First of all, apologies for the clickbait link. It goes against what I just wrote in my previous blog post, by suggesting that there is some fool-proof way to generate content almost magically (I didn’t use the word “magic” but it’s somehow implied). So, before starting, I just want you to know that this is just my personal experience, it may, or it may not work for you.
First of all, what is ZenTasktic? If you read my blog regularly, you already know, but if you don’t, well, very briefly put, ZenTasktic is an app I wrote myself, in which I implement my own productivity framework, called “Assess – Decide – Do”. If you’re curious for more (spoiler: it works on iOS and macOS, syncing data in real time between them, so it’s kind of ubiquitous), you can find out more by clicking here. And, for the impatient, here are the quick download links (yes, there is a free layer, so you can start using it right off the bat).
Now, how am I use it specifically for churning content?
There are two areas in the Assess realm, called “Projects”, and “Ideas”. Every time I have an idea (sic) for a blog post, I quickly jot the title (which may or may note remain the same, in the end) and immediately after, I add “bullet points”, which, in ZenTasktic lingo, are called “subtasks”. The whole process takes just as much time as I need to type, it’s basically instant. Sometimes, when I’m in a hurry, I even use iOS’s dictating facility, which lets me speak what I want to write, and it gets magically added to the content (now I used the word “magically”).
Sometimes it write just 3-4 bullet points, or subtasks, sometimes I write up to 10, which means the post is almost done.
And then I do nothing. I let it “marinate” for a few days, or a few weeks, sometimes even for months. But I always keep the reservoir filled with some new stuff. As I actually develop some of those ideas into blog posts, I delete te corresponding entry from ZenTasktic.
The secret is to develop the habit, to always be ready to formulate a potential blog post in a few concise sentences, and actually taking them out from my mind and putting them into the app.
Here are two screenshots depicting the current status of my “Projects” area in ZenTasktic, along with the 3 subtasks for this very post (please forgive the typos, these are real images, not prepped for the blog post).
As you can see, I’m using only a “fraction” of the app potential.
But this is “on purpose”.
I am still using ZenTasktic with the full productivity framework, sending tasks back and forth from Assess, Decide and Do, but I also use it for other, more specific situations, like, in this case, creating blog posts (I am also using it for shopping lists, another thing which almost never goes full circuit, it stays in Assess).
I am trying to restrict the number of the apps I have on my iPhone, so if I can use one single app to solve many apparently incompatible problems, I always choose the single app. There are already too many choices, and every new app is adding a little bit of overhead in terms of maintenance and even security.
Back to back, this blog post took me about 40 minutes to write and publish, including editing, adding images, etc.
