Issue #10: Content Overload: Systems for Consuming Mindfully
And three promises for my own content creation
I have a lot of mixed feelings about “content.”
As a writer by trade and hobby, there will always be something sacred about the act of writing. Writing can be healing and personally fulfilling, and if a piece of writing is never experienced by a single other person besides its creator, it is still worthy.
But I don’t believe all writing is content. Content is sometimes a product of writing (though it takes many other forms), created specifically for others’ consumption. Content can be fantastic. It can be generic. And most of the time it falls somewhere in-between. In my writing and brand work, I am one of many running on the hamster wheel of content creation in its many forms, while simultaneously rejecting this endless obsession with more, more, more often at the expense of quality.
On the other side of content creation is content consumption. And I get just as easily overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things to read, watch, listen to — and the guilt that creeps up when I haven’t kept up with the latest books, articles, podcasts, shows that everyone else (it seems) has already experienced.
And if you’re the type of person reading this Substack, I imagine you experience something similar ;)
The new year has me thinking a lot about how I want to approach both media consumption and creation moving forward. More intentionally, more consistently, and more aligned with my goals. Here are some promises and structures I’m implementing. Drop yours in the comments 👇🏼
Keep a separate, dedicated inbox for content. I have an email address I use exclusively for my newsletter and content subscriptions. This inbox does not mix with my personal and work emails—while those are in the Gmail app on my phone, my content-only email address is only hooked up to the Mail app. This allows me to create boundaries with my personal, work, and reading/media time.
Have dedicated days and time cues to consume. For me, my podcast and audiobook listening time happens when I’m getting ready for the day, or tidying the kitchen. Mornings with my coffee and weekend afternoons at home are for perusing my subscription inbox. I’m currently piloting treating myself to a chapter of a book whenever I get a big chunk of work done. Nights and weekends are for a movie or 1-2 episodes of a show.
One at a time. I am trying to keep my media consumption manageable by focusing on one piece at a time — and this helps with decision fatigue during the coveted moments of time I do get to indulge in media. What this looks like: one book I’m reading, one audiobook I’m listening to, even a single podcast I’m binging to completion (that is, if I’m totally in love with it—more on that below). For shows and movies, I’ve been really into “project watching” — making my way through an archive either based on a universe, a specific actor or director, or some other unifying topic. Currently, I’m in the middle of watching the MCU chronologically in-universe. Previously: all SATC episodes, movies, and And Just Like That. Next: Star Wars.
Follow curiosity and interest. Don’t abstain from joy in the name of consuming content society may deem “superior.” Enjoy what you read, watch, and listen to — if what you are taking in is not energizing you, that’s a sign to reflect on what really lights you up. If it is not entertaining, piquing your interest, or related to a passion…
Fearlessly unsubscribe, archive, skip, abandon. Your time is valuable. We put the idea of “completion” on a pedestal, when really we should embrace trial and moving on. There is no “right amount” to read or consume. And how exciting it might be to adapt Becky Blades’s manifesto to Start More Than You Can Finish to the things we consume as well as the things we create.
Strategy first: Each piece is rooted in intention, has a message, and is born of an underlying content strategy. More about crafting a content strategy on my company’s blog here.
Novelty always: My hope is to always introduce something new to the conversation. Few topics are purely original, so looking for opportunities to weave in perspective and utility is so so important.
Joy throughout: If I’m not excited to write it, then I am not the right author for that piece. Again, time is precious, and what I put out has to be infused with heart and a genuine interest.
The things I just can’t get out of my mind right now
Just discovered Open Syllabus, for those of us creating our own curriculums :) / Jumping with joy that after several years, apartment hopping in Brooklyn, and a shotgun move in 2021, I finally have a bookshelf of my own / On that note: What Place Do You Call Home? / Framing my wedding flowers…one year later / The ingredients for homemade ricotta are just milk and lemon?? / A fun strategy for keeping the spark alive: My Husband and I Vacation Apart — and We Love It / I know I’m not the only one in awe and horror of ChatGPT, and truly laughed out loud when I read this tweet
*This post contains affiliate links. I only recommend books and products I believe are worth checking out.