Ep 26. How to turn content creation into a ritual you look forward to

Content creation doesn’t have to feel like another task on your to-do list.

What if I told you it could actually be something that you look forward to? It so can.

Today I’m gonna share how to build content creation into your week in a way that feels good, not like a chore that you’re forcing yourself through, which I know a lot of people do. 

If you’re new here, a very warm welcome to Quiet Confidence with myself and Anita Popat. It’s a podcast for introverts who want to market their thing without changing who you are.

Let’s talk about why content creation feels so draining for a lot of you and how to change that by building it into your week differently.

When I hear the phrase content creation, it sounds like we’re just making noise to keep up with everyone else, and that’s exactly how a lot of introverts end up feeling about marketing.

But the truth is, you’re not creating content for the sake of it. You’re sharing your message with the people that need to hear it 

I actually enjoy creating content (shock horror), and it’s not just because it’s my job.

I get it’s a task that can easily fall down the to-do list when your work is busy.

And at the beginning of my journey, I used to sit at my desk, open my laptop, stare at a blank screen and think, right, I need to write three posts today. And it felt like homework because it felt forced.

The content I created from that place was just flat because I guess I was doing it as a tick box exercise.

Now I have rituals around content creation that I genuinely look forward to. And you can tell when people are creating content that’s just like, “oh yeah, I need to create something. I’ve just put it out there”, compared to something that’s really from the heart and infused with their energy. The difference is night and day.

The content I create when I’m in a good environment, when I’m energised, and when it’s paired with something that I actually enjoy doing – it’s so much better.

It’s got that energy and personality and it sounds like me because I’m not forcing it. I’m creating from a place that feels good.

I always encourage my clients to do this as well, and they tell me the same thing.

Why does this work so much better, especially for us introverts? 

Well, when content creation is just another item on your to-do list, you’re trying to fit it in in between emails and client calls, and it just becomes really transactional.

You’re trying to get it done and you’re probably rushing through it and not giving yourself enough space to actually think and create.

When you build rituals around it, you are signaling to your brain, right, this is different. This is creative time, and that really matters.

The environment you create in matters, because if you’re always creating content in the same place that you do your admin, your brain can’t shift gears. It stays in task mode and doesn’t drop into that creative flow where good stuff lives.

It could be a different room, a coffee shop, outside, anywhere that isn’t your usual work desk. I often like to brainstorm content ideas on the laptop, on the sofa where it just feels chilled and a bit more relaxed.

For me, pairing content creation with something you enjoy makes it feel less like work and more like self-care. You’re not sacrificing your time to create content. You’re combining it with something that already fills your cup.

You know when someone walks into a room and you are instantly drawn to their energy? Your content does that too. So when you create from a place of enjoyment and flow, that energy is felt by the people reading or listening.

That’s what we wanna show in your content to draw people in online. So, instead of dreading content creation, you start to look forward to it, like, Oh, it’s Wednesday. That’s my coffee shop writing day. It shifts from a chore to a treat.

Let me give you some ways that you can build content creation into your week in a way that feels good.

The first thing is changing your environment. So you can go on a date with your laptop to the coffee shop. And there’s something about being in a different environment with all the background noise and a really good coffee that makes your ideas flow differently, that you’re not at your desk where you associate work with emails and admin.

I dunno about you, but I get some of my best work done in coffee shops because I feel like I’m being watched, so I feel like I have to work.

And it’s nice to people watch and have the nice coffee and cakes as well. Like I say, it’s a treat, something you look forward to. 

Obviously it doesn’t have to be a coffee shop. It could be any space that helps you feel creative.

If you always create content at your desk, why don’t you try somewhere else? It could be a different room, a library, a coworking space, even a park bench.

Maybe your brain associates your desk with all the other work you do there, so give yourself permission to mix it up and try somewhere that feels a bit more creative.

The second thing that works for me is building in accountability that makes you feel like you’re not alone because you’ve got someone else creating at the same time.

So find other business owners and schedule regular coworking sessions in as well. If you normally work for yourself, it’s nice to be surrounded by people sometimes because that can spark different ideas.

You can literally pair content creation with anything that you already enjoy.

If you’re getting your nails done, you can voice note ideas while you’re sitting there waiting for them to dry. 

If you’re going for a walk, you can capture thoughts as they come into your brain.

These two make content creation time really special because you’re gonna get a reward as well as well as writing your content.

You’ll get to drink your favorite coffee, meet some friends, have a pastry, listen to some music that you love, whatever makes it feel like less of a chore and more of a moment for yourself or with others.

Make it consistent part of your week as well. Pick a specific time or place that’s just for content. Maybe it’s Tuesday mornings at your favorite coffee shop, or even Sunday evenings with a glass of your favorite drink.

Make it consistent and make it feel special so instead of dreading content creation, you start to look forward to it.

Naturally when you’re in those moments, you’re gonna be in that high energy state and you should be in creative flow. So obviously, I’m gonna say batch create as much as you can.

You wanna make sure you schedule this time in at the time of day when you feel most creative. For me, it’s afternoons, and I protect that time for creative work so I’ll schedule my meetings and client work in the mornings.

But for you, it might be the other way around. Whatever it is, you wanna make sure we’re creating content from a place of energy rather than exhaustion.

And remember, it’s not a tick box exercise. It’s to create content that actually sounds like you and has your energy in it because that’s what’s gonna connect with people. And that only happens when you’re creating from a good place. 

So I hope that sparked some ideas, and I’d love to know if you already have a content creation ritual or if you’re gonna start one after listening to this.

Come and find me on Instagram or LinkedIn and let me know what you’re doing.

I’d love to hear about it.

As always, a huge thank you for listening. If you did enjoy it, don’t forget to leave a review and I would really appreciate if you could share it with your network so we can help even more people build their quiet confidence and make that loud impact in their world.

Speak soon.