- 30
- 22 412
Zacc Rowlands
United States
Приєднався 9 лип 2017
Sharing time-tested ideas to help you think deeply, write consistently, and achieve mastery.
Sign-up for my free weekly newsletter The Creator Cycle here:
zaccland.thecreatorcycle.com/profile
Sign-up for my free weekly newsletter The Creator Cycle here:
zaccland.thecreatorcycle.com/profile
Master Your Mornings With This Simple Journaling Routine
In a world full of distractions, it can feel impossible to take control of your day, but a consistent journaling routine has given me power over my impulses and has radically changed how I approach my mornings.
In today's video, I share the strategies I learned from prolific authors like Ryan Holiday and Cal Newport to build a daily journaling routine that I’ve been consistent with for over a year now so you can learn how to master your mornings.
Grab your free copy of the 26 Journaling Routine prompts here: zaccland-media.kit.com/26journalingprompts
--------------------
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
0:31 How journaling has benefited my life.
1:00 Ryan Holiday & stoic journaling routines
1:45 The best way to stay consistent.
2:30 How distractions kill routines.
3:08 Two strategies for success.
4:05 What are you supposed to write about?
4:35 Daily meditations.
5:15 Book recommendations for journaling.
--------------------
In today's video, I share the strategies I learned from prolific authors like Ryan Holiday and Cal Newport to build a daily journaling routine that I’ve been consistent with for over a year now so you can learn how to master your mornings.
Grab your free copy of the 26 Journaling Routine prompts here: zaccland-media.kit.com/26journalingprompts
--------------------
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
0:31 How journaling has benefited my life.
1:00 Ryan Holiday & stoic journaling routines
1:45 The best way to stay consistent.
2:30 How distractions kill routines.
3:08 Two strategies for success.
4:05 What are you supposed to write about?
4:35 Daily meditations.
5:15 Book recommendations for journaling.
--------------------
Переглядів: 3 173
Відео
Renaissance Journaling Technique to Overcome Writer's Block
Переглядів 17 тис.21 годину тому
Writer's block is a problem as old as writing itself. Today, I share the Zibaldone journaling method great writers of The Renaissance used to overcome the blank page. Join my weekly newsletter and get 26 free journaling prompts here: zaccland-media.kit.com/26journalingprompts CHAPTERS: 0:00 Intro 0:23 The reason we get Writer's block. 1:40 Brief history of the Zibaldone. 2:03 What is a Zibaldon...
How I Built a Writing Routine that Sticks
Переглядів 87914 днів тому
Writing consistently is hard, but if you get the fundamentals right, you can build a writing routine that sticks. In today's video, I share the strategies that have kept me writing daily for over 400 days and counting, so you can too. Sign up for my free weekly newsletter here: zaccland.thecreatorcycle.com/profile CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 0:26 How I started writing. 1:49 Why do you want to write? 2:...
How to Consume Like a Creator (and stop forgetting what you learn)
Переглядів 26321 день тому
Deep insight leads to unique perspectives. In this video, I cover the 3 I's of Insight framework for turning what you learn into original ideas so you can be confident sharing your vision with others. Get my free Notion Template for note-taking here: zaccland-media.kit.com/e774877494 CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 0:20 The Illusion of Competence 0:50 The 3 I's of Insight 1:03 Insight requires Inputs 2:53 ...
How I Stay Motivated as a Part-Time Creator
Переглядів 7028 днів тому
Society is obsessed with finding their passion. In this video, I explain why passion alone just doesn't cut it for creators looking to stay consistent long-term. If you liked this video, check out my free weekly newsletter here: zaccland.thecreatorcycle.com/profile
How I Consistently Create with a Full-Time Job (13 months going strong)
Переглядів 461Місяць тому
In today's video, I break down how to manage your time as a creator working a full-time job with time-tested productivity strategies. If productive creativity is your jam, you can subscribe to my newsletter here: zaccland.thecreatorcycle.com/profile
The Real Reason You Can’t Focus (and how to overcome it)
Переглядів 62Місяць тому
In today's video, I break down the real reason it's so hard for us to focus and share a few simple strategies that have helped me overcome constant distractions. If staying focused is important to you, then check out my free Notion template that will help you prioritize and stay focused on the right things: zaccland_media.ck.page/creatorloglite
Simple Productivity System for Distracted Creators
Переглядів 107Місяць тому
Free Template: zaccland_media.ck.page/creatorloglite In today's video I go over how unfiltered to-do lists are causing creators massive overwhelm and anxiety leading to burnout over time. In it's place I offer a simple system for prioritizing work that will actually help you reach your goals as a creator and stop wasting mental energy on things that don't matter.
