A Calmer Way to Plan Content: Balancing What You Share and How You Show Up

Dec 7

Content planning isn’t supposed to
feel like a performance review.

What should I post?
Am I sharing enough value?
Am I selling too much?
Why does this feel so much heavier than it should?

There’s a moment many creators know too well: you finally sit down to plan content, open a fresh page, and instantly feel that tightness in your chest.

What should I post?
Am I sharing enough value?
Am I selling too much?
Why does this feel so much heavier than it should?

Content planning isn’t supposed to feel like a performance review. When it’s done with intention, it can actually be one of the calmest parts of your business—where you reconnect with your people, your message, and the kind of work you want more of.

The key is balance.

Not balance in a rigid “three of this, two of that” way, but balance between the different energies your content carries: the posts that teach, the ones that inspire, the ones that feel fun and human, and the ones that gently invite people to work with you.

When those are in harmony, planning feels grounded again.

Why Your Content Feels “Off” (Even When You’re Showing Up)

If you’ve ever looked at your feed and thought, “This doesn’t feel like me,” you’re not alone.

Usually, it is not a strategy problem. It is a mix problem.

Most content gets lopsided in one of these ways:

Lots of education, almost no invitations – your audience learns from you, but rarely thinks about working with you.
Mostly inspiration, almost no clarity – everyone feels seen, but it is not clear what you do or how you can help.
Heavy on fun/relatable, light on depth – your content is enjoyable, but not always building the trust that leads to aligned clients.
Overemphasis on business/selling, not enough relationship – your offers are