From Rigorous Tracking to Intuitive Posting
Finding My Perfect Posting Time
“Letting go of meticulous tracking was not a step back, but a leap forward into a more intuitive and fulfilling way of connecting with my audience.”
I want to share my little adventure into the world of self-discipline and organization, particularly focusing on my writing and publishing journey on Medium.
It’s been a wild ride with ups and downs, but I learned a lot along the way.
It all started when I noticed that my writing and publishing were all over the place.
Some days I felt like a content-producing machine, while on others, I couldn’t even muster up the energy to type a single word.
My posts were random, my thoughts scattered, and my audience engagement was as unpredictable as the weather.
I knew I needed a change, a structure to bring some order to my chaos.
So, with a burst of motivation, I decided to discipline myself and structure my writing and publishing process.
The plan was simple: track everything in an Excel spreadsheet.
I wanted to record data that captured the date and time of my postings, whether the article was behind a paywall or not, if I needed to notify my email subscribers, and whether the article was ready to publish.
It sounded like a foolproof plan, right?
For about 1.5 weeks, I was on it.
I meticulously entered data into my spreadsheet after each post. It felt good at first, like I was in control of my content.
I could see patterns emerging and thought I was onto something big.
I had visions of optimizing my posting schedule to the minute, maximizing my audience engagement, and perhaps even predicting the future!
But let me tell you, it was exhausting.
The initial thrill of organization quickly gave way to the tedium of data entry.
Every post became a chore, another row to fill, another set of cells to format. The joy of writing and sharing my thoughts was overshadowed by the mechanical process of tracking everything.
And so, after almost 1.5 weeks, I gave up. I just couldn’t keep up with the self-imposed bureaucracy.
Now, I’ve adopted a simpler approach to scheduling my posts.
Instead of getting bogged down in the minutiae, I focus on a broader strategy.
I discovered that posting just before midnight (Malaysian time) yields the best engagement for my audience.
This revelation was quite a surprise and highlighted the importance of timing in content publishing.
The difference between my old random posting and my current semi-structured schedule is night and day.
My audience knows when to expect new content, and I can prepare my posts in advance, ensuring they’re of higher quality and better thought out.
It’s a more relaxed approach, but it’s far more sustainable and enjoyable for me.
Through this experience, I learned a valuable lesson: balance is key.
While it’s important to have some structure and discipline in your work, especially when you’re aiming to build an audience and engage with them regularly, it’s equally important not to get lost in the details.
The essence of writing — sharing ideas, expressing thoughts, connecting with others — should always come first.
In the end, I’ve found a rhythm that works for me.
It’s not as strict as my initial plan, but it’s effective.
My posts are more consistent, my audience engagement has improved, and, most importantly, I enjoy the process.
Writing is a passion, and while discipline is necessary to harness it, it should never extinguish the joy it brings.
So, to anyone struggling to find their footing in the world of online content creation, remember this: find your balance.
Don’t be afraid to try different methods to find what works best for you, but always keep your love for writing at the forefront.
It’s a journey, with its share of trials and errors, but it’s worth every step.
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- You can follow my Medium Publications: Aspiring Writer’s Journey, Influencer’s Journey, Startup Survival Journey, and IoT World.
- I have published several eBooks, such as IoT Notes (FREE), IoT: Beginner’s Guide, Startup Survival, Mastering IoT with Favoriot, Your IoT Journey (FREE), and IoT Infographics — Your IoT Journey Guide (FREE).
- Or, if you prefer, check my bookstore at Gumroad — https://mazlanabbas.gumroad.com.
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Dr. Mazlan Abbas 