Your content slump isn’t from lack of time.

There’s burnout from the world and then there’s burnout from you.

I realized (again) I’ve been the source of my own creative burnout lately. 🙄 Not from doing too much work, but from the way I’ve been working.

The funny part is that I actually know how to solve this for myself, too.

The concept I’m about to share with you is something I learned 7 years ago and EVERY single time I apply it, I get out of my creative rut like instantaneously 😳 it’s actually wild yall.

I don’t usually guarantee anything in life and I promise I’m not exaggerating when I say this work for me 100% of the time, so I realized it’s time I share it with you and the world…

✨"Create before you consume."✨

It’s a concept (and mantra) from Marie Forleo that has saved my creative career more times than I can count, but I’ll admit that I've started and stopped this practice dozens of times.

So last week I thought to myself, “What if you REALLY committed?! Seriously Adriene, just lock IN. See what happens.”

So I gave myself a challenge to do this for 7 days in combination with waking up an hour earlier. Sidenote: I recently realized I operate best when I give myself challenges. If you need some inspo on (actual achievable) content challenges, read this.

In 7 days of creating before consuming, I:

• Published my life update about moving from NYC to California that got 6.5x my usual engagement

• Posted about testing the new Oakley Meta HSTN glasses 😎 and why I think athlete/artist/creator POV content is the future.

• Shared my thoughts on how Sweet Loren's killing it on LinkedIn with creator partnerships. 🍪 Literally what are the odds that my fav (celiac-friendly) cookie brand is so active on LI?! I love it here.

• Edited + scheduled multiple videos including my SF Giants purse haul ⚾️ and Arena's next chapter teaser 👀 on TikTok.

• Cleared the brain fog that usually hits by 2pm typically self-induced by content overconsumption.

But what really got me was that I felt more confident in my ideas than I have in YEARS. 🥹

Why? Because I wasn't starting my day comparing myself to everyone else’s content.

I was starting with MY work, MY voice, MY creativity.

And before you panic - no, you definitely don't need to wake up at 5am to get this done! That is NOT propaganda we’re falling for.

(BUT… if you're curious, I’ve personally found there’s something very peaceful about creating before the distractions of the day get to me.)

The principle works whether you wake up at 6am, 9am, or 1pm.

Really though it's not even about the time, it's about the ORDER.

Here’s the “Create → Then Consume” Framework.

1️⃣ Start where you are. Even 15 minutes counts. I started with an hour right when I wake up because I needed to shock my system and change up my pattern behavior. You might need 20 minutes at 7:30am. Both work.

2️⃣ Pick your non-negotiable. Mine was editing videos. It’s the thing I dreaded the most because of how time consuming it usually was for me at the end of the day. Yours might be writing, designing, coding, planning. Choose ONE thing that moves your business/brand forward.

3️⃣ Expect the resistance. Your brain will scream "just check LinkedIn/TikTok real quick!" Mine still does every morning like clockwork. But when you create first, consuming becomes the reward and it hits different. Trust.

4️⃣ Track the wins. I literally keep a Notion tracker for my posts each day. Seeing those “Published” statuses pile up? 🙂‍↕️ Chef's kiss.

Here’s how I use Notion and other creator tools to make content creation super simple.

Like I said at the start though, I'm not perfect at this. Since learning this in 2018, I've fallen off more times than I care to admit. But every time I come back to the "create before you consume” mantra, I remember exactly why it works.

💡 Because when you create first:

• Your ideas are yours and NOT influenced by the algorithm which can often suck the creativity/fun out of content

• Your energy goes to building all the beautiful things already in your mind and putting them onto paper or Canva or Notion, etc.

• Your confidence comes from DOING the dang thing

If you're tired of being the cause of your own creative burnout (like me), this is your sign to try again. It’s time to give your creativity the respect of going FIRST.

Tomorrow morning, before you check a single notification, create ONE thing. Then watch how different your whole day feels.

DM me or drop a comment if you're going to create before you consume tomorrow. 👀

You got this,

P.S. Want to pick my brain on building your personal brand through content creation to unlock paid partnerships, free PR, drive new business, or to land new jobs? Book a 1:1 coaching call with me here.