How to Organize Your Writing Projects and Content Like a Pro ✍️✨

I LOVE writing about organizing. As a writer of blog posts, newsletters, and social posts about decluttering, organizing, productivity, and time management, I find it VERY useful to organize my ideas, identify WHERE I plan to share them, and then create timeframes for sharing them.

I have SOOO many ideas that I will never run out of content.

Step 1: Capture Those Brilliant Ideas

I collect random ideas that pop into my head in an Apple Note (shared on my phone and computer.) Not ALL of them are brilliant, but they captured my imagination enough at the time to make me stop and capture them in the note! My brief research on capturing notes on an Android phone indicates that Google Keep is free and is among the most popular note-taking apps for Android.

Of course ideas can be kept anywhere!  In a paper notebook, on index cards or sticky notes, or in a google doc or sheet.

Step 2: Turn Ideas into Reality with Trello

Once a random idea becomes an actual content plan, I use Trello to capture everything I need to complete and track the project. I like Trello because I can have both images and text in a Trello card.

Since my Trello boards are shared with my awesome virtual assistant Louise, I can tag her and either one of us can add a date to any card. When that date is approaching, Louise and I are alerted and reminded that something needs to be done. ⏰

A Trello card can house multiple links which I can name, and we can create checklists and templates for different projects.

Example: Facebook Live

For example, I do a Facebook live each Wednesday in my private Facebook group. Each week, I make a card from the template (which has the checklist in it) and make notes about my topic of the day. I check off the action steps that I have taken and then tag Louise like this: “@louisepurvis1 Your turn!”

Then Louise (who lives in the UK) can do her bits when it suits her (and often while I sleep!)

Step 3: Track Published Content

I track all of my published blog and newsletter content in a Google sheet, grandly called the MDO (Mindful Decluttering & Organizing) editorial calendar.

There are separate tabs for content published on the blog and content sent via my newsletter. This has become somewhat antiquated since I began using Trello, but I keep it because it has a history of what has been published since 2012.

Embrace Imperfection and Keep Improving

The systems are not perfect, but at least there ARE systems. I recommend that folks create a system, any system, and then plan to “make it better” as the need arises.

The system could be a three-ring binder or a folder with dated pieces of paper in it. As long as the system is used consistently, pat yourself on the back!