Save time by organizing your ideas before you start to write your next book or content marketing project.

The time you spend planning will be more than offset by the time you save writing!

A mind map of the table of contents of Nancy Ratey’s The Disorganized Mind: Coaching Your ADHD Brain to Take Control of Your Time, Tasks, and Talents, offers a great example of one of the best ways to save time by organizing your ideas before you begin writing.

Organizing your project into 4 parts

When you download a PDF copy of the mind map example I created showing the table of contents of Nancy Ratey’s The Disorganized Mind, shown above at reduced size, you can see how the book’s contents are organized into logical categories:

1. Setting the stage. Part 1, Coaching, describes the role that personal coaching can play in an individual’s struggle to master ADHD.
2. Principles and tools. Part 2, Coaching the ADHD Brain, introduces the underlying ideas and tools for successfully addressing the challenge of ADHD.
3. Implementation. Part 3, Strategies for a Balanced Life, describes the steps involved in applying the principles and tools.
4. Perspective. Part 4, Living or Working with Someone with ADHD, offers additional advice based on the author’s experiences.

Taken together, the 4 parts create a framework, or structure, that organizes and simplifies a complex topic and makes the book both easier to write and easier to read.

You can use the same principle to organize not only books, but any type of content marketing projects; articles, blog posts, podcasts, or videos. You can also use the same 4-part structure for speeches, teleseminars, or webinars.

Search for organizing ideas online

Get in the habit of searching for writing ideas and inspiration everywhere! Click the Look Inside! link on the cover photographs of  books on display at Amazon.com, and select Table of Contents.

Notice that the contents of most successful nonfiction books are organized into parts, or sections. Take the time to analyze how their authors have the contents, and apply the same organizing principles to your own books or content marketing projects.

Know when to write….and when to plan

Most important, avoid the temptation of starting to write your books or content marketing before you’re ready! Instead, start by creating a multi-part framework, or structure, for your project. The time you save planning your books and content marketing will save you frustration and time when you start to write. What types of planning tools or organizing ideas work best for you? Share your experiences and tips below, as comments. More tips from The Disorganized Mind.