Tired of Creating Content? Here’s How I Plan My Week

Creator burnout is real… but it’s easy to fix.

Creator burnout is real… but it’s easy to fix.

I’ve spent the past ten years writing and creating content online.

These days, it’s my full-time gig. I balance creating content with training for marathons and three kids running a business.

I don’t always get it right, but…

Here’s what a typical week looks like for me:

A content business should work for you, not the other way around

Mondays

I plan content I will write or record for the week.

I spend 30–60 minutes researching keywords for articles I want to write for my site or commission with freelancers.

I also pick one big piece of content to create for the week, like a YouTube video or email newsletter. Then, I check my notes and create an outline for the article or video.

I’ll check in with a team member and handle administrative tasks like invoicing.

Finally, I spend 30–60 minutes engaging with other creators on LinkedIn, X and Substack.

I do this every day.

Tuesdays

I’ll work on my content asset for the week. That means two to three hours of deep work while wearing noise-canceling headphones and listening to ambient house music.

That afternoon, I’ll schedule content for social media. At the moment, I work one week in advance. Scheduling further ahead complicates editing content that’s not working out.

I also spend the afternoons on calls with potential clients and or taking an online course.

Wednesdays

I usually record short-form and long-form videos.

I find it easier to batch-record video rather than press record ad-hoc. So, I’ll create a long-form video and 5–10 shorts.

Video is more tiring than writing. So, I don’t do anything else on Wednesdays besides recording videos.

Thursdays

I’ll either edit footage from the previous day or give it all to an editor.

It depends on my budget and if I’m behind or ahead on my big piece of content for the week.

Fridays

I write and schedule my weekly newsletter.

I so write articles for Medium.

Some creators write daily on Medium, but a weekly publishing schedule fits my current writing goals.

In the afternoon, I review my stats for the week. I’ll check which posts got the most engagement and which content flopped.

I’ll also check my traffic, email list rates, and revenue.

I limit checking stats to once a week, as hitting refresh on Google Analytics can easily become a form of procrastination… or anxiety!

During this weekly review, I’ll also review my calendar and set 3 priorities for the week ahead.

That’s what my week looks like these days.

But creating content for a living often means changing my routine, so I’d expect my weekly routine to vary.

How To Plan Your Week As a Creator

When planning your week, separate planning, creating, editing, publishing, and administration.

They’re different types of work, which are easy to mix up. When planning your week as a creator, break it up as follows:

Ideation and Planning

Dedicate an hour or two to brainstorm and outline your content for the week. This could be articles, videos, or any other format you specialize in.

Your job isn’t to hit a word count or create a first draft. Instead, map out content for the week ahead.

Dig into your keyword tool of choice, your notes, or outlines. Use this time to set realistic deadlines, too.

Writing and Creating

Reserve a block of time each day for focused, uninterrupted writing or content creation. I love the Pomodoro Technique for staying focused.

It’s easy to learn:

Rather than trying to create for hours, get a timer.

Don’t use your phone as a timer.

Leave that little distraction in another room.

Instead, set a computer timer for 25 minutes. Work on one project for 25 minutes and nothing else.

When the timer buzzes, take a 2–3 minute break.

Repeat that four times.

Then, take a longer break.

That’s more than enough time (with breaks built-in) to create a draft.

Editing

When celebrated American essayist Joan Didion finished a draft of an article, essay, or book, she stuck it in her freezer and left it there for weeks, if not months.

After forgetting about the specifics of the draft, she’d take it out and edit and write ruthlessly.

Set your draft aside for an hour or a few days, depending on its length. I usually write in the mornings and edit each afternoon.

Publishing and Promotion

Depending on the content volume, you might spend five minutes pressing publish or an hour loading up a tool with content for each network.

I use Taplio to schedule content for LinkedIn and TweetHunter for X.

I schedule the rest of my social media content directly on the platform, e.g., YouTube.

I don’t use scheduling tools for WordPress or Medium. I publish articles when ready. I promote my work over email, using ConvertKit.

Administration

Like or loathe it, allow admin an hour or two each day or week.

It’s the bane of my life as a small business owner.

Examples include paying invoices, sending bank account statements to my accountant, responding to pitches I get over email, and fixing technical problems on my website.

The list goes on.

I constrain administrative tasks to late in the afternoon when I’m tired and not bothered about writing or editing.

I also keep a list of administrative tasks I can work through in one go rather than ad hoc. Hiring a virtual assistant removed some of this work from my list.

Weekly Review

Once a week, zoom out from your working week, daily tasks, and other projects.

Ask yourself if you’re working towards your creative or business goals.

Review what you’ve accomplished at the end of each week and set one to three priorities for the next week. Be open to changing your routine as you discover what works best.

During my weekly review, I also document key business stats, such as new email subscribers, website traffic, and revenue.

Taking a few minutes to zoom out on Fridays (or Sunday evenings) helps me start the following week fresh.