12 Lessons From 12 Months as a Creator (in my 30's)
Переглядів 112Місяць тому
Set & achieve your goals with my FREE Notion Template here: zaccland_media.ck.page/creatorloglite In today's video I break down 12 hard learned lessons from my first 12 months as a Creator in my 30's. It's been a wild year with a lot of mistakes but I'm hoping to save you from falling into the same pitfalls as I did with these lessons. If you're interested in the M.A.P. Framework I spoke about ...
7 Simple Habits to Consume Less & Create More
Переглядів 1 тис.2 місяці тому
Distractions are all around us from the moment we wake up till the moment we lay down to rest. In today's video I breakdown 7 simple habits I like to practice daily to consume less and keep me creating more. If you want to learn more about my Creator Log system you can here: thecreatorlog.carrd.co Thanks for watching & happy creating :)
How To Quickly Stop Procrastinating
Переглядів 2382 місяці тому
In this video I share how to quickly stop procrastinating so you don't waste another second thinking about work and start getting things done. If you're new here, I upload videos discussing productivity & creativity to help people like you to consume less and create more. I also have a free weekly newsletter you can sign up for where I dish out exclusive tips to my subscribers here: zaccland.th...
Why You Struggle with Content Ideas (and 3 easy fixes)
Переглядів 342 місяці тому
We've all hit a creative roadblock before but it doesn't have to be a dead end. In today's video I'm break down some of the key reasons why we struggle with generating content ideas and offer a few fixes for overcoming these mental roadblocks. If you're new here, my name is Zacc Rowlands and I'm a writer/UA-camr/musician sharing everything I know about creativity & productivity. For exclusive a...
Avoid these New Creator Mistakes - 7 Tips in 7 Mins
Переглядів 292 місяці тому
In today's video, I discuss seven tips for new creators and I keep it under seven minutes. If you don't know me yet, my name is Zacc Rowlands. I've been creating content about creativity, productivity, and content creation as a writer for a year. I started creating videos for UA-cam 4 months ago. For weekly tips on how to be more creative & productive as a creator you can sign up for my free we...
How to Become Adaptable (5 Pillars of Creative Thinking)
Переглядів 603 місяці тому
In today's video, I talk about the five pillars of creative thinking so you can become more creative, more adaptable, and more quick on your feet. For those of you who don't know me my name is Zacc Rowlands and I'm a writer, musician, and video creator. I'm obsessed with understanding the nature of ideas and how we can develop our ability to think creatively. If you're looking for more resource...
