I only need 24 content ideas a year

Let's focus on what’s essential.

Welcome to The Content Brief 💼, a fan club for making meaningful work without burning out—delivered in brief, straight to your inbox. 

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⏪ Last time, my curated content report for the past month. That’s here.

⏩ Today, a plan for getting back to the basics.

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I've got something on my mind. 🧠

The frantic pace of the online world we all know all too well has led us to believe that “success” is all about visibility. More followers! More engagement! More everything! Build your multi-seven-figure business and ~lIvE tHe DrEaM~ while everything runs on autopilot!!

But—that’s not reality.

It feels like the world’s biggest popularity contest, pressuring us to join in from every direction. It can be exciting and exhilarating but…it’s a distraction.

Emails. Instagram. Notes. LinkedIn. Reels. Meta Ads. Stories. DMs. Videos. 🤯

I know when I slide into the trap of high-pressure reactivity:

• Hearing pings spinning out of control.

• Staring down an anxiety-inducing to-do list.

• Rushing from one thing to the next, feeling scattered and not like myself.

• Knowing I’m doing my best work.

If you’re looking for something deeper—like building a connected community, doing soul-enriching work, pursuing meaningful passions and honoring your own energy along the way—then you’re in the right place.

These days, I aim to live and create by one thing: The essentials.

It’s easy to complicate things. It’s far harder to simplify and focus on what’s essential.

And yet, when we do, there’s an incredible amount of freedom and renewed enthusiasm to be found in it.

I keep reminding myself that the presence of constraints actually drives creativity, not stifles it. Less really can be more.

So the name of the game around here is simplicity. (That doesn’t mean having all the answers or executing it perfectly, either.)

Because the real issue isn’t about being visible; it’s about making people care.

And you’re invited to join as we get back to the basics of making meaningful work, quieting the noise and focusing on our foundations.

Here’s how we do it:

Lead with vision.

Know the conversation you are meant to lead. ⚡️

What do you believe in? What drives you to do what you do? What do you know to be true? What do you want to be known for?

With that, who are you trying to reach and what is the ultimate outcome you wish for them?

This is the journey you’ll take us on through your content.

See more:

What it takes to lead the conversation

Build a hero content strategy.

The lynchpin to a successful content strategy is your long-form hero content—whether it’s written, audio or video.

Create one hero piece per week, focusing on one key topic. Post it on your scheduled day and stretch that content into shorter, impactful posts throughout the week.

Pro tip: Include anchor content in a series or recurring format that serves your reader without you having to start from scratch every time. Here’s recent examples of my anchor content:

Well, this month took a turn (the September REPORT)

[Creator Briefing] Allowing your creativity (and ecosystem) to evolve

Design a content creation system.

Having a system you can repeat again and again allows you to create even when you're not feeling particularly inspired.

Your system will depend entirely on your *real life* and will evolve with you. To get started, set aside time to:

• Generate ideas. Determine where and how often you’ll brainstorm ideas in an intentional way. Keep a running list of ideas that you add to daily or weekly helps ensure the well never runs dry. When it’s time to plan content, you’ll have plenty to work with.

• Batch create. Decide when and how far ahead you want to create your content. Right now, I’m batch creating two week’s worth of content outlines at a time because being ahead of my publishing schedule makes me feel more calm. Then I flush out and schedule my post the week of so it feels more timely.

• Catch-up. This is the secret! Leave room for "catch up" time because life will get in the way, and the last thing you want is for you to get backed up, which only leads to more overwhelm. Is there one day a month you can leave open to catch up where you need to?

(Want on the waitlist for my Sustainable Content System Makeover complete with a ready-to-use all-in-one template and group experience to set you up for systems success? Drop your name here.)

Plan for intentional campaigns.

In this club, we are not about creating random acts of content.

Think of your newsletter like a magazine editor, considering the throughline of your conversation, your collection of content for the quarter ahead and the outcome you’re after. To that end, we need to know:

• What do you want to achieve this quarter?

• What is your capacity this quarter?

• What is your primary offer this quarter?

Can you distill your theme for the quarter in one line? What conversation are you leading? What are the questions you’re asking? What is your perspective?

Join the club to get access to our next Quarterly Content Planning Party and create your content plan for the next 90 days.

Keep the conversation cohesive.

With that loose quarterly map at hand, then you can make monthly commitments in your open content slots.

Stick to your content pillars or conversational “lanes” to keep things cohesive as you explore your premise. And keeping topics evergreen will give them a longer shelf-life.

With just 24 ideas—two per month plus anchor content like a report or Q&A—you can stay on track and make meaningful work without burning out all year.

You’ll have a simple and sustainable plan for showing up.

You’ll develop a core message you can build on.

You’ll share your message clearly, confidently and consistently—exploring and leading the conversation with ease.

Join the club to ALSO get inside the upcoming Annual Content Roadmap Retreat and work through my entire annual planning process.

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Here’s to embracing less noise and more purpose in our words and work.

💬 Tell me in the comments: Where do you find it most challenging to focus on the essentials?

Rooting for you,

Christin

Thank you for being here! I pour a lot of love into this space and I hope you can feel it. It wouldn’t be the same without YOU! 🫶

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