Create More, Consume Less
How it will change the way you spend your time
In the first 4 months of 2021, I’ve managed to do the following without too much effort:
- Write for a minimum of 20 minutes every day
- Publish a blog post either on Medium on my blog at least once a week
- Publish content 4 to 6 times a week on my Instagram page, my Facebook page, and my LinkedIn profile
- Create a video a week
- Publish a weekly newsletter
- Create and launch a 70-page course on the art of using Instagram as a business owner
I’ve also managed to keep a steady revenue coming in from my business through my coaching calls and client work.
But it wasn’t always this way.
As an online marketer, my work happens online. It’s where clients connect with me, where I do my workshops and build my personal brand. It’s also where I go to consume a lot of content in the form of blog posts, social media updates, and video tutorials as well as in-depth courses from creators I admire.
But at some point I had to ask myself — Why was I spending so much of my time on the internet?
What could I do about it that would reframe my approach to my devices and my work without compromising on the value that I could provide to my clients? Meaning, how could I create more and consume less?
Exercise the power of observation
Observation is the first step to awareness about a challenge. I’ve noticed this time and again when it comes to any form of habit-building.
Most of us come to habits with a sense of dread or overwhelm. We try to force ourselves to do things and push past barriers using sheer willpower. This causes a great deal of anxiety and creates a negative spiral that winds up in blame.
When we choose to observe, without judgment and without guilt, we tend to take better action in the right direction.
In early April, 2021, I shared how to use the power of observation to break a single bad habit. And I decided to follow through with it based on my own habit of spending too much time on my phone.
As part of the observation practice, I chose to do the following:
- Noted how much time I was spending on my phone daily using the Digital Wellbeing App
- Recorded how I felt soon after using my phone
- Wrote a short note at the end of the day verbalizing the thoughts
I didn’t rely on willpower or self-control or motivation. Just observation.
And within 10 days of this practice, my habit of looking at my phone for 3 to 4 hours a day had dropped to less than 90 minutes per day. Now, when I picked up my phone, I was trying to see if I could actually create something instead of mindlessly consuming information.
Split your time blocks into creation and consumption
One of the best things about the idea of flow and deep work is that it relies on a routine.
Having read numerous books and articles on productivity and time management, I’ve realized that the easiest tip to follow when it comes to better use of your time is to stick to a calendar.
But even more important than that is to use time blocking for different times of your day and dedicate them to just one task. In my case, I’ve observed that when I split creation and consumption I tend to have a far better handle on where my attention and time are being spent.
As I started tracking my time and energy levels through the day, it came to me that I was high on energy in the mornings which gradually tapered to low-energy levels by late afternoon. My creative output is strongest when I schedule it for earlier in the day while my passive consumption could wait until my low-energy zone.
If I were to fill my creative peak time with checking emails, scrolling through social media, or looking at my phone, I was squandering essential resources that could actually be helping my business grow.
So, I started doing my creative work in the mornings and relegated consuming content to later in the day.
Follow the ABCDE method
Instead of having a standard to-do list, create a high-impact task list.
Focus on those specific tasks that will actually help you move forward when it comes to your income, goals, intentions, or your business.
It’s much more productive to create high-quality content that will build your authority than responding to emails throughout the day.
Low-impact tasks
- Responding to social media comments.
- Scrolling through Instagram
High-impact tasks
- Working a bit every day on a scheduled course launch.
- Writing 500 words a day
Pro Tip: You’d notice that most of your high-impact tasks will involve creation while your low-impact ones will consume your time without actually moving you forward.
Jari Roomer explains this brilliantly in his piece where he talks about why he stopped using a to-do list.
Main Takeaway
There’s so much about productivity out there that asks you to pack your day with as many things to do as possible.
I believe, however, that the true way to create more and consume less is to approach your days and weeks with a sense of purpose and intention. Doing this on a gentle rhythm will ensure that you stay on the path of creation without being overwhelmed.
