Content Planning is Overrated. This Approach Works Better.

If you publish a newsletter or a blog, maintain a TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube channel, or do any other consistent content creation, or if you aspire to do any of these things, you’ve likely heard about the importance of having a “content plan” or an “editorial calendar.”

However it’s described, a content plan is pretty much what it sounds like: a list of topics you’re going to write, publish, or film video about, with a schedule for when you’re going to publish them.

A content plan can be helpful for addressing the big nagging question lurking in the back of every content creator’s mind: what am I going to post about today?

If you have trouble with executive functions like planning ahead, or if the thought of content planning overwhelms you, the belief that you need a content plan can be the barrier that’s keeping you from getting started.

Here’s the truth: a content plan is not the holy grail, and you don’t need one to be consistent.

I’ve been publishing a daily blog for eight years, and I’ve never had a long-term content plan.

Read: 3 Tips to Be Consistent as a Content Creator

Content Prep Is More Valuable Than Content Planning

If you want to publish and produce consistently, content prep is more valuable than content planning.

To be sure, it would be ideal to do both, but if you have to pick one, content prep is going to give you more bang for your buck.

To understand the difference in value between content prep and content planning, it helps to think about it in the context of your meals, where menu planning and meal prep are both processes that help you get dinner on the table.

Menu Planning vs Meal Prep

Let’s say you sit down to plan out your weekly menus. You know exactly what you’re going to make for dinner each night. It feels great to have a plan.

Then your week blows up. You get stuck at work. You get sick, or your kid gets sick. You don’t have the time you expected to have to cook. All you have is a list of nice nice meals on a piece of paper. But those meals aren’t going to cook themselves. Suddenly, your plan goes out the window and you’re ordering takeout.

I generally don’t menu plan. Instead, each weekend I block some time to prepare some staples that I can combine to create meals. I roast some vegetables and chicken, I ensure I have cooked rice on hand, and that my fridge has the essential ingredients. I may pre-cook and freeze some meals.

Sometimes I have a loose plan for what I’ll eat, but even if unexpected events throw my schedule out of whack, I know I have the basics to create a meal easily.

The Menu is Not the Meal

The principle that “the menu is not the meal” applies to ideas in other realms.

It’s great to have ideas, but here’s the reality: ideas are a dime a dozen. They take time and energy bandwidth to develop. If you don’t have the cognitive bandwidth or time to develop those ideas, the list will just overwhelm you. You’ll get stuck in decision paralysis.

Instead of listing out 30 ideas, flesh out 5 ideas with some context. Write a few paragraphs on each. Even better, write them down as they come to you. Keep a file with your notes.

Think of this as roasting your vegetables and preparing your protein. It’s always easier to start when you have something to work with. When you have energy to spare, by all means go to your list or develop new ideas. But when your time, energy, and cognitive bandwidth are limited, reach for your pre-made components.

You’ll find creation comes with more ease and flow when you’re starting with something you’ve already pre-cooked.

Even if it’s not the full meal you ideally wanted to “cook up,” remember: you can’t eat your meal plan, but you can eat your meal prep.