The Two-Hour Content Creation System I Used to Stay Consistent

The foundation system that made daily writing possible (nearly two years later)

Every productivity guru says you need to create content daily to stay consistent.

Write every morning. Post 19 times a day. Show up no matter what.

When I started on Substack, I tried following their advice. I was managing 6 platforms. But some days I'd sit down with no idea what to write. Other days the words felt like nails on a chalkboard… forced, awkward, painful to produce.

If I were lucky, I'd write something and publish it to an audience of twelve people who didn't seem to care. Then repurpose it everywhere.

The daily hustle was crushing me.

So I quit trying to be everywhere and committed to something simpler:

24 Substack articles in 6 months.

That's one article per week. Not 1,000 words daily. Not showing up every single day.

Just 24 pieces in 6 months.

Nearly 18 months later, I've written over 100 articles, published over 500 notes, and now write daily after divorcing traditional social media.

Here's the two-hour system that became the foundation for everything that followed.

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My Thinking Was Backwards

I believed consistent content creation required constant content creation.

I thought that to publish every day, I needed to write something new every day. That batching was for people who "didn't have time." I thought “real creators” showed up fresh each morning with a new idea.

This sounded productive. Turned out it was chaos.

While I was scrambling daily for ideas, other creators were building content empires with systematic approaches. While I was stressed about tomorrow's post, they were working weeks ahead with calm confidence.

While I was burning out from daily pressure, their focus and systems allowed them to produce better content (that actually helped them grow).

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The System That Changed Everything

Nearly two years ago, I built a little two-hour “system” that transformed my entire approach to content creation.

Not because it was revolutionary. Because it was simple.

(More of a routine… but “system” sounds a lot fancier, so here we are)

Saturday Morning Writing Blocks

Every Saturday morning, 9 to 11 am, I'd sit down with one goal: write and publish one article before I got up from my desk.

No distractions. No checking emails. No scrolling social media.

Just two hours of focused writing time that would carry my entire week.

I built a fun little routine around it. I made sure I had my favorite coffee. Binaural beats. Blue light blocker glasses. Putting myself in the zone.

In those two hours, I would research, outline, write, edit (sometimes), find an image, and publish a complete article to Substack. Without AI. Without templates. Just focused work.

This single session eliminated six days of daily panic.

Going From Reactive to Proactive Creation

As I got comfortable with weekly writing, something interesting happened.

Sometimes I'd finish an article in 90 minutes and feel inspired to start another one. Other times, I found pockets of time and felt inspired to write throughout the week.

Instead of publishing immediately, I'd schedule it for the following week.

Then I’d start my routine again the next Saturday.

Soon, I had 3-4 articles written and scheduled in advance. The daily stress slowly evaporated. The weekly panic disappeared.

I wasn't just staying consistent… I was getting ahead.

This led me to batch creating.

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My First Batch Creation Process

Block 1: The Writing Session (90-120 minutes)

I'd start each Saturday with my idea capture system. Throughout the week, I'd jot down thoughts in Google Keep or my Notes app:

"The client call that taught me patience..."

"What I learned from 127 Hours learning to code…"

"I worked for free for 3 years, and I’d do it all over again…."

This eliminated the blank page problem. I never sat down without knowing what to write.

My process was simple:

• Pick one idea from my list.

• Jot down the bullet points for the article.

• Write the article start to finish.

• Quick edit for clarity, not perfection.

• Grab an image from ChatGPT.

• Publish (or schedule).

No overthinking. No perfectionism. Just consistent execution.

Block 2: Writing Substack Notes (Every Two Weeks)

Once I had the article rhythm down, I eventually added note creation to the system.

Every two weeks, I'd spend one or two hours creating a handful of Notes.

I'd pull insights and quotes from my recent articles, conversations from coaching calls, and observations from daily life. Stream of consciousness idea capture, then turn them into short, punchy Notes.

Eventually, I built a simple Notion Content Calendar to store them and track their performance.

Then each morning, when I opened my laptop and sipped my coffee, I'd spend five minutes copying and pasting that day's Note. Mark it as published. Move on with my day. (This is still how I start every morning)

I was now consistently publishing weekly Posts and Notes.

