If you’re anything like me, you’re constantly coming up with content ideas… and constantly losing them.

Managing ideas is a universal struggle. We've all been there — juggling between our notes app, the random notebook in our bag, half-written drafts on our computer, and sticky notes all over our desk. The best ideas often end up scattered, and sometimes, lost. It's a familiar frustration, isn't it?

When I started my professional career, I was overwhelmed. I was balancing creative projects, post ideas, urgent schoolwork, and day-to-day life. I felt like I had no system, and the lack of organization left me drowning in ideas. But then, I realized the power of a system. With a structured approach, I could effectively track and execute my ideas.

But then, I found a solution. I sat down and built a system to transform scattered brainstorms into content batches. It was a game-changer. After finishing grad school, I knew I needed a method that was simple, sustainable, and stress-free, so I created one that works for me. And you can too.

Why Organization Matters

I can’t stress enough how important having an organizational system is. Without it, ideas get lost, projects get messy, and execution suffers. A simple structure not only saves you time, but it also boosts creativity and makes content planning more strategic.

This is where brainstorm batching makes the difference. Brainstorm batching is when you gather all your ideas at once, rather than scrambling to come up with them on the spot whenever you need content. Pairing that with a clear organization method means you’re not only capturing ideas, but also setting yourself up with a steady flow of content that’s easy to manage.

Having an organized brainstorm and content batching method allows you to:

Capture ideas consistently — Nothing gets lost, even if inspiration strikes at random
Turn scattered notes into usable content — Ideas move from rough fragments to structured, trackable plans.
Maintain consistency without the stress — Batching helps you create more in less time while avoiding creative burnout.

When you combine brainstorming, batching, and organization, you move from feeling overwhelmed to having a clear, repeatable system. Instead of staring at a blank page, you’ll have a pool of ideas ready to use whenever it’s time to create.

Now, I’m going to walk you through the process I use to brainstorm, batch, and organize content. The goal here isn’t perfection; it’s having a system that makes consistent content possible without burning out.

Phase 1: The Brainstorm Box

The first part of my process is what I call the Brainstorm Box. For me, it’s a small notebook that lives in my purse, so it goes everywhere I go. All of my raw content ideas start here.

This stage is actually the slowest, but that’s intentional. I don’t force ideas. I’ve found that trying to force creativity rarely works; instead, I let ideas come naturally. That said, I do occasionally “prompt” myself by sitting alone with just my notebook and a pen — no phone, no computer, no distractions. If something pops into my head, it goes straight into the Brainstorm Box. This practice not only helps me keep track of my ideas, but also allows me to revisit them later when I'm ready to develop them further. I’ll also use downtime in public to brainstorm. For example, I came up with the idea for this blog post while waiting at the eye doctor. Sometimes, you come up with the best ideas at the most random times, so it’s always good to have something on hand to capture these ideas.

The Brainstorm Box is a running log of raw ideas. Nothing gets filtered, and no idea is too small or “bad” to write down. Later, when I skim through the notebook, I’ll mark ideas that feel worth expanding. If I’ve already used an idea, I may reframe it into a new angle or reuse it for a different type of content.

Once my notebook is filled, I transfer everything into ChatGPT. This is where the raw ideas start to take shape. ChatGPT is not a replacement for my brainstorming process, but a supportive tool. It helps me expand on fragments, organize scattered notes, and sometimes suggests new directions I hadn’t considered. It's a way to make sense of my messy brainstorms.

Phase 2: Structuring with Content Pillars

Once my Brainstorm Box is sorted through, I move into Phase 2: Structuring. This is where I take my raw brainstorm list and strategically organize it into content pillars. A content pillar is a recurring topic area you create around, ensuring your content feels focused and purposeful, rather than random.

I use five main pillars for my structuring:

Showcase the Work — Demonstrating my marketing, strategy, and content creation skills in action.
Teach What I Know — Sharing marketing tips, tools, processes, and insights my audience can apply.
Document the Process — Giving a behind-the-scenes look at my learning, experimenting, and improving.
Career Moments & Insights — Reflecting on milestones, professional wins, and lessons from my journey.
Engage with the Industry — Joining larger conversations and highlighting my involvement in the field.

