The Struggle For Content

Time for a quick dose of honesty: I struggle to know what to write about or do next with my day or life.

I know, I know.

“UsE a PlAnNeR.”

“WrItE dOwN tHe 3 MoSt ImPoRtAnT tAsKs To GeT dOnE tOmOrRoW.”

“CrEaTe A sChEdUlE.”

“PlAn OuT a YeAr’S wOrTh Of CoNtEnT.”

I’ve heard and read it all before.

In fact, it may surprise you to know that this blog post, this one you are reading right now, was actually planned out weeks ago!

So what am I doing planning something out about my struggle of what to write about next?

Because it is a problem I have struggled with my whole life! I tend to flit back and forth between hobbies and odd jobs and interests. As an example, at the time of this writing, I am REALLY into card magic and cardistry.

How long will I enjoy this hobby? Who knows! Because I sure as heck don’t!

What to Write About: the Process

I have about a million ideas in my head at any given time. I try to jot them down on ClickUp (affiliate link warning – if you join ClickUp after using my link, then I benefit) in what I like to call my “Bird’s Eye View” list. 

I don’t like calling it a brain dump or something like that because my brain just registers that as “the place where everything goes to die.”

But, some of those ideas are, let’s be honest, terrible.

They should never see the light of day.

So, the question remains: how do I decide what to write or do next?

I have some advice but I want to make something crystal clear first: this blog post is not an answer but a question.

I want to prod you to find your own way to decide what to do next or what to write next. Don’t just do what I do.

What to Write About: My Solution

Here is what I do when I struggle with what to start writing next:

1. Go to my Bird’s Eye View list and read everything on the list
2. If one interests me, grab it and start writing out a plan to begin work on that topic
3. If nothing interests me, I literally let fate decide by using a random number generator and counting down the list until I get to that topic and that is what I will be writing next
4. Repeat step 2

Ta-da!

Like magic, isn’t it?

What to Write About If…

“What about longer pieces?”

1. I start with an idea from the Bird’s Eye View that I have tagged as a potential book idea
2. I convert it to its own folder (but save the original task – see step 6)
3. I create a task called “Outline”
4. I give myself one hour to create an outline for the book (it doesn’t have to be polished or finished)
5. If I can create a function outline within the hour, then I know the idea has merit and I begin to schedule out how often I want to write and work on the book.
6. If I can’t get a comprehensible outline done in an hour, then the book idea is a lost cause and I delete the folder and leave the original task in my Bird’s Eye View to come back to later.

“Okay, but how do you decide what to do next if it isn’t about writing?”

1. I ask myself, “what is the most important thing I can do today to invest in myself and/or my business?”
2. I schedule it to make it happen and set it as a recurring task if I need to
3. I repeat steps 1 & 2 until I now have a schedule and recurring schedule for all the most important things to invest in myself and/or my business

“I’m skeptical.”

GOOD!

This is what works for me, but you gotta figure out what works for you.

I just wanted to give you some ideas.

Now, Go Figure Out What to Write About Next!

Want one last piece of advice?

Stop reading this blog post or researching “how to get started…” and just start doing the thing! Figure out what is gonna work best for you (with the knowledge that it will 100% change at some point, so it doesn’t need to be a permanent solution). 

The only thing stopping yourself from getting things done is you, my friend.

Trust me, I have had this exact conversation with myself and this exact experience. You can sit around for weeks and months and years planning to do something and never getting one single step closer to accomplishing it.

Don’t be like me. Don’t wait until you have lost your job in the middle of a pandemic with a baby on the way to decide to invest in yourself and what you think is best for you (and your family, if applicable).