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The Content Banking Strategy

Here's where the system became truly powerful: I started building a content bank.

I’m not sure about you… But I don’t like feeling the stress of the pressure of ‘having to quickly get a post out.’ After testing both strategies, I preferred the separation between creation and publishing.

So, instead of publishing articles the same day I wrote them, I'd schedule them for future weeks. This created a buffer that allowed calm and ease into creation.

The 3-4 Article Buffer

My goal became having 3-4 complete articles written and scheduled at all times.

This meant:

• No panic if I had an off week.

• Flexibility for life interruptions (sick days, travel, family emergencies)

• Ability to write when inspired, not when obligated.

• Less stress if an article takes a bit longer to write.

Once an article is finished, it is scheduled. Then I move on to the next one.

This buffer became my creative safety net.

Working Ahead vs. Catching Up

The psychological shift was dramatic. Instead of always being behind (what am I posting tomorrow?), I was always ahead (what am I posting next month?).

This removed the daily anxiety and replaced it with strategic thinking. I could intentionally plan content topics, research what’s working, and respond to audience feedback with future articles instead of reactive posts.

Currently, I have 9 weeks of articles scheduled in Substack.

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The Tools (& Systems) That Made It Work

The system relied on simple, reliable tools, nothing fancy or expensive.

Idea Capture System

A simple system to capture ideas as they drop in.

I’ve experimented with:

• Notes app and Google Keep.

• Sticky notes on my desk.

• Voice memos.

• Notion.

The key wasn't the specific tool, it was capturing everything and organizing later. Once I began consciously capturing ideas, I noticed more of them began to flow.

As you can see, I’ve used a combination of many. I found the best was the simplest method and one that allowed me to capture and access the notes from both my phone and computer.

Find what works for you—don’t overthink it.

Content Calendar

A simple system to store batch-created content.

While my Substack Posts were scheduled in Substack, I used Notion to store my batch-created Substack Notes.

My initial Notion setup was embarrassingly simple:

• Date: When to publish.

• Content: The full text of the note or article title.

• Status: Draft, Ready, Published.

• Performance: Above or below average.

Every morning, I'd open Notion, find today's content, copy it, paste it into Substack, and mark it published. Five minutes max.

You can download my Notion Content Calendar here.

Weekly Rhythms

A simple creation routine, daily, weekly, quarterly.

This will be tailored to your unique circumstances, and I always let people know that my personal rhythm has continuously evolved over the past 2 years.

In the beginning:

Weekly: Write (and schedule) Substack article.

Then, once I introduced Substack Notes.

Bi-Weekly: Write Substack Notes.

Notes started around 3x per week and grew to daily.

Then, around 8-10 Months into the game, I began to evolve.

Weekly: Substack Note Performance Review (Using my Content Calendar)

Quarterly: Substack Post Performance Audit (My process can be found here)

I slowly and incrementally evolved. I recommend the same. No major changes, slow, intentional, incremental changes over time.

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Why I Eventually Chose Batching Content Over Daily Creation

After experimenting with both approaches to creation, the advantages of batching became undeniable.

Here are a few of the benefits I noticed…

Psychological Benefits.

Daily creation created daily pressure. Batching created weekly momentum.

Instead of waking up wondering "what will I write today?" and constantly playing catch up I'd wake up knowing my content was handled. This mental freedom improved my quality of life… my mood, my other work, my relationships.

Removed Decision Fatigue.

Creating 30 notes in one session used less mental energy than creating one note 30 times. Those 30 individual sessions required 30 separate decisions to start, 30 context switches, 30 instances of overcoming inertia.

Batching consolidated (and reduced) the energy cost.

Improved Content Quality.

When I batch created, I saw patterns and themes emerging. I had more time to analyze what was working and what wasn’t. I found myself experimenting more, creating variations of winners, instead of posting what was on my mind that day.

With daily creation, each piece was created in isolation. With batching, I was created with the overall strategy in mind.

Flow States.

The second note in a batch session was easier than the first. The third was easier than the second. By note 10, I’m in a creative flow that's nearly impossible to achieve in a scattered 5-10 minute daily window.

