Today, we almost had no blog post. Like, quite literally. This was written at the last minute, from a very uncomfortable chair in a hospital room, after 24 hours of little to no sleep.
And no, we were not procrastinating… not so much at least.
Our usual writing process involves doing some research, looking into news, what is trending, and social media updates, and then deciding whether any of those topics are relevant or whether to go with something from our evergreen content bank. Articles get written on Tuesdays and published every other Wednesday as part of our regular content.
Pretty straightforward, right?
And most processes are like that: defined steps to get you to a particular goal… and in most cases that works just ok… until life hits. Like today’s hospital visit that started with a little out-of-the-ordinary day Tuesday…
What Went Wrong?
For once, we believe it was a lack of planning. Yes, we said it: lack of planning on our part. And no, this is not because we had no plan or because we did not know that there was a blog post due today, but simply because we did not know life was going to hit us with an unexpected medical emergency.
We did not have a plan for the what-if.
And this not only happens to blogging, but also to content and to many other things… and yes, we get it, it is impossible to plan for every single little thing that can go wrong in life, but…
What Can You Do About It?
Life is going to happen. You can’t schedule it around your content calendar, but you can build a process that bends instead of breaks. Whatever you create, whether it’s blog posts, videos, podcasts, newsletters, or social media, here are five things you can do to keep it going when life gets in the way.
1. Build a Content Buffer
Yes, we have talked about the importance of content banks, but we should clarify that having ideas and having finished pieces are two very different things. While your content bank can be a great resource when ideas are not flowing, keeping a few fully created, reviewed, and ready-to-go pieces in reserve is what will save you when something comes up.
When the unexpected hits, you pull one out, publish it, and go deal with your life.
2. Batch and Create Ahead
Granted, we take pride in our process… and we have seen people too who love to create the same day or the day before, but while effective, creating so close to the deadline leaves you with zero margin.
Batch your work: film several videos in one sitting, write multiple posts in a block, record a few episodes back to back, and overall try to stay a week or two ahead of your publish dates. After all, your content calendar is not set in stone, and you can always move your posts around if you have a same-day idea that you need to share straight away.
A little slack beats any productivity hack.
3. Schedule Everything You Can
Done and ready to publish? Don’t wait until launch day to get it ready! Use scheduling tools for your website, email platform, social channels, or podcast host so your content goes out on time even when you can’t.
Also, this can give you a great visual of your content calendar and where you stand content-wise.
4. Document and Delegate
Look, we know you, me, and everyone around us LOVE staying in control… but when one person knows how everything gets created, approved, and published, and nobody else knows what is what and where everything is, that’s a single point of failure. Write down the steps, where files live, and which logins are needed, and make sure at least one other person can step in.
Even a simple checklist works.
5. Have a “Plan Z”
No, this is not a zombie apocalypse. We do not need to start mapping where the nearest gun deposit is (remember, kids, gun safety is important)… but maybe look into deciding now what happens when something can’t go out: a pre-approved evergreen piece, a quick update to your audience, or a planned pause with a heads-up on social. Making that decision ahead of time means you’re not making it at 10:30 PM in an uncomfortable chair.
Are These Steps Foolproof?
No, chances are things can still go south… but a plan doesn’t have to be perfect to be useful: even a half-built buffer, a shared checklist, or a single scheduled post can be the difference between scrambling at the last minute and simply letting the content go out while you take care of what matters.
Life is going to happen, and when it does, your content should be the last thing on your mind, not the first. So take a few minutes this week and pick one of these steps. Just one. Build on it from there.
As for us, we’re off to start that buffer… right after we get some sleep.
