GNT #087: Documenting is a cheat code

read time: 3.5 minutes
 

Making progress in your business (and life) shouldn’t feel like you're reinventing the wheel every day.

What if I told you there's a simple strategy that can fuel your content, streamline your processes, and make scaling your business easier?

It’s something most people overlook, but once you start using it, everything becomes easier.

The cheat code?

Documenting.

Today, I’m breaking down 3 powerful ways that documenting what you do can transform your business and life -- whether it’s creating consistent content, making your work more efficient, or elevating your thought leadership.

Let’s dive in.
 

1. Documenting for Content Creation

Yesterday, I had a call with D, a serial entrepreneur. Despite her expertise, she rarely posts on LinkedIn (but wants to) because she struggles with content ideas.

My advice? Document what you do.

Every networking conversation, client or prospect interaction, and hard lesson learned is a content opportunity.

In fact, I used my conversation with D as the basis for this very newsletter!

Here’s how you can use documentation to fuel content creation:

• Capture Conversations: After client calls or meetings, jot down key insights and “aha” moments. What problems did the client mention? These are your content seeds.
• Spot Recurring Themes: If multiple clients are stuck on the same issue, that’s your next post.
• Turn Lessons into Stories: Share real-world examples like my call with D. People love relatable stories.
• Batch Your Ideas: Over time, as you document these insights, you’ll build a content library. Set aside time weekly to review your notes and turn them into posts, videos, or newsletters. I jot down my notes in a Notion idea library that has over 50+ idea nuggets right now. In my creative writing time block, I sit down and turn these nuggets into social posts or newsletters.

The takeaway: The content is already happening, you just need to document and share it. By documenting, you'll never run out of ideas, and your content will always hit the mark.

Read more: GNT #029: Change your life rhythm, design your best week ever

2. Documenting for Efficiency

Documenting isn’t just for content, it’s a game-changer for efficiency.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) turn your routine tasks into scalable processes. Whether you're running it solo like me or managing a team, SOPs save time, remove guesswork, and keep everything running smoothly.

SOPs are like your playbook. They capture how you do what you do, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time.

Here’s how I structure my own SOPs:

• Annual: Big-picture goals, strategies, travel priorities
• Quarterly/Seasonal: Strategic shifts, review of business goals.
• Monthly: Client reporting, invoices, financial reviews.
• Weekly: Client planning, content planning, weekly wrap up meeting ritual.
• Daily: Ramp up/ramp down meetings, client calls, prioritizing tasks, health rituals.

The takeaway: Make your SOPs work for you. Keep them simple and view them as “living documents” that evolve as you do. By documenting your processes, you’ll create consistency, delegate with ease when it's time, and never have to reinvent the wheel.

Read more: GNT #019: 3 Essential Meetings to Win the Week

3. Documenting for Curation and Thought Leadership

Documenting isn’t just for capturing what you do -- it’s for curating the knowledge you consume.

Tiago Forte’s Building a Second Brain emphasizes turning consumption into curation. By documenting what you learn from articles, podcasts, and books, you build a library of ideas to share with your own insights and experience.

Here’s how to start:

• Collect Purposefully: Save meaningful insights from books, podcasts, and articles using a tool like Notion or Evernote.
• Curate Thoughtfully: Don’t just hoard information. Organize your collection, pulling out the best parts, connecting disparate ideas, and adding your own thoughts.
• Share with Context: When you share curated content, explain why it matters to your audience. Like Ryan Holiday, who takes Stoic philosophy and presents it with his own lens, you can turn curated content into your own helpful and relatable insights.

The takeaway: Curation helps position you as a thought leader. You’re not just collecting ideas, you’re shaping and sharing them with your unique perspective.

Read more: GNT #070: I stole it

Start Today

Just start writing things down. Up for giving it a try this week?

It just might help you with the post you've been wanting to write, save time and efficiency in your week, and make headway on your next big idea.

See you next week!
 

If you enjoyed this newsletter, I hope you forward it to someone today.

p.s. I’ve been sharing a lot with you over the past 21 months, and I realized it’s been a while since I’ve asked what you really want.

So, can you do me a quick favor?

Contact me and let me know why you subscribed and what you are interested in learning, so I can send you more of the good stuff and less of what you don’t need.

Which one fits you best?

-You’re a business owner (coach, consultant, founder) looking to earn more and work less.
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-You work a 9-5 and want to start your own business.
-You want to reach your true potential without feeling burned out.
-Other (feel free to write in!)

This will help me tailor the content to you and your journey.

Talk soon!

-CK

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