How I Overcome Creative Block & Find Inspiration
Переглядів 283 місяці тому
In today's video, I talk about creative block and how I find ways to get unstuck when hitting a creative wall. You can join my free newsletter here for weekly tips on productivity, creativity, and inspiration: zaccland.thecreatorcycle.com/profile
How to Make Creativity as Addicting as a Video Game
Переглядів 443 місяці тому
How to Make Creativity as Addicting as a Video Game
How I Learn Creative Skills Fast (80/20 Rule)
Переглядів 653 місяці тому
How I Learn Creative Skills Fast (80/20 Rule)
3 Skills I Wish I Learned Sooner as a New Creator
Переглядів 213 місяці тому
3 Skills I Wish I Learned Sooner as a New Creator
3 Things Nobody Tells You About Writing Online
Переглядів 144 місяці тому
3 Things Nobody Tells You About Writing Online
Why You Care What People Think (and tools to stop)
Переглядів 2604 місяці тому
Why You Care What People Think (and tools to stop)
Why Creatives Need Procrastination (and how to balance it)
Переглядів 944 місяці тому
Why Creatives Need Procrastination (and how to balance it)
How I Manage my Time as a Part-Time Creator (The Baker's Method)
Переглядів 1204 місяці тому
How I Manage my Time as a Part-Time Creator (The Baker's Method)
This simple mindset switch makes creativity seamless. (Rowlands' Razor)
Переглядів 1 тис.5 місяців тому
This simple mindset switch makes creativity seamless. (Rowlands' Razor)
7 Steps to a Life of Creative Fulfillment
Переглядів 705 місяців тому
7 Steps to a Life of Creative Fulfillment
Become a Prolific Creator (systemize your process)
Переглядів 545 місяців тому
Become a Prolific Creator (systemize your process)
The Niche Formula: 3-Step Process for New Creators
Переглядів 286 місяців тому
The Niche Formula: 3-Step Process for New Creators
8 Journaling Prompts to Stop Making Excuses (and start pursuing your creative goals)
Переглядів 556 місяців тому
8 Journaling Prompts to Stop Making Excuses (and start pursuing your creative goals)
The Most Valuable Skill for Aspiring Creators
Переглядів 317 місяців тому
The Most Valuable Skill for Aspiring Creators
How I Gained Clarity on My Creative Goals in 3 Steps
Переглядів 217 місяців тому
How I Gained Clarity on My Creative Goals in 3 Steps
Behind the Struggle of Starting a Creator Career While Learning New Skills
Переглядів 338 місяців тому
Behind the Struggle of Starting a Creator Career While Learning New Skills
🎯 Key points for quick navigation: 00:00 *📝 Establish a consistent morning journaling routine to take control of your day and enhance creativity.* 00:26 *🌅 Learn from Ryan Holiday and Cal Newport about the power of morning journaling for clarity and productivity.* 01:23 *📘 Embrace morning journaling as a stoic practice to master your mind and set a positive tone for the day.* 02:18 *🕒 Create a daily journaling habit by scheduling a consistent time and treating it as sacred to avoid distractions.* 03:15 *📵 Use physical notebooks over digital apps for journaling to reduce distractions and enhance introspection.* 04:38 *📖 Overcome journaling challenges by using daily meditation books or prompts to spark reflections and maintain consistency.*
Nice video. I'm already a fan of Newport. Bit I didn't know about The Daily Pressfield book, so thanks for the suggestion! I intend to look into it for journaling in 2025.
This was a very good video that was very helpful to me. I struggle with GAD and learning to go care what people think is the hardest but your video was constructed in a way that made me really think about how I felt when I was younger and didn’t GAF about what people thought about me or what I did. I was a dancer then too so I had to be seen and I just didn’t care. Now I’m a writer and artist and it’s so hard to not care. I’m going to rewatch this video and take notes and apply these lessons. Thank you. Underrated channel!
Great advice. I’m a big fan of Cal and Ryan
Clear, concise, and practical tutorial. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Zibaldone = Commonplace Book in English
One thing I have noticed after seeing the video's engagement is UA-cam should never have introduced Shorts. Such high quality videos are ignored by the algorithm which is sad. You deserve better, brother, you deserve better.
I appreciate that. I’m glad you liked the video. I’ll keep plugging away and maybe the algorithm will catch up to me one day. Thanks for watching!
For some people the morning isn't their own, they get up just so they can go to work and pay the bills. Makes journaling hard to do when you are already rushed at 4:30am. But journaling really is an important part of the day, stoic or not. Everyone should find some time to "get in their own head" and work through what is going on there.
Any time someone can find to create space for introspection is the best time. Thanks for watching.
Sounds like a commonplace book.
Excellent thoughts, please speak slower.
Thanks for the feedback and thanks for watching!
Hi there! really nice videos you've got, watched the 2 last ones, and they're really good! they bring new ideas and inspirations that can actually have an awesome impact in peoples lives! congratulations!
Thank you for the kind words! I appreciate you taking time out of your day to watch the videos. Cheers!
Really interesting things you said in there. I may not do everything, because I already have my routine, but surely will adapt. That's the wonderful life of journaling: freedom and adaptation. Thank you for your insights.
