Breaking Habits: Exploring New Approaches to Creating Content
A way to get over 'Analysis Paralysis'
Because human beings are habitual creatures, we often forget that there are other ways of doing things than the way that we've always done them. For instance, when I write my newsletter, I always just get an idea from life and then I turn it into prose. I sit there for an hour creating this newsletter, doing research and following up all those processes I've always done. But today I thought, no, I'll do it a different way. I'll get a question and answer app to ask me new questions on the next steps for the idea.
What could you achieve with follow-on ideas prompting you?
Break Out of Old Habits
One writer I help has the belief that he has to research many books (50 to 100) before he can get started on the writing process, which is only partly true. What I would do is research three to four books, specifically on the topic I want to learn more about, taking some notes and then re-looking at the notes. As you do this, you actually instil in your mind all the key points you could potentially make about this topic - both agreeing and disagreeing with the authors. You don't have to worry about forgetting. It's all there.
Then I would do a Mind Map (Tony Buzan style). Just make it simple and outwardly radiant, so that you can find the best topics to make the chapters of a book in this case.
Perhaps I have been boring people at recent networking events on the simple possibilities of mind mapping, but I still believe that it's a great way to get over one's under-confidence in a particular subject and see what you come up with in just half an hour.
If you don't love mind mapping and drawing little icons, then you could also use audio dictation to come up with some ideas for your book, making sure that you've researched the topic first. I found that the voice dictation app ‘VoicePal’ helped me produce the ideas a little faster, as it iterates a few question prompts for you. (I didn’t let it change my words but it certainly does a great job of cleaning the dictation).
As you think about different ways to create content, consider that perhaps the way you've always done it is not the most efficient way or effective way. Perhaps there are other ways to be more productive and also have more fun doing this creation. Comment below to let me know your own way.