Introduction
Have you ever stared at a blank page, your cursor blinking, and felt that familiar dread? That’s the blank page syndrome. It’s a common challenge for course creators, especially when starting a new project, course, or workshop.
Creating a new course feels like birthing a child, choosing the finishes for a kitchen remodel, or planning for and carefully choosing your first car. In other words, big!
Today, we’re going to dive into this issue and talk about some practical tips to help you overcome this creative hurdle, mind block, and analysis paralysis that can happen when you open a brand new document.
Whether you’re a seasoned course creator or just starting, this episode will provide you with the tools and mindset to turn that blank page into a masterpiece that makes a difference for your students and for your business.
Blank Page Syndrome
The blank page syndrome, otherwise known as writers’ block can be a real productivity killer. It’s that moment of paralysis, where you’re overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the task ahead, writing your course or workshop.
You might find yourself procrastinating, feeling anxious, or even questioning your abilities as a course creator. In essence you aren’t getting the work done that will allow you to make a difference.
We have all been in this spot at some point. It can happen for a lot of reasons. We might have something big going on in our life that is taking all of our mental stores, we might be branching out into a new space in our business and be feeling fearful about showing up as an expert, we might simply be tired, or we could be really unsure of how the course will turn out and what the reception will look like.
I can tell you that the fear of the unknown can lead to serious consequences. You might miss important deadlines that you’ve set for yourself or you’ve promised your audience, delay the launch of your course, or even abandon your project altogether. It’s a vicious cycle that can significantly impact your business and your mental well-being, but we do not have to live with blank page syndrome.
Let’s talk about 3 practical tips to get something written for your course or workshop, because you know I’m all about implementation. That is where the magic and change happens.
Tip 1: Break It Down
The first step to conquering the blank page syndrome is to break down your course into smaller, more manageable tasks. Instead of focusing on the entire course, concentrate on creating a single module or lesson. This smaller, more focused approach can help reduce overwhelm and make the task feel less daunting.
By breaking down your course, you’ll also be able to prioritize tasks and create a clear roadmap for your project. This will help you stay organized and motivated, even when you’re facing a tight deadline.
One of the things I do with my private clients is that we create a spreadsheet with the modules listed in one column and then break down what goes into each module. It becomes all about filling in one box at a time rather than writing an entire module. That entire module feels big, leading to paralysis, but if you open the spreadsheet with the intention of just filling in one box at a time, this feels doable. Sometimes a client is struggling with the motivation a student would have for a module and getting the words right, but can quickly jot down a key concept that they want to teach in the module.
Another way to break down writing a course or workshop is to separate tasks. Put the content into a simple word doc without worrying about the slides that you want to create. Then you can create slide templates separate from the content that will go in them. Finally you can work on what goes into the slides from each module or segment that you are teaching. When we try to write a module and create the slides all at once we are trying to complete drastically different tasks at once. This slows us down, lowers our self-efficacy, and can ultimately lead us to getting stuck.
The key here is to simplify the process and not pair together tasks. The Chief Technology Officer of Amazon Web Services talks about a concept called Simplexity. We want to simplify the complex. This is exactly what I’m talking about here. So if it helps you to remember tip 1, remember Simplexity.
Tip 2: Start with the Easy Stuff
If Tip 1 is to break down your tasks inside course creation as a way to conquer blank page syndrome, what should we start with? And that brings us to Tip 2. Another effective strategy is to start with the easy stuff.
Identify the parts of your course that you’re most excited about or that you already have a good grasp on. By starting with these easier tasks, you can quickly build momentum and gain confidence.
Remember how I mentioned the spreadsheet that I create with my private clients where everything is broken down? Some clients will go through that spreadsheet and will complete the resources they want to provide for every single module before they write out the key concepts, stories, and examples they provide. Other times, someone will fill out the key concepts they want to teach before coming up with a high quality name for the module.
The idea here is that once you’ve completed a few easy tasks, you’ll have a solid foundation for your course. This can help you overcome the initial hurdle of starting and make it easier to tackle more challenging aspects of your project.
But what happens when none of it feels easy? This is pretty common when you are new to course creation or are new to a topic that you’d like to cover in a workshop or course. There is a lot of unfamiliar ground from the mechanics to the research to the content that you might be covering with your research.
