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I used to be an all-or-nothing kind of person. Either I’d create the perfect content strategy for the next six months, or I wouldn’t do anything at all. Either I had it all figured out, or I wouldn’t even start posting my content.

That was until I read the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, which completely changed my perspective.

It made me realise that, actually, it’s the small habits I build and repeat every day that truly move the needle forward in my business. In this article, I’m sharing 10 lessons from Atomic Habits that have genuinely changed my life and my business as a content creator.

Keep reading below or watch the video:

1. The 1% rule

This is such a simple rule that I have taken with me in a lot of areas of both my life and my business. And that’s to simply ask myself, “How can I make this 1% better?” 

When I’m creating content, whether it’s for my YouTube channel or Instagram, I try to ask myself, How can I make this video I’m working on right now 1% better than the videos I filmed a few months ago, or even last week?

We often get stuck in perfectionism, and I used to do this so much. I’d put off creating my ebooks, courses, or content. I thought I had to have everything perfectly figured out before I could even start.

The truth is, we all start with messy action. We all begin by posting content randomly, not knowing what we’re doing, not knowing our niche or our topics. If you look at any YouTuber’s early videos, they’re usually not that great — mine included!

And that’s perfectly fine. But it’s amazing to see everyone’s progress. As long as we start, put ourselves out there, and keep getting 1% better over time, it really adds up after a few months or years. And that’s exactly how we get where we want to be.

I used to compare myself to where really successful content creators or YouTubers are now, thinking I needed to reach that same standard. And while that’s a nice goal to have, everyone starts from the bottom. First getting confident in front of the camera, then improving the editing skills, then getting better at filming and audio quality.

It’s all about getting 1% better every time, over time. It doesn’t happen all at once.

2. The 3.5 rule

There’s this analogy in the book: an aeroplane is on a set trajectory, but if the pilot changes that trajectory by even 3.5 degrees, the plane will land in a completely different town or even a different country.

So, when you look at your business like a journey, what trajectory are you currently on? If you keep going like this for the next five years, where is your business going to end up?

When I used to post very randomly, without much consistency or direction, my content probably wasn’t on the best trajectory. But the more I improved my skills, the more that trajectory shifted for the better.

It’s really about taking those small steps that can change your path towards a much better place.

3. Make it obvious

This is the first step in what’s called “the habit loop” in the book, and the whole idea really changed how I think about content creation. It can feel tough and overwhelming at times, but the habit loop makes building consistency so much easier.

So, make it obvious is the cue, meaning the thing that triggers the behaviour, like creating content, for example. It’s all about building small routines and rituals into your days that help you recognise, Okay, if this is happening, then it’s time for me to film a video.

For instance, I used to struggle with posting on Instagram. I found it hard to fit it into my day, which made me inconsistent for a while. What I started doing was noticing that every day, or most days, my toddler goes for a nap around 12 or 12:30. That’s when I usually sit down with my afternoon coffee. So I began using that as my cue. When my toddler is napping and I’m having my coffee, that’s my time to publish on Instagram. It also happens to be a good time for my audience, since that’s when they’re quite active.

This is a kind of habit stacking. I already have the habit of having coffee in the afternoon, so I might as well add something on top of it. That cue triggers my brain that it’s time to publish on Instagram. It doesn’t take long, but we often procrastinate even on tasks that don’t take much time at all.

This small change has helped me stay consistent on Instagram and grow my account to 200,000 followers, which is just absolutely amazing.

And if you’re struggling with Instagram and need a bit of help, I’ve got a freebie for you. I’ve put together the strategies that helped me grow my account into an Insta Growth Checklist. It’s completely free and will help you get started if you’re unsure what your next step should be.

4. Make it attractive

This is the craving part of the loop. I realised that as a content creator, if I wait to feel motivated or in the mood to film a video or an Instagram Reel, that motivation is very unlikely to come. Or at least, not very often.

Instead, it needs to become part of my habits and routine. One way to do this, rather than waiting for motivation, is to make it a fun process.

For example, this morning I was filming a few YouTube videos, and I had a mini dance party in my living room while setting everything up — just because it makes me feel good and makes the process more enjoyable for me. I’m less likely to procrastinate, and it puts me in a good mood before creating content.

I also find it really helpful to take my time and enjoy the process of filming, because I genuinely love it. But when I’m doing it in a rush, it’s not enjoyable anymore. The more I can make this process an attractive one and something I actually want to do, the more likely I am to stick with it long term.

And in case you didn’t notice, the one thing that really helps you grow online is staying consistent. It doesn’t sound as exciting as “Go viral in 30 days!” — but it’s the truth. If you stay consistent for a few months, or even a couple of years, it’s very likely that you’ll see results.

5. Make it easy

This is the response part of the loop, the point where we actually perform the habit or take the action we want to take. I realised that the easier I can make the process, the more likely I am to do it, and to do it consistently.

