The Top 10 Productivity Hacks for a Content Creator

Nylon Pink has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LoveYourPC #Intel8thGen #CollectiveBias

I'm old enough to remember the days where we had dial-up internet. You had to sit patiently by and wait for all the crazy beeps and computerized chirping noises to complete before you could even access the internet. This process took 30-60 seconds or more to complete and we just accepted it.

So much has changed since then! These days, we expect lightening fast internet the instant we pop open  our laptop screen. The expectation is that all our programs will run quickly and efficiently, even when we are running several programs at once and have multiple screens open. 

I love my Intel laptop because it is supercharged with Intel's new 8th Gen Intel® Core™ processor which gives you added security while shopping online and can power all your photo and video editing needs. I rely on my PC for life itself, I feel like I am missing a limb when I'm without it! I use it for all of my online shopping, business transactions, bingeing on Netflix and more.  If you're a blogger like me who spends most of their time editing videos, photos and building websites, its time for an upgrade! I received my PC from Dell and I love it.

Here are just a few of the reasons that Intel makes my heart beat faster 🙂

8th Generation Intel® Core™ processor

The 8th Gen Intel Core is a huge upgrade from the 7th Gen, its a whopping 40% improvement in performance! It also performs two times better than a 5 year old computer, so if you're having performance issues with your PC, its definitely time for an upgrade.

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The Top 10 Productivity Hacks for a Video Content Creator

As a content creator, working on several projects and blogs simultaneously, I really need to streamline my work flow. These are the top hacks that I use to up my productivity and free my time up to create even more amazing content!

1. Make a Plan

When I first started editing videos I would just blindly jump in and get started, wasting countless hours. These days, I only start editing when I have a plan in place. You'll definitely want to set yourself a deadline if one hasn't been already assigned and schedule your own deadlines for your rough cuts, fine cut and final cut.

2. Rough Cuts, Fine Cut, Final Cut

When I first upload my video footage to my computer, I'm often faced with hours of footage and it can be a daunting task. The best way to get started is that I'll make rough cuts of the footage, just getting it all sequenced in the timeline so that the story begins to unfold. I'll worry about streamlining and perfecting everything later. 

3. Heed the 80-20 Rule

The 80-20 rule refers to the fact that usually _______ Find out more about Pareto's principle here. Keep the focus on the aspects of the video that will give you more bang for the buck. Don't spend a big chunk of time on color correction or key that only you will notice at the end of the day and that your audience probably won't care at all about.  

4. Have an Excellent Computer

There's nothing worse than editing with a crappy computer, it can add literally hours onto your editing and project session. When editing, its best to have all other programs and windows closed and to focus on the project at hand. As a video editor, I need my laptop to be top of the line. I'm loving my new 8th Gen, scroll up to the top to read why its so amazing for video editing!

5. Know Your Shortcuts

Shortcuts are SO essential for the video editing process! They can be a pain in the ass to memorize at first, I know! When I first started, I actually had a cheat sheet printed up next to the computer of all the short cuts that I would need until I had them all memorized. Check out some of the shortcuts here. 

6. Take Notes

I like to keep my head clear and focused while I'm editing. I like to have a notepad next to me to quickly jot down notes and ideas so that I get it out of my head and onto paper so that I can concentrate on whats at hand. Using a notepad app on the PC works great also!

7. Shut down all distractions

I can get so easily distracted while working...a cute cat videos pops up on my facebook notifications, or an angry email spins me off my center so that I am no longer focused. I like to block out a period of time where I am going to concentrate on video editing 100%, say 1 hour for example and that's what I will focus on for that time period completely. There are some super cool apps online that will block all internet access, social media and notifications while you are working, I recommend trying one out to see if you like it!

8. Take Breaks

This is a pretty simple recommendation but its so important to take breaks while working. I am a workaholic by nature so it is so easy for me to work straight for 12 hours without moving from my chair. How productive am I being really though? When I do that, I am setting myself up for a crash. These days, I like to take a 5 minute break for every hour that I am working. I'll get up, walk around, stretch, snack and maybe even check my email during this time.

9. Start Early

I'm not naturally a morning person but its super beneficial for me to start editing super early in the morning, like starting at 5:30am. I can usually get a ton of work done in just 3 hours and there are usually far fewer distractions at that time. As long as I am well rested, I am very clear early in the morning and have plenty of energy to put in my 110%

10. Comfort

To be highly productive while I am working means that I need to be as comfortable as possible! That means that I will invest in a nice office chair, a butt pad, and calibrate the room perfectly to the temperate that I like. Maybe you need to invest in another, larger monitor to add to your equipment!