A Firm Grasp
I believe that it’s easier to create content when you have a firm grasp on the bigger picture. You know where your ideas fit (and which don’t fit at all), and you always have a plan to fall back on when inspiration is lacking.
There are many, many elements that go into this bigger picture (which we cover in content coaching), but I thought I would share a peek into how I think about my blog content.
I have three core lists that form a strong foundation for both my content and my business, and these lists both spark ideas for posts and keep me focused when shiny ideas emerge (as they always do).
1 | Beliefs
At my core, I believe:
> we each have a distinct, unique combination of wisdom, knowledge, experiences, strengths, and passions that we can (and should) use to help those around us.
> that while you can’t have an experience for someone, or replace their need to learn something, you can help that person understand and prepare for what they’re facing by listening and sharing your stories.
> in the power of kindness—and the power of unkindness. Words and actions matter, and in every moment of every day, you have the ability to either make or break someone's day.
> in the power of feeling heard and understood. We're all moving through life looking for connection, and not much beats the feeling that someone gets you.
> that you can't know where you want to be without first understanding where you're starting from, and that once you have that knowledge, that forming a series of processes and routines (with built-in flexibility) based on that understanding can ultimately get you there with greater freedom and creativity. (I call this clarity and consistency and I talk much more about it here.)
> in white space. I've adopted simplify and refine as a mantra recently, and I don't see it going away any time soon. You choose what to fill your life with and where you leave space for the joyful and unexpected.
2 | Mission Statement
I want to help you:
> feel comfortable and confident in your ability to create and share content that has meaning for both you and your audience.
> create a framework (the big picture as I called it earlier) for content, a business, and a life that feel meaningful.
> practice self-awareness and self-kindness (as well as kindness to others, of course!) to help you be the best you possible.
3 | Blog-Post Categories
So you want to…
> Get in the right mindset to create
> Refine your voice + core message
> Organize your ideas + get started
> Put pen to paper + stay unstuck
> Refine what you’ve created + hit publish
> Keep your content organized + on track
Or maybe you want to…
> Deal with overwhelm + consume mindfully
> Refine + simplify your world
> Find and maintain clarity + consistency
> See inspiration everywhere
> Check out my recommendations
> Peek behind the scenes
> See me elsewhere
What you see above is the refined result of years of hard work and introspection, and I'm not suggesting you'll sit down in the next ten minutes and create magical, complete lists that will revolutionize your content. But if you take a few minutes to write down some ideas, put them where you can see them, and accept that they will evolve over time (as will mine!), you may find yourself being a bit more focused when it comes to your content (and your business).
If you create any of these lists, I'd love to hear about them! And if you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below or by email.