When nothing feels easy, change things up. Go back to why you wanted to offer the course or workshop in the first place. What problems are you seeing? Why is your course or workshop a good solution? This can reignite the energy that you had when the idea first occurred to you and you can brainstorm, without any rules or parameters, ideas of what you want to include in the course and why. Then you can take these key concepts and iron them out.
Find something easy. If you are super creative, head to Adobe or Canva and create a few slide templates that exemplify your brand colors and feel. Using a different part of your brain can release that tension.
And if you are still feeling blocked with finding something easy to tackle, take a break. Go for a walk if you are able, get outside if possible, play a game with friends or family. Grab a warm shower or bath. Enjoy a cup of tea without any pressure to do anything other than enjoy that cup of tea. Sometimes we simply get too close to something and we can’t be creative and need a break. Just don’t let yourself stay in this relaxation mode so long that you never come back to your course.
Tip 3: Set a Timer
So far we have talked about the reality of blank page syndrome and the fact that while it is common, it can cause you to miss deadlines and delays you getting your ideas into the hands of the people who need them the most. This is clearly not what we want as course creators. We are service-minded and genuinely want to make a difference, but when our expertise lives inside our heads, it isn’t helping anyone.
We’ve talked about breaking down the task into smaller chunks and starting with the easy stuff first. We even talked about taking a break when nothing feels easy.
You might be thinking, that is all well and good, but I work best under pressure and the reality is that as business owners, we don’t have a boss setting a deadline. We are setting the deadlines and can move those deadlines from day to day, week to week, and month to month. In fact, I recently saw one course creator say that she had moved her course launch so many times that it took her four years to finish her course.
This is NOT the story I want for you and your business!
If you like deadlines try a timer. Even if you don’t like deadlines, timers can really help us to stay focused. By committing to work on your course for a specific amount of time, you can create a sense of urgency and focus.
The other side of using a timer is that when you set a timer, you’re giving yourself permission to take breaks. This can help prevent burnout and keep you motivated. Remember, even short bursts of focused work can be incredibly productive.
If you’ve been around the podcast for any length of time, you know that I’ve talked about my morning coworking sessions. These are the most productive times of the day for me because I set an intention for the time, tell everyone what I’m working on and there is an end time. It is easier to stay focused and on task because there is a break at the end.
There are lots of approaches out there to using timers. You might have heard of the Pomodoro method. The pomodoro method is a technique where you work on a specific task for 25 minutes and then take a 5 minute break. The rule is to stay focused on that specific task for 25 minutes.
This can work really well if seeing a block of 2 hours on your calendar to work on your course makes you feel nothing but dread, overwhelm, and exhaustion. Those 25 minute blocks are simpler, easier, and you don’t have to conquer your entire course in that block of time.
The point here is to make sure that you are spending time on your course, but within limits so that you don’t get exhausted or overwhelmed.
Action Item
Now that you have these three tips – break down the tasks, start with something easy, and set a timer, it’s time to take action. This week, choose one of these tips and implement it in your course creation process.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, try breaking down your course into smaller tasks. If you’re struggling to get started, focus on the easy stuff first. And if you’re prone to procrastination, set a timer and work in focused bursts.
Remember, small steps can lead to big results. Aim for Simplexity! By consistently taking action, you can overcome the blank page syndrome and get your course finished and ready for launch.
Sixty-Second Solution
Now one thing that can lead to blank page syndrome is perfectionism. It is easy to worry that your course might not be good enough, that your work will be judged harshly, and who can blame you with the way social media tears apart even the most amazing things and people.
Remember, perfect is the enemy of good. It’s better to create a good course and launch it than to wait for perfection.
So how do you overcome perfection? Concentrate on why you are creating the course, focus on completing one piece of the course at a time and stay focused on making progress. You can also set realistic goals.
It is 100% ok and expected that you will make mistakes just like you will have achievements that you can and should celebrate. If you find that perfectionism is something that trails you around, check out Episode 192.
Where to Go Next?
In this episode, we’ve explored the common challenge of the blank page syndrome and worked through three practical ideas for making progress. We can break down our course, start with the easy stuff, and set a timer to increase productivity and creativity.
Remember, the key to success is consistent action. By taking small steps each day, we can turn our dreams of creating a successful online course into a reality.
If you’re interested in learning more about breaking free from course creation paralysis, check out Episode 184.
And if you are planning for the upcoming year, check out Episode 170 where I walk listeners through annual planning.
Until next time, happy creating!
