Imagine that someone creates amazing content. The YouTube videos get thousands of views, newsletter has a 40% open rate, and audience genuinely loves what they produce.
But they are miserable.
“I spend more time figuring out what to do than actually doing it,” they say. “Every time I sit down to create something, I feel like I’m starting from zero. I know I’ve solved these problems before, but I can’t remember how.”
The content isn’t broken. The content creation process is broken.
And if you’re reading this, yours probably is too.
The Hidden Signs Your Creative Process is Broken
You might think your process is fine because you’re still publishing content. But broken processes have sneaky symptoms:
- You avoid certain types of content because they feel “too complicated” to set up
- You procrastinate on projects you’re actually excited about because the logistics feel overwhelming
- You have “good weeks” and “bad weeks” with no clear understanding of why
- You feel like you’re always rushed even when you have plenty of time
- You reinvent solutions to problems you’ve definitely solved before
- You have bursts of productivity followed by creative crashes
If any of these sound familiar, your process isn’t supporting your creativity – it’s fighting against it.
Why Most Content Processes Break Down
Here’s the thing: Most creators don’t actually have a content creation process. They have a content creation habit.
A habit is: “I usually write my newsletter on Sunday mornings” A process is: “I follow these 7 specific steps every time I write a newsletter”
Habits work when everything goes smoothly. Processes work when life gets messy.
When your “process” is really just a loose routine, everything falls apart the moment something changes:
- Your usual writing day gets interrupted
- You’re traveling and don’t have your normal setup
- You’re stressed and can’t think as clearly
- You’re working on a different type of content than usual
Suddenly you’re staring at a blank page, feeling like you’ve forgotten how to create content entirely.
The Four Ways Content Processes Break
1. “Wing It” You rely on inspiration and momentum instead of structure. When you’re feeling creative, you produce amazing work. When you’re not, you produce nothing.
Fix: Create templates for when your brain isn’t working perfectly. Your best work happens when you have structure to be creative within.
This templates can consist on having just a couple of questions to ask yourself or even prompts to get your creativity flowing, it also helps you having a consistent script or writing.
2. “Perfect Setup” You spend more time optimizing your process than using it. You have elaborate systems that look beautiful but are too complex to follow consistently.
Fix: Build the simplest thing that works, then add complexity for your own needs, but only after proving that the simple one works, don’t overcomplicate it.
3. “Scattered Tools” Your process is spread across 8 different apps, 3 notebooks, 2 computers, and your phone. You waste mental energy just figuring out where things are.
Fix: Choose one primary tool and put everything there. Fancy integrations can come later.
My suggestion is trying to start with a simple “proven that works” system, like the PARA Method from Tiago Forte, it’s what i use for the most part of my organization.
The best is to use the same system for the different areas of your life, that way it is simpler to have a consistent flow.
4. “Every Time is Different” You approach each piece of content like a unique puzzle. You might have great individual results, but you can’t replicate your successes consistently.
Fix: Document what works and turn successful projects into repeatable templates. Try doing a reflection note one week after every creative work and then do the same one month after, that way you can also keep track of the metrics.
What a Working Process Actually Looks Like
A good content creation process has three characteristics:
It’s Predictable: You know exactly what step comes next, even when you’re tired, stressed, or uninspired.
It’s Flexible: It works whether you have 30 minutes or 3 hours, whether you’re at home or traveling.
It’s Iterative: It gets better over time because you’re constantly refining based on what actually happens.
Let me show you what this looks like in practice with my own transformation.
Before and After
Before (Broken Process):
- Sit down to write a post or script
- Stares at blank page for 20 minutes
- Check email, social media, get distracted
- Finally get an idea, write like there is no tomorrow
- Realize I forgot to plan the structure
- Rewrite everything
- Forget to proofread, send with typos
- Feel frustrated and promise to “be more organized next time”
After (Working Process):
- Open my post or script Template in Notion
- Review my Content Idea Bank (populated during my weekly planning)
- Follow step outline structure (same every time)
- Use my Research Checklist to gather supporting info
- Write first draft using proven opening/closing formulas
- Run through Publishing Checklist before sending
- Update Content Performance Tracker for next time (week and month later)
Same person, same skills, completely different experience.
The 20-Minute Process Fix
You don’t need to rebuild your entire workflow from scratch. You can fix the biggest problems in 20 minutes:
Step 1: Pick Your Most Frustrating Content Type (5 minutes) What type of content makes you think “ugh, here we go again” every time you create it?
Step 2: Document Your Current Reality (10 minutes) Write down exactly what you do now, including:
- Where you get stuck
- What you forget
- What changes every time
- What you do well consistently
Step 3: Create One Simple Template (5 minutes) Based on what you wrote down, create the simplest possible template that addresses your biggest pain point. Don’t make it perfect, make it usable. You can also go search for templates that other creatives already uses.
I have this template ready for you: Free Notion Template for starting Podcast Audio Editing
Examples:
- Blog post: Hook + 3 main points + conclusion + Call To Action
- Video: Problem + solution + example + next step
- Social post: Question + personal story + lesson + engagement question
The Process Improvement Loop
Once you have a basic template, improve it using this cycle:
Use it: Follow your template for your next 3 pieces of content Track it: Note what works, what doesn’t, what you skip Adjust it: Make one small improvement based on what you learned Repeat: Use the improved version for the next 3 pieces
This way your process gets better based on your actual experience, not theoretical optimization.
The Truth About “Perfect” Processes
Here’s what I’ve learned from my experience and from talking to other creatives: The best process is the one you actually follow.
Your process doesn’t need to be revolutionary, Instagram-worthy, or impressive to other creators. It needs to work reliably when you’re tired, uninspired, and just want to get something published without hating every minute of it.
My process isn’t fancy. I use basic Notion templates, simple checklists, and straightforward structures. But it works, which means I get to focus on what I’m actually trying to do: creating content that helps people and editing audio.
Your broken process is costing you more than time – it’s costing you the joy of creating. Fix it today, one small template at a time.
What’s your most chaotic 30 minutes of content creation? What always makes you think “there has to be a better way to do this”?
Book a consultation so we can work together in building your own personal Working Process.
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