That is the wonderful part-it’s your own practice to explore. Glad you enjoyed the video thanks for watching!
Thanks so much for the referral to The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen. I love the book! I make hand crafted journals and knowing the history of journals has given me SO many new ideas. It’s a fun read, too! 👍
I thought the book was so interesting and gave me a whole new appreciation for analog methods of note-keeping. Very cool that you hand-make them! Thanks for watching.
Thank you. Cogent thoughts and useful suggestions. From my experience, you're right on the mark. I've noticed you're getting a good view count on this video. To let you know, it was suggested to me after refreshing UA-cam, after watching a bullet journal video.
You're right, the video did far better than I imagined it would! That's helpful to know the types of videos that are recommending it. Thank you for watching!
Thank you!😊
Thanks you for watching!
don't really understand the difference between this and a commonplace book. Are they effectively the same in a practical sense? Anyone also having a bit of challenge thinking about those two concepts as separate things?
The only difference I could gather was in its strict organization. Zibaldone's had no common headers and were collections of anything the user found useful. Commonplace books are organized by heading, topic, theme, etc. Everything has a specific place. Functionally, they are very similar, zibaldones are just less structured. The Notebook by Roland Allen is where I learned about them.
@@zaccrowlands thank you. That makes a lot of sense. Guess my commonplace book is a zibaldone, zero structure there =^.^=
I like your cursive! It's very neat and compressed which is what I like. You can fit more writing on each page haha
lol thank you. Cursive helps my hand relax, I get tense writing print.
@zaccrowlands I started relearning cursive this year and it's been pretty fun. It's like killing two birds with one stone, I get some writing done and I practice cursive. But after a short while, my hand cramps up. Also having perfectionism doesn't help either, I'm trying to make everything neat lol
Nice to know that there’s a name for the type of journaling I did when I was younger. And a fantastic reminder to get back to it. Thank you🎉
Thank you for watching!
It was called a Commonplace Book until the 19C in England
@@TorchwoodPandP Thanks! That makes sense.
I never get a block. What I get is too much to journal and I don't know where to start lol
Not a bad problem to have! Thanks for watching.
Why are you holding a caterpillar?
Why not hold a caterpillar?
I wasn't sure anyone would watch this video, but I knew the caterpillar would listen.
@@zaccrowlands 🐛🐛🐛
@@zaccrowlandsit’s all good. Next time have him do some tricks.
Another concept I like to employ is that of the Zettlekasten, otherwise known as the 'second brain'. There are some really cool videos to get started with one, it can be as elaborate or simple as you would like. I personally use Obsidian, a free open sourced markedown note browser. Best of luck writing y'all!
I'm actually misinformed; * Zettelkasten refers to the act of taking many notes on slips of paper (zettels) while a second brain is a more novel concept referring to the organization of those notes (primarily through digital methods) in such a way that you can utilize them akin to a second brain. Obsidian still stands as a great tool to do so though!
For folks looking for other resources, it's worth confirming and pulling @altashiro 's comment out of a nested conversation below: in the English speaking world these have been called commonplace books. Loved the suggestions on how to keep one herein though!
I learned about zibaldones in The Notebook by Roland Allen. From what I can tell, the only real difference is in their organizational methods. Commonplace books are structured with common headings by topic, theme, etc., whereas zibaldones are loose collections of anything the user finds useful. Functionally, they're basically the same. Thanks for watching!
I've been doing this for years and never knew it was called a Zibaldone.
Me neither! Reading The Notebook by Roland Allen is where I learned about its origins in Italy. Very cool to see how timeless the method is though. Thanks for watching!
I've heard it also called a "commonplace book" in English.
@@altashiro I prefer the Italian word for the book. Sounds classy.
Forgetting for the purpose of this video that these historic figures were RICH, educated & mostly buffered from the grind of survival. Plus the books that survive were from genius polymath dudes. Not random ppl with an iPad. And also DUDES (bc women were not independent or free). This zeitgeist is what keeps brands like Leuchturm in business... "I will be the next DaVinci"! ... A delusion created by perpetual caffeine overdose.