Those two-hour note sessions often felt effortless because I'd hit a rhythm that carried me through the entire batch.

Strategic Perspective.

Batching allowed me to think strategically. When creating 15 pieces at once, I naturally considered variety, audience needs, and content mix. Because it was all in front of me at once.

Daily creation often felt reactive… responding to the day’s mood or yesterday's comment instead of serving my audience's broader needs.

The Daily Maintenance Magic.

This was the magic:

Once the system was built, daily content required almost no daily work.

Copy Note from calendar. Quick review. Post. Done.

The heavy lifting happened in those focused batch sessions. The daily posting was just maintenance.

Capitalized On Inspiration.

Daily publishing was 1-2 clicks of my mouse.

This removed the need for daily inspiration. However, when it struck, it allowed me to post additional Substack Notes. Capitalizing on those moments, something that can be missed when batch creating.

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Building Your Own Two-Hour System

The power of this approach isn't in copying my exact system.

It's in understanding the principles and adapting them to your life.

Your most productive creative time might be Sunday mornings while the house is quiet and the coffee’s hot.

It might be Tuesday nights after the kids are asleep. It might be airplane time during business travel, or early morning hours before your commute.

One writer I work with has a schedule that changes daily due to client work and we identified Sunday mornings as her most predictable anchor.

The key is in the experimentation.

What works for you in this season of life might change completely next year.

When I was building my foundation, Saturday mornings were sacred. As my rhythm solidified, I started mixing in spontaneous writing when inspiration hit or when something felt immediately relevant. Now I love the combination of the two, the security of batched content with the excitement of writing on the fly when ideas spark.

This is where the concept of minimal viable habits becomes crucial.

I start every creator with the same question: What's the smallest commitment you can make that you'll never miss? For some, it's one article every two weeks. For others, it's 15 minutes of writing on Sunday mornings.

The goal isn't to impress anyone with your ambition, it's to build consistency through positive momentum.

Here's what I've learned about scaling:

Only increase or add when your current habit feels almost too easy.

When Saturday morning writing sessions start feeling automatic, when you're finishing early and feeling energized rather than drained, when you catch yourself wanting to write more… that's when you add another session or extend your time block.

Never increase from a place of guilt or comparison. Increase from a place of genuine momentum.

The system also needs to account for your personality.

Some people thrive on strict routines… same time, same place, same process. That’s me. Others need variety to stay engaged. I've worked with creators who batch everything months in advance, and others who prefer a loose framework that allows for spontaneity. Both approaches work if they match the person using them.

Your tools will be different too.

I use the Notes app and Notion because they're simple and sync everywhere. But maybe you think better with pen and paper. Maybe you prefer Obsidian for its linking capabilities, or Airtable for its database structure.

The tool isn't the system… the habit and routine is the system.

So then, the real test isn't whether your system looks like mine. It's whether you can stick to it when motivation fades, when life gets chaotic, when inspiration dries up. A simple system you use consistently will always beat a complex system you use sporadically.

After nearly two years of this approach, I now write daily not because I have to, but because the foundation of systematic creation taught me something invaluable…

Consistency isn't about inspiration, it's about showing up.

The batching system became my training wheels. Eventually, I didn't need the training wheels anymore. But like learning to ride a bike, I needed them to start.

Your system might evolve into daily writing like mine did. Or it might stay beautifully simple with one focused session per week that carries your entire content strategy.

Both paths are valid. Both can build thriving audiences. Both can create sustainable content businesses.

The only wrong system is no system at all.

Start with your most predictable time. Protect it fiercely. Show up consistently.

Everything else? The tools, the frequency, the complexity… can evolve as you do. But it all starts with that first commitment to systematic creation over chaotic scrambling.

Hope this helps.

Landon

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P.S. If you're struggling to build a systematic approach to content creation, I've documented my exact templates and frameworks in the Unhustled Substack Swipe File.

The headline structures, viral note formats, and post frameworks that helped me go from chaotic daily creation to the systematic batch creation that built a 6,000+ subscriber audience.

17 pages of proven templates so you don't have to start from scratch.

[Get the Swipe File here] - because having a system beats winging it every day.

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