Using these pillars, I take my raw Brainstorm Box ideas and sort them into categories. Then, I develop these categories into more thought-out content concepts. This step is crucial as it keeps my ideas aligned with my overall goals and ensures I’m constantly posting content that’s both relevant and intentional.

Suppose you have a lot of ideas to filter through or aren’t sure where one fits. In that case, ChatGPT can be a valuable guide. It can suggest categories or angles you may not have considered, providing support in your content planning process.

Here’s an example of what my pillar structure looks like in practice:

Phase 3: Content Sheet

Once I've structured and refined my ideas, I transition to Phase 3: my Content Sheet. This user-friendly Excel sheet is where I log every content idea and track its progress from start to finish. Each row represents a single project, and I track it by color-coding the status and adding notes in a separate column for quick context. For instance, yellow signifies “in progress,” green denotes “posted,” and blue indicates “ready to post.”

This is what my key looks like:

The most significant benefit of a visual content sheet is clarity. At a glance, I can see what's planned, what's scheduled, what's in progress, and what's already published. That clarity makes it easier to prioritize tasks, avoid duplicate work, and spot gaps in my pipeline.

Because everything lives in one place, I can also adapt quickly: shifting deadlines, moving projects forward, or pushing them back without losing track. Over time, the sheet doubles as a record of everything I've published, which helps me stay consistent and identify patterns in my strategy. My content sheet isn't just a tracker for active projects; it's also an archive that shapes how I approach long-term content creation.

Here’s an example of the format I use:

Workflow & Creation Process

Once my ideas are organized and scheduled, I move into the actual creation process. Every piece of content I make goes through the same simple workflow: raw idea → outline → draft → edit → publish/post. This repeatable path keeps me focused so I don’t get stuck halfway through or abandon ideas before they’re finished.

To support this, I use my content sheet as a checkpoint system:

Color coding shows me what stage each project is in (planned, in progress, ready, etc.)
Notes give me quick context, like “carousel complete, copy needs revision”
Post-analytics reminders prompt me to revisit content after publishing (for example, “posted on [date], check metrics on [date]”)

This workflow helps because it:

Keeps me accountable — I can see exactly where each project stands
Makes progress visible — I know what’s moving forward and what’s stalled
Prevents lost ideas — Nothing falls through the cracks once it enters the process

In short, the workflow takes ideas from the Brainstorm Box all the way to a finished, published piece, with a system in place to ensure they actually reach their destination.

Content Prioritization

Once my ideas are organized and I know where they fit into my content pillars, the next question is: what should I make first?

That’s where content prioritization comes in. I set my own deadlines for when projects should go live on my website or LinkedIn page. Since my content is self-directed, I have the flexibility to choose what to work on and adjust deadlines as needed. But flexibility doesn’t mean randomness.

I prioritize based on three main factors:

Relevance — Is this topic timely or connected to a current conversation in the industry? If so, I’ll bump it up in priority.
Effort vs. Impact — Some pieces take less time, like a short LinkedIn post, but still provide a lot of value. Other posts, such as blog posts or LinkedIn carousels, require more time and effort, so I schedule them during times when I know I’m free to work on them and devote the right amount of time.
Balance — I strive to maintain a balance among my content pillars, ensuring my audience receives a variety of content rather than seeing only one type repeatedly.

For personal projects, I've learned to strike a delicate balance between discipline and flexibility. This equilibrium ensures a steady pipeline of content without the risk of burning out, a common pitfall in the world of content creation.

Prioritization is what keeps my system practical. Without it, I’d be tempted to either only work on the “fun” ideas or get stuck trying to do everything at once. By having a method for choosing what comes next, I always know where to direct my creative energy.

The Takeaway

At the end of the day, organization isn’t about restricting creativity; it’s about creating the freedom to focus on it. My process starts with capturing raw ideas in the Brainstorm Box, structuring them into content pillars, mapping them out in my content sheet, and then guiding them through a clear workflow and prioritization system. That’s what keeps me consistent without burning out. Your exact process might look different, and that’s the point. The best system is the one that you’ll actually stick with.

If you found this helpful, follow me on LinkedIn for more strategy breakdowns, behind-the-scenes content tips, and insights from my own marketing journey.

The Simple Workflow I Use to Brainstorm, Organize and Batch My Content