How to build content momentum in 2026

I've been thinking about something James Clear wrote in Atomic Habits.

He said we don't rise to the level of our goals. We fall to the level of our systems.

We set big goals in January. Post daily. Build an audience. Grow the newsletter.

But we don't build systems. We rely on motivation instead.

And motivation is terrible at keeping us consistent. It shows up when you feel inspired and disappears the moment things get hard or boring.

I think that's why most of us fade out by February. We are trying to run on willpower instead of building a system that makes showing up easier.

So this week, I want to talk about building momentum through systems. Because the difference between showing up and fading out isn't motivation.

It's the system we build at the beginning and keep improving as we go.

Momentum is what carries you through the quiet months. It's what makes each post easier than the last. It's the compound effect of showing up consistently, even when nothing seems to be happening.

Here's how to build it:

Start smaller than you think

Don't commit to posting daily if you've been posting monthly. That's a setup for burnout.

Start with once a week. Build the habit first. You can increase frequency later once weekly feels easy. It’s similar to a snowball effect. Starts small, but accrues fast.

(Check out this one)

Create a simple capture system

Set up one place where all your content ideas go. After meetings, conversations, observations - capture them immediately.

This means you're not starting from scratch every time you sit down to write. You're pulling from ideas you've already had.

A notes app works. A Google Doc works. Whatever you'll actually use.

(More on this here)

Focus on consistency over perfection

Post at 80% and keep moving. The goal in January is to show up, not to go viral.

Your first posts don't need to be your best posts. They just need to exist.

Because here's what happens: results don't come in week one or week two. They come in month three, month six, month twelve. But only if you have the momentum to get there.

Your next steps this week:

Write your first post. Pick one insight from a recent conversation. Write it in three to five paragraphs and post it.

Set up your content capture system. Open a note where you'll drop every content idea that comes to you.

Let momentum build from there.

The question isn't whether you can start strong in January. It's whether you'll still be here in March. Momentum is the difference.