Well I do drink a lot of coffee lol Thanks for watching!
1:00 Don't you see? It's exactly because any answer is a quick internet search away. Creativity comes from constraints and boredom, freedom and distractions are the antithesis to that!
I'm glad someone caught that subtle hint. I 100% agree. Creative thinking needs limits to be generative or the mind will latch from one input to the next without ever forming connections between the information it already has access to. Thanks for watching!
Creativity also comes from other sources. It's certainly doesn't come from constraints and boredom for me.
No, but it still comes from setting up boundaries. You cannot play Squash outdoors…
Good presentation ! Thank you. guess you are familiar with the Zettelkasten method used by Niklas Luhmann a german sociology professor who was extremely productive due to his method of notetaking and archiving with extensive crossreferences. The value created is in formulating the ideas, observations and questions in your own words and then work with the 'interconnectedness' there is also value in manually writing itself instead of typing . (lots of material on the web just check Luhmann , Remarkable, handwriting and neurophysiology etc)
I'm actually researching note card systems more recently. His work has come up a lot. Something I definitely want to explore in future videos is the connection between hand writing notes and the encoding of information in the brain. Intuitively, I know there's something to it, but I need to research more. Thanks for watching!
One thing I found is that it's detrimental to use a process that's too elaborate. 10 different notebooks, a multi-step process or whatever doesn't help but it hampers your process. Find out what works for you. Personally I have two handwritten notebooks: A big one I keep at home and a small one I always have on hand either in a coat pocket, my bag or whatever. That's where all quotes, definitions, new words or ideas go I have over the course of a day. When one of those books is full or when I get the feeling I should do it, I curate those books and take what holds up during a re-read and then I digitize it and get it into a note-taking software (I use Joplin, but there is a bazillion different softwares that do the same). I do that because those curated notes then can be searched and preserved for future endeavours. And because I consider the note taking app my long-term second brain the information stored there should be useful and condensed as to not overcrowd it with useless stuff. That's one of the reasons I still use handwritten notes, so I reconsider what I write down and so that I use multiple filters for information: handwritten notes -> reread those notes -> maybe preserve as digital information. But I still keep my handwritten notes and journals just on the off-chance me or somebody else ever wants to retrace my thought process. For me, this process works, for other people this might already be too elaborate or too simplistic.
"The tendency to gravitate toward complexity is perpetually at war with the need to prioritize." - Made to Stick This is the constant war with information we've all got to figure out. I feel like my note-taking habits are in a constant flux of complexity, followed by minimalism followed by complexity. At this point, I've accepted it.
@@zaccrowlandsthat is one excellent quote!
Please do a flip-through video of your notebooks!
lol I'll add it to the list of video ideas. Thanks for watching!
Terrific topic just sub
I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching!
I've been trying various note taking methods over the past couple months to figure out which ones work best for me. What I have discovered is using the outline method for processing ideas and a Zibaldone for archiving the ideas of others has helped me a lot. I also do basic journalling to sift through some of my confusion, to explore ideas and how they might work, or to make connections between ideas. I think the Zibaldone method works exceptionally well for deep literature, like Dostoevsky or Tolstoy. Sometimes you really need to sit with and reread paragraphs, quotes, pages... It's good to archive them, to make the words more personal to you. It really does change how you engage with ideas and stories.
I also use Obsidian to archive things as well, but with more organization and refinement. Obsidian works really well for me as a second brain.
It's amazing how handwriting some of the headier ideas can bring a clarity to them that typing just can't replicate for me. But, like you, I still use digital tools for other things. Where else would I catalog all the podcasts I listen to?! Thanks for watching!
Great information. We have to manage our expectations & do it #1 for love of the art.
"It is a curse to have everything go right on your first attempt." - Robert Greene, Mastery In retrospect, I'm grateful my early writing didn't get any attention. It was pretty bad and it taught me a lot. Good luck on your journey and thanks for watching!
So true! Keeping a notebook (actually many.... too many.) reminds me I'm thinking on paper. Meaningful notes are extensions of my thinking. I often forget how important the practice of writing is until I open my notebook and write. This video was a wonderful reminder to stay in the habit of writing. Thanks for posting!
