Darrell Vesterfelt and Tim StoddartAre you a “training addict”? Wondering how to handle all of the marketing and business information you’re taking in? Allow me to suggest a plan.
It’s easy to say, “Just don’t read or listen to any more marketing advice until you implement what you already have.”
But digital marketing and business do change. Besides, learning is fun. And it doesn’t have to get in the way of doing … if you have a system.
Here’s my system for capturing the ideas from newsletters, tutorials, blog posts, and courses, and turning them into action steps for my business.
In this 21-minute episode, I talk about:
- The tool every creative person needs to capture ideas as they fly by
- Understanding the top-level categories all marketing advice falls into
- The 16-year-old productivity advice that I still use every day
Listen to Copyblogger FM: Content Marketing, Copywriting, Freelance Writing, and Social Media Marketing below ...
How to Turn All that Marketing Advice into ActionSonia Simone
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The Show Notes
- If you’re ready to see for yourself why more than 201,344 website owners trust StudioPress — the industry standard for premium WordPress themes and plugins — swing by StudioPress.com for all the details.
- David Allen’s classic Getting Things Done methodology still has a lot to recommend it
- A quick run-down of how to get started with a bullet journal (strict adherence is not necessary or probably even helpful)
- I’m always happy to see your questions or thoughts on Twitter @soniasimone — or right here in the comments!
Great ideas. Thank you for the concise advice on managing potential information overload. The tie-in with GTD is very helpful. Thank you!
I agree, Anne. I see GTD mentioned all over the place, but I still haven’t tried to implement the system for some reason. I think, in part, it’s because it seems so strict. But Sonia offers a pragmatic, use-what-works approach that I need to consider.
Thanks, Sonia. This is perfect timing for the Content Certification Course. It’s almost like you guys have a plan. 😉
I’d been using Trello boards to organize my learning, but like the suggestion for a “some day / maybe” list and organizing within those 5 sections. Will also check out the bullet journal. Thanks for sharing!
Tammy,
I use Trello, too. It’s a wonderful tool for organizing all sorts of lists, but I always resort to pen and paper eventually. Probably because I’m not always at my computer, and like Sonia, I just gravitate toward the process of writing things down. I do see the value of Trello for a someday/maybe category, which might get lost in a business notebook once the pages are filled.
Sonia,
Thank you for this episode and sharing your system for managing learning overload. Like Joshua, I am currently in the Content Certification course. I find myself thinking through the coursework and coming up with great thoughts, and this would be a “home” for all that I’m learning now and the ideas that are coming to me.
Just today I sat down with the Empathy Mapping process and have several sheets of paper of ideas in addition to the actual empathy map pages. I wish I would have listened to this first so I could keep it all in one place. At least I now have an idea of how to organize them. Like you, I always return to pen and paper no matter how desperately I want to keep it all electronically. I think better on paper.
I’ve also heard you speak of a note card process for your ideas where you capture ideas on note cards and then transfer them to an electronic source. Out of curiosity, do you do the note card process for blog ideas and writing prompts and this business journal idea for task related items or projects? I’ve utilized the note card process successfully, but I am wondering if I should merge everything to a business journal or keep the practices separate?
Thanks for the helpful episode!