A Day in the Life of a Content-Creator
From writing to creating YouTube videos to editing.
I became a full-time content creator over the course of a year. It was my only option, to either go all in or to live the rest of my life wondering, “what if?”
I’m still in the midst of growing and doing a lot of learning, but I know I’m doing exactly what I should be doing with my life. I’m a writer for multiple platforms; I’m a food blogger. I create YouTube videos and content for other social media platforms like Instagram, and I’m thoroughly enjoying every second of it all.
Here’s how my day typically starts.
6–6:30: Wake Up.
I wake up early naturally. At the start of 2021, I woke up every morning at 5 to get a head start on writing. It really helped establish a solid morning routine of being honed in on nothing but actual writing.
After doing that for a few months, I created a decent-sized catalog that created the foundation for the amount of money I earn monthly. Now 6–6:30 is my sweet spot, and it’s truly an amazing feeling to be able to wake up with no alarm.
It makes me feel like I’ve graduated the whole, “you gotta wake up at x if you want to see results.” Now, I set my own wake-up calls, or I guess my body does because I can’t sleep past 7 if I even tried.
Coffee is the first thing I do every morning; it’s sort of like breathing for me. I don’t ever skip out on it. I sit on the balcony and drink it while feeling the warmth around me. The world is quiet and peaceful at this time of the morning.
Then I head to my desk and start skimming through the to-do list I created for myself the night before, and I’ll read a bit of non-fiction for 20–30 minutes. I incorporate reading into my day as much as possible.
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.” — Stephen King.
I have a journal with ideas I come up with throughout the week, and I usually pick the one that stands out the most every morning and start outlining it.
9–9:30: Gym.
After completing a rough draft, I go through emails. If a brand has reached out to me, I do a little research and check them out; if I’m interested, I respond; if not, I move on and start getting ready for the gym.
It’s my form of therapy, and because I sit at my desk the majority of the day, I really need to get some movement in.
If I’m creating content for YouTube, I usually have my camera on me in the morning; I try to create aesthetic shots of my coffee, me working at my desk, getting ready for the gym, etc. My goal for YouTube is to entertain and inspire people, so aesthetics matter.
I follow a program at the gym and listen to either a podcast by Andy Frisella, The Skinny Confidential, or an audiobook on Hoopla. It depends on how I’m feeling. If I need a huge kick of inspiration and awareness, I go to Andy Frisella.
If I want to be educated about something or learn about social media, I go to The Skinny Confidential. If I want to zone out, I listen to a fiction audiobook on Hoopla.
12 pm: Back to it.
After getting a good workout in, I might take a walk around the neighborhood. If not, I head home, shower, eat and get back to it. I edit my rough draft, submit it, and then I start outlining a new one.
If I’m not writing, I’m recording. I started a new relationship series on YouTube, and I almost always have a backlog of videos to edit, which takes up several hours.
I also write restaurant reviews for another platform; I reserve 60–90 minutes of my day for that because it’s easy — but enjoyable work.
My goal every day is to do 3 important tasks that make me feel accomplished and propel me forward. I write, I create/edit, and I learn.
The learning part usually consists of reading something a little complex or spending some time on Skillshare.
If I accomplish those 3 things, I know I’ve won the day. If I’m feeling extra productive, and I usually am unless it’s a Friday, I keep the flow up and continue writing or editing.
Outside of those things, I run a food blog and lifestyle blog. Both of which constantly need updating and require time and effort. But, when I’m not working on them, I try to look for other opportunities, such as freelancing for other companies or helping others with their resumes.
A little side hustle I started a few months ago that’s proven to be lucrative.
You only need a few hours of deep focus to complete your most important tasks.
I’ve tracked my work before on apps like Clockify, and it’s helped me realize how imperative it is to be 110% focused on your work. I can typically write out a rough draft within two hours if I close out of all my tabs and don’t multitask.
Content-creation like YouTube obviously takes more time because it depends on what you’re making a video on, how many times you record it, whether you’re recording the whole day, etc.
If I’m vlogging my life, I usually go outside and try to get content because I don’t want the video to be boring. This usually consists of going to a local coffee shop or picking up lunch and recording it all.
I reserve my evenings for time with my partner; dinner is usually spent talking to one another about the day and what we did. Afterward, I unwind with a long walk with my partner by the beach — also a form of therapy.
Before bed, I read fiction.
Every day is different, but the foundation stays the same.
My routine is the same every day, I wake up around the same time, make coffee, start writing, get movement in, knock things off my to-do list, etc.
However, the creation of it all looks different, and that’s what keeps things exciting. Strict routines work for some people; a more “go with the flow” works for others.
I’ve been incredibly strict before, where I time-blocked my day down to the minute, and I had great success with it, but establishing balance was hard.
This is why I try to complete 3 major tasks daily, and if I can keep going, I go with it; if not, I try to be productive with the remainder of the day in some form or shape.
Working for yourself is seeing what others are doing, how they’re doing it, and trying various strategies for yourself to see if it fits. You’ll never know what works until you try multiple things.