What’s super helpful here is reducing friction as much as possible. For example, yes, it would be ideal if every single video I put out were perfectly scripted, thoroughly researched, filled with intricate B-roll, and beautifully cinematic. That would be amazing. But it’s not really realistic to do this consistently, especially as a one-person team like me. I film, I edit, I do pretty much everything in my business.

So yes, I try my best. I aim to improve every time, to make things 1% better. But I also have to set some limits to make the setup easier and the process simpler. This way, I can do this every single week and put out a new video on my main channel.

What really helps in trying to build the habit of content creation is focusing only on the next step. For example, when I wake up, my first step is to do my makeup or hair and get ready for the day. Then the next step is to set up my camera and laptop if I need to. Then comes the filming process.

And this is where Newton’s law is so useful. He said that an object in motion stays in motion. Once I get the ball rolling, once I start setting up and getting everything ready, the brain goes, “Well, I’ve already put all this effort into setting up and getting ready, I might just as well film the video.”

6. Make it satisfying

This is the reward part of the loop. So, either make the process enjoyable or make it rewarding at the end. The reward can be anything you choose. Maybe it’s going out for a coffee to treat yourself, or taking a moment to celebrate the small wins.

All four parts of the habit loop work together to help you build a habit and, more importantly, stick to it in the long run. That’s incredibly helpful when it comes to content creation. 

7. The identity habit

This mindset shift really helped me, because I realised that how I identified myself as a content creator played a big part in how consistent I was.

We often tell ourselves, “I’m the kind of person who…” like, “I’m the kind of person who’s just not very consistent,” or “I’m the kind of person who doesn’t belong here,” — hello, imposter syndrome (which I still struggle with sometimes!).  But whatever we say to ourselves, our brains will always try to find ways to prove those beliefs true.

It happens subconsciously; it’s a kind of cognitive bias.

But when we tell ourselves, “I’m a consistent creator,” or “I’m a creator who’s really working on this business because one or two years from now I want it to be my full-time job. I want to monetise it successfully,” something really interesting happens: we become far more likely to take the actions that will get us there.

So for me, it’s been really helpful to have these mindset check-ins. I’ve realised that how I see myself as a content creator — and how I see myself working in my business — makes a huge difference in how consistent I am and how likely I am to keep creating content.

8. The immediate return

When something like a reward or reaching a level of success seems far into the future, it doesn’t feel very tangible. And with content creation and a social media business especially, the beginning can be a very slow process.

That’s the part where it’s hardest to stay consistent because you’re not yet seeing the rewards. You might not be making money in your business yet. But it’s also the time when consistency is most important. If you can push through that initial phase, the rewards can be incredible.

The truth is, once your social media business starts growing, it kind of snowballs. You might start earning from YouTube ads, or blog ads if you have a blog, but there are also many other income streams that add up. Your affiliate links start making more money, you get more brand deals which pay significantly more. Maybe you sell your own products. Before long, you reach a point where you can hardly believe the income your business is generating when just a few months ago, it might have been very little. That’s just the reality of how an online business works.

In the beginning, when growth is slow and it feels uncertain, I’ve found it really helpful to focus on the small accomplishments. Celebrate staying consistent for the month, or hitting milestones like reaching a thousand YouTube subscribers or a thousand Instagram followers. Focus on those wins, celebrate them, and do what you can to stick with it. That’s what really pays off in the long run.

9. Never miss twice

I love this rule from Atomic Habits because, yes, sometimes life happens and I don’t get a chance to film my video for the week. What James says in the book is that missing a day or missing once is fine. It happens. But missing twice is the start of a different habit that might not help me reach my goals.

For example, on my main YouTube channel, I have a schedule of posting once a week, and I try not to miss that at all. If it happens once, that’s fine. I’ll let it slide because life happens. Sometimes my kids get sick, or I just don’t get the chance to film. I try to pre-film and have everything ready so that if something comes up, I have some flexibility.

But if for some reason I don’t have a video out, that’s okay. I just make a point not to miss two in a row, because once that happens, it tends to snowball in a bad direction. I start getting inconsistent, and that isn’t helpful when I’m trying to grow a business.

However, it’s okay to adjust your schedule. For instance, it’s fine to decide, “This month I’m posting every single day on Instagram,” and then change that next month. The key is to create a schedule and stick to it, making sure you never miss twice in a row on the schedule you’ve set for yourself for this month, for example.

10. Systems over goals

One of the best things I learned from the book is that we used to see these New Year’s resolutions and set them as these amazing goals. But they were often so broad and general that they felt really, really hard to attain.

The truth is, yes, it’s great to set a goal. For example, I have a goal for my main YouTube channel to reach 100,000 subscribers, and that’s great. But what really matters is creating the systems to get there. Simply setting a big goal isn’t helpful unless I actually take the actions that will get me there. And that comes from the small habits I do every day.

That’s through creating checklists, daily to-do lists, and routines like filming a video every week. It’s these systems I created for myself that ensure I stay consistent. That’s what really helps, rather than just writing down big goals and crossing my fingers.

Let me know where you are in building your own online business. Are you on YouTube or Instagram? How’s it going for you? I’d really love to hear from you, so leave a comment below.