s not having self-belief. There are many challenges that we face in our lives and it’s not how much we know that helps us deal with it. It’s how much we believe in our capability to do it.

But if you’re anything like me, you struggle with self-belief. You struggle with believing in yourself enough to accomplish what you really want to achieve. Are there some quick fixes to help you conquer it? No. But I’ve found some very small, simple ways to help improve myself. And today, I wanted to pass these onto you.

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Never did I think that I’d ever write a post about photography. It’s probably the thing I’ve always struggled most with as a blogger. But since January, I’ve been making much more of an effort with my imagery on this space, which a lot of you have noticed, and on Instagram too - I usually upload two to three photos a day on there and I’ve seen my following greatly increase.

Right now, I use an iPhone 5s to take my Instagram photos and the Panasonic Lumix Bridge Camera to take blog photos. I also use a few of these photos on my Instagram and it really helps to make my feed look a lot more professional and on brand. But usually, my iPhone is great quality.

So I’ve learnt a lot about both blog and social media photography over the past few months and today, I wanted to share some tips with you, in case you’re trying to make more of an effort with your imagery too.

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If there’s one thing we pass onto others about running a blog, it’s that it takes up a hell of a lot of time. And when time means everything, you definitely can’t afford to waste it.

Here’s what I found out when I analysed my routine. I have spare slots all over the place where I don’t do anything productive. So I started trying to at least start something, even if I just had five minutes. Guess what I found? I did more and wrote more throughout a week, even though I had less time on my hands. 

You’re not alone in the struggle of trying to manage everything for your blog. Writing, photography, editing, promotion, networking - it’s a huge, common problem for a lot of us, no matter how long we’ve been blogging for. Even the top bloggers who do this for a living struggle with managing their overwhelming workload, but luckily for them (and us too), there are some amazing tools to help them do more and save time. What you need are tools you access anywhere at anytime, and if you’re anything like me, then you’ll understand how every moment can be used to do something productive. 

So today, I wanted to share a few secret habits of mine that will help you maximise your time, get more done and help you on your journey.

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Sunday usually comes with the Sunday blues. But not for me. Not this Sunday. Want to know why? Because I've got a whole. week. off.

Yep, I'm officially on my holidays now. I'm not going away anywhere. Really, I just want to spend it pottering around, getting work done and ticking things off my life admin list.

So this Seven for Sunday comes to you from the comfort of my desk, where my honey blossom Yankee candles is burning brightly, and I've got a whole list written of what I want to accomplish over the next seven days.

I'm feeling quite optimistic. There's a lot I want to get done, but so far I'm feeling really pumped. I'm making silent prayers all the time that the weather is going to be sort of Spring-like and I'm quite looking forward to some good old-fashioned alone time.

On Friday, Tom and I went to Nandos for tea which was the perfect way to start my time off. Then yesterday we took blog photos, I spent time doing some work (aka this post) and had a cinema trip with my dad. We've also had a lot of present deliveries from Maisy this week - only cat owners will understand that one!

So if you want to keep up with me behind-the-scenes this week, I'm going to be documenting everything on Snapchat. You can find me at abranchofholly.

But enough about next week - let's get cracking with this edition of Seven for Sunday.

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