How I Stopped Being an 'Idea Hoarder' And Started Getting Stuff Done

Hey there,

If you listened to our latest podcast episode, you heard me admit something embarrassing - I've been a chronic idea hoarder for years. Nowadays I'm that person who rambles into his phone while walking around outside, much to the confusion of passersby.

But here's the thing - it actually works.

You see, I've spent years bouncing between two extremes. Some nights I'd bolt upright at 2am with "THE PERFECT IDEA" and frantically thumb-type into my phone like a madman. Then I'd go weeks producing absolutely nothing because I was "waiting for inspiration to strike again."

This feast-or-famine approach is fine when you're just creating for fun. But when actual revenue depends on consistent output? That approach just doesn't work.

On our latest podcast, Matthew and I dug into this exact problem - the mindset shifts that separate hobbyists from professionals. It's not about talent or even discipline really. It's about systems that work with your unique brain rather than against it.

• 🔗 Full article: 3 Mental Shifts To Become a Full-Time Creator

• 🎧 Prefer to listen? Here’s the full episode

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💡 Steal This Tactic: The Walk & Talk Method

Here's how my messy, imperfect system works. It's not Instagram-worthy productivity porn, but it gets stuff done:

1. Movement is Life

I have a bit of a mantra: "Movement is life." We're not really meant to be sat at a desk all day, but that IS where output happens. But creators aren't output factories. There's process. There's percolation. There's conflict. There's emotion! I think all that stuff happens when we move, or at least better than it does when we sit.

What started as lunchtime escapes has turned into breaks whenever I feel stuck but need a solution. It's particularly helpful when I need to be creative or think several steps ahead of where I am now.

2. The Phone Ramble

I use the basic Voice Memos app on my iPhone - no special gear:

• I start by saying what I'm trying to figure out

• Then I just talk like a complete maniac

• I contradict myself, swear, pause, double back

• I think better out loud than in my head

When I get back:

1. I transcribe it (Voice Memos on iOS does this, or I use Alitu)

2. I feed the gibberish to Claude: "Please make sense of this verbal vomit and give me an outline"

3. I'm always shocked when it works

If I'm being honest, I don't always do the transcription step. Sometimes I just listen back and take notes. Depends how much time I have and how coherent I was.

3. The Raw-to-Refined Reality

Let me show you what this actually looks like. Here's a verbatim snippet from a voice memo for our "Vibe Coding" article:

Voice memo (actual disaster): "Right so there's this thing called vibe coding that Karpathy tweeted about... [sound of wind]... shit where was I... oh yeah it's basically using AI to build software without actually writing any code yourself... you just kind of describe what you want and the AI does it... [long pause]... I need to mention that Levels thing... what was it called... oh the flight simulator thing... [sound of me walking]... anyway this could be massive for creators because like we all have ideas for tools but can't code..."

Final article intro: "If you've ever had a brilliant idea for an app but lacked the technical skills to build it, 2025 might be your year. There's a new approach to software development that's emerging – one that lets creators with minimal technical knowledge build functional apps, websites, and tools in hours instead of months. Enter: vibe coding!"

The seed of the idea was buried in that rambling mess. Getting it out of my head and into my ears was the crucial step.

Does It Actually Work Though?

Has this walking-and-talking approach actually made any difference? Yes, but not in the neat, perfectly quantifiable way that LinkedIn influencers would have you believe.

I can't tell you my "content production increased by 37.8%" or some other made-up bullshit metric. What I can tell you is:

• I finish more stuff now

• Consistently creating new content every week feels like a routine not a challenge

• I don't have Sunday night dread about what I haven't finished

Recently, I've been working on an AI podcast coach platform – a proper sidequest and a half, completely outside my usual comfort zone technically. I mean, I'm a marketer! But I'm technical too, and not new to software. The one trick that's enabled me to punch well above my weight is this very combination of walking, talking, processing that talk, and turning it into actual plans.

For this project, my process looks like this: work it out verbally while walking, process that recording, then turn it into a visual plan on a FigJam board. This becomes my source of truth, solving the core problem. Then I spend hours at my desk making it happen.

It's by far the biggest productivity hack I've found, but I think it's actually a creativity hack.

The biggest change isn't even in the output though - it's in how I feel. I'm not constantly berating myself for not being able to just sit down and power through like "normal people." I've realized my brain just works differently, and that's fine.

I still have regular moments where I catch myself stuck in old patterns - staring at a blank screen, waiting for the perfect idea, or trying to force creativity through sheer willpower. But now I just grab my phone and get outside instead of suffering through it.

Maybe the whole walking thing won't work for you. That's fine. The point isn't that you should copy exactly what I do. The point is that fighting against your natural tendencies is exhausting and counterproductive. Find what actually works for your weird brain and lean into it, even if it looks strange to others.

Until next time,

Jacob

Until next week,

Jacob

P.S. If you want to level up your podcast production, check out Alitu – our podcast maker app that handles recording, editing, and publishing with minimal tech hassle. Use code “CREATORCRAFT” for 50% off your first month 😎