Lately, I’ve been mulling over the time it takes to create content. 

Not the Instagram performative: “I’m happy, look at me, life is great,” kind of content.

I’m talking about the more deliberate stuff.

The posts where it takes effort and hours to share your values, build a personal brand and attract browsers to your who can later become buyers.

You know about those posts don’t you? I am referring to the kind of content that takes up your most precious resource, time.

As someone who stands in front of small biz owners & marketing comms professionals  preaching the benefits of being consistent on social media and  disciplined with your owned digital assets…

… I swear, I’ve heard a katrillion reasons why most folks who helm their own ship end up being scrollers and not creators.

Why Small Biz Owners Are Reluctant To Create Content

Here’s what they’ve told me:

• It feels pretentious.

• They don’t want to live their life in public

• What will people think?

•  It feels petty and unimportant to share what they do

• They hate being judged or misunderstood.

• Talking about their dreams puts them on the hook

• Where to even start?

But the biggest fall back, the one that I hear above else, is that creating content takes way too much time, more than what they’re prepared to give.

That’s why I want to share something I’ve turned into a practice.

The Two Cup Rule I Use To Create Content

…What I’m about to share has helped me to be not just consistent but prolific really with the amount of content I release.

First, a few admissions that may look familiar to you…

My social media platforms of choice are FB and IG, and I’m about to enter confessional. Here are a list of my habits. 

Waiting in line at a coffee shop? Check FB

Sitting in traffic? Scroll IG. 

Movie hits a boring patch? Open up IG. 

WIFI slow on the desktop? Thumb through IG and Facebook

You can replace  FB and IG Instagram with your platform of choice and you’ll see a bit of me in you.

So when you think you have no time to create content, I want you to clock the time you spend just scrolling.  

At a minimum it’s probably an hour or two every single day and I’m being generous.

Do This For A Simple Effective Content Makeover

What’s the consequence of all that mindless scrolling? A feeling of constant distraction. Taking twice as long to do something. A lack of feeling present in the present.

All of your scrolling takes time away from being able to show your work, share your big audacious ideas and create.

But there is a makeover you can do, it’s simple but it’s also a radial shift.

I call it the “The Two Hot Chocolate Rule,” inspired by Greg Isenberg, which was his spin on the cheat-day concept, but for social media.

Greg drinks two cups of coffee a day and allows these time frames to dictate the times he gets on  and off social media. As simple as that was, it was eye-opening to me.

I drink two cups of hot chocolate a day—one at 11:00 am and another at 8:00 pm.  The time represents a break from all the deep thinking I  do.

During these “two breaks”  I get on social. I post and  respond or  create reels,  explore trends.  I may jot down ideas for my blog or write my newsletter.

I get on two 35-40 minute creative escapades that align with my hot chocolate intake. I feel relaxed but not too much because when I finish my sips, I  get off social media. 

And you know what?

The results have been empowering. Lower FOMO, increased output on original projects, and less of that competitive social rat race. My productivity? Skyrocketed.