Some of the most important writing I do is the notes to myself. I'm glad the video could help. Thanks for watching!
As a visual artist, this is something that I’ve been thinking a lot about. I will start a project with research and collect endless photo references but ultimately stall on the actual drawing. Lately I’ve been trying to slow down and draw the reference that interests me. I’m drawing more at the very least and my “notes” have a kind of visual direction that makes more sense. Maybe I thought I wanted to go a certain direction with a piece, but all of the sketches I’ve done are indicating that my interest is going somewhere else. I haven’t made a real breakthrough yet, but I’m enjoying the process. That you for this video! It’s making me rethink some things.
The great thing about thinking(or drawing) on paper is that it always brings more clarity. Glad to hear the video at least sparked some introspection. Thanks for watching!
Awesome video! Quick, to the point but packed with wisdom. Liked, subbed and appreciated
The glaze is insane
@@ibenjaminclarke Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching.
I misread the title as "how I built a writing routine that sucks" and I thought this was gonna be a what not to do, I'm focusing on screenwriting for short films at the moment, this was a great video!
@@kelceyfirth That might have to be the follow up title lol Thanks for watching and good luck with the screenplays!
Just stumbled on this after attempting my first week of daily writing. 😅 What's your preferred habit tracker?
@@StrangerThanNonfiction When I first started I went old fashioned and bought a calendar to mark with a fat X every day I wrote. I went full nerd over time and built a gamified system in Notion where I gain writing XP and rewards lol Anything that’s tangible and shows progress is good to go. Have fun writing!
My friend uses a paint by numbers colouring sheet as a habit tracker, motivates you to continue the progress to complete the colouring
Engagement
I'll take it!
Want more clicks on your videos? Let’s work on a powerful thumbnail design that pulls people in and helps grow your audience. And another thing seo will rank your video
😊enjoyed the video
Thanks for watching. Cheers!
excellent but video not getting much attention from the audience. This could be due to an SEO issue, resulting in low views and subscribers.
Keep struggling. Your videos hit hard. Love the sprinkling of quotes along with the actionable tips. Inspirational as I start my channel!
Love to hear it, thank you. Starting a channel is definitely a struggle at times, but it's so rewarding and fun. Good luck with the channel!
I've never smoked, but the nicotine story was really powerful to hear in this context! Hearing you get past that and relate it to the context of focus in general was a great framing.
That's awesome to hear! There are so many lessons in life that show up in places you wouldn't expect. I'm just glad it made sense. Thanks for watching
I just checked out your videos, and they’re awesome! However, it looks like they’re not reaching the audience they deserve. This might be due to SEO issues like video tags, titles, and descriptions. I’m a UA-cam SEO expert and can offer you a free channel report to show you exactly where improvements can be made. Let me know if you're interested!
One thing that's helped me a ton is to time block everything tedious that doesn't need to be done daily or immediately into a single, weekly "Mundane Marathon" block. Rather than trying to schedule individual tedious things (booking appointments or travel, for example) within each day, I just keep a list of them and aim to knock out as many as possible in that block from the list. Then I only have to summon the starting motivation once, and I can ride that wave through the drudgery. I can then use willpower on other things (hopefully creative blocks like you've outlined) through the rest of the week. This has worked pretty well for the few months I've been at it - maybe worth a try alongside your timeblocking approach!
This is brilliant. I'm still looking for ways to organize the boring stuff in life lol I'll give it a go!
Good stuff! I appreciate you showing the time-blocking example. Def helps.
@@videogameavatar I feel like just seeing the day visualized makes everything seem a bit more manageable. Glad you enjoyed!
I have smoked for 15 years...OK I'll try thus thank you
Thanks for the support! It's not easy quitting but it's definitely possible. Good luck!
I'm doing this right now ..dammm it 😊 I enjoy your channel
I'm doing this right now ..dammm it 😊 I enjoy your channel
I'm doing this right now ..dammm it 😊 I enjoy your channel
Ill follow these steps, ty for the advice buddy.