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- How I Create Content Consistently
It’s been 7 months. It’s kinda crazy how time flies 🥲 I’ve decided to start applying a lot of the same frameworks I bring to filming to my newsletter so hopefully you’ll be seeing more of me each week 🙂
Welcome to edition #3 of Behind The Skits. All about documenting lessons I'm learning as a "creator-entrepreneur" and helping you create entertaining content.
Do you ever find yourself struggling to create content when you just don’t feel like it?
Obviously, I’ve been there too. But over time, I’ve developed a list of five ways to increase the probability I show up, even on the hardest days. So, without further ado, here are my 5 tools for creating consistently:
1) Get Clarity
“When you confuse, you lose” - Donald Miller. This quote was written in the context of marketing, but it also applies to getting ourselves to take action. The more clarity we have about what we’re doing, the more likely we are to show up.
Simple habits like “100 pushups per day” or “250 words per day” have a higher follow-through rate. Have clarity on what you’re doing.
What part of the content creation process are you focused on? My four-step process for creating (I.R.E.D.) keeps me clear on what stage of the journey my content is in. So, when I show up for a creation session, I know exactly what I’m doing. This even goes for the time I have blocked. There’s this concept of “sacred hours” that encourages you to block off daily time for uninterrupted creation.
But I found myself putting it off when I didn’t know what type of session it would be. As someone who doesn’t just write, I needed to dedicate specific times to filming, editing, etc. The book mindset even talks about “clarity of plans.” What are you writing today? Are you filming instead? The more clarity we have, the more change we can create.
2) Make it Attractive
Inspired by Atomic Habits, making something attractive is my favorite of the four Laws of Behavior Change. Often, when we don’t feel like doing something, we fall into the willpower trap and beat ourselves up. “I’m lazy” or “I’m not committed.”
Usually, this leads to a negative thought loop that pushes us further away from the thing we were trying to do, in this case, filming. When we think about doing something, we usually imagine what it’s going to be like to do the thing. If I think about what I want for dinner, I imagine eating a Culver’s double butter burger and get excited.
On the other end, if I imagine eating broccoli, I get grossed out. So… I go towards the thing that feels good. The question then becomes, how do we make creating content more attractive? James suggests in the book that you use temptation bundling. Connecting something you love with something you don’t love. For example, playing my favorite songs before filming or tapping into emotional momentum has made a huge difference.
3) Use Structural Influence
Using structural influence has been a game-changer for me. One example of this is creating a dedicated space for filming or writing. This not only allows for a more consistent creation process, but it can also help with productivity and creativity.
Studies show that having a designated space for specific activities can increase focus and motivation. Maybe its just a special chair for me it was getting a tiny studio simply because my new apartment was too small.
This is a great step towards improving your content creation process and taking your craft to the next level. By having a separate space for your filming, you can fully immerse yourself in the creative process and minimize distractions.
4) Use Social Influence
During my initial start at my last job as a video content creator, I had so many people depending on my video that it was hard not to create consistently.
If I didn’t deliver, then the designer couldn’t upload to the blog, and the email person couldn’t drop it in the newsletter, so necessity was high. How do we raise necessity when no one else is depending on it besides us?
We get clear on WHO needs this video and the impact this content is really making. This is why having a mission/avatar for the content is so helpful. Even someone who motivates us personally. My grandma is my soul man. I love her so much. So, recently I’ve been thinking about how this content helps me create a better life for her. Also, creating a great life for my wife and me.
5. Write a Motivational Statement
This is another one inspired by the book Change Anything. It’s about telling yourself a vivid story of what will happen if you don't do this and all the possibilities that could happen if you continue showing up. The premise is that we often tell ourselves certain stories about our behaviors to not make it hurt as much. If I eat this cheeseburger one day I will probably be in pain but not today. Writing a motivational statement and reading it before procrastinating helps bring those delayed pleasures and consequences into the present and encourages us to keep showing up.
That’s it for today! In summary, here are the 6 ways to stay consistent:
Get Clarity on what you want to accomplish during that session
Make it attractive by bundling temptations
Use structural influence to design your ideal environment
Write a motivational statement and read it before you procrastinate
Release the outcome and double down on the process.
Again, these aren’t fail-proof, but they have helped me A LOT over the last few years and I wanted to share in hopes they would bring value to you!
Until next week,
Nay
P.S. If you’re looking for more content creation tips or are interested in working with me, I’d love to chat! Check out my services below:
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