Producing vs. Consuming
Hello friends
No, this blog post won't be a call for you to do your homework and to be dedicated at your 9/5. This blog post is a kind of follow up to the XXL blog post from last week, but you will also gain a lot of knowledge from it without having read the XXL one. In the XXL blog post, I was at one point once again talking about using your time right and mentioned, that this isn't always so easy to do. It's so easy to be pulled into different directions. It's so easy to dodge what you have to do.
I'm creating this blog post, so that you can learn, how to spend your time wisely.
This blog post will help you invest your time in the things that really matter.
Productive Procrastination
Many people have the feeling, that they are incredibly productive when they are reading a book, watching a course or looking up the "Top ten business ideas 2023". While all of this seems productive in the first moment, it becomes a problem very quickly when the only thing you do is consume content.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce to you: The trap of productive procrastination.
Productive procrastination is a term for doing things that seem productive in the first place, but at the end of the day aren't really the most important tasks you should be doing. It's a bit better than normal procrastination (reading a book about a certain topic is better than scrolling TikTok), but at the end of the day, it's still procrastination
Productive Procrastination is consuming unnecessary content instead of producing content.
With reading a book about social skills, you aren't really improving your social skills.
With watching a course about being fit, you aren't actually getting fit.
With reading a tutorial about the top 20 web design tricks, you aren't creating a website.
And before you go to your PC and delete all the courses you bought and burn down all the books you bought: I'm not saying that you should never consume any kind of content ever. To learn something, you need to consume. But most people fall into the trap of consuming more and more and more, until they consumed so much that they feel like they were productive. And more often than not: They forget about 90% of the things that they consumed.
They didn't get any step closer to their goal until they execute on the things they learned. And sadly, most don't. Most read something and then go on reading about the next thing.
And to clarify once again, because it's important: I'm not saying that you should not consume any content at all, that would be stupid. But there is a new mindset I want you to adapt.
When you consume content, you should do it with intent and use your new knowledge to produce something afterward.
"I will watch this video about this software, so that I can understand the basics of it. I will then produce a summary of this video and create my first xy."
With a clear system of consuming and producing, you will make progress. Step by step.
While consuming a lot, you will feel like making a lot of progress and in reality you aren't moving an inch closer to your goals, but by producing a lot, it feels like you are investing a lot of energy and moving slowly, but it will bring you closer to your goals.
Now it's time to get practical and try it out. Produce something.
Because over time you will notice, that producing content is 10x more fun than consuming content. Consuming numbs you, producing makes you feel alive.
When I write blog posts like this or produce some music, I feel happy. And for now, I want to focus on producing the best possible content. Could I potentially watch a video about writing amazing blog posts and apply what I've learned? Yes. But it would be a waste, because I've already watched one video about it before I started out. Then I proceeded to write about 12 blog posts in a row.
I'm getting more consistency in it instead of learning more techniques to "hook your readers" or some shit. I am improving blog post after blog post only because I am writing them consistently. And that's how it works with everything.
And so it should be fine for you to produce something as well, and don't use the need for making something perfect as an excuse. Draw, go to the gym (I count doing sports in general as "producing something" as well, because you put time and energy into your body), write a story, produce music, create a film, give a dance performance or build your own rocket.
Learn the basics, produce a few things for some time (30 trainings, 10 songs, 15 drawings etc.) and then learn some more to produce even more.
Learn the essential to create things that only you can create.
This is your biggest gift that you can do for the world. If you are brave enough, release your work.
And let nobody judge you about what you create, because at the end of the day, the only person that has to approve on your own content is yourself.
My challenge for you
It's time to get practical: I want you to produce something. Create something. It really doesn't matter what it is. Draw a painting. Take some picture and make a collage. Decorate something in your room. Write a love letter. Write a book. Build Lego. Write some code. Start a Podcast. Write your own music. Write your own blog. Write a story. Create a video edit. Create a YouTube video. Bake something for someone. Make your own garden. Go work on your motorcycle. Do something that is productive instead of consuming something to feel productive.
You are allowed to consume content when it is necessary for your production process (for example, watching a video about how to bake something you've never baked before).
Or if you really want to adjust something (after creating 5 video edits, you realize your work process is too slow, and you google some shortcuts (consuming) to learn and memorize, so that your production process is faster in the future).
Because always remember: The best time to start has already past. However, your second-best time to start is right here. There is no reason for you to miss this opportunity.
Then share your experience with me via Mail or IG.
My Song of the week
I listened to that song all day while I was sick this week. It feels like I'm stuck in a loop ;)
Thank you so much for reading today's blog post.
Today I won't link any further readings, cause now it's time to take action :)
I wish you an amazing week!
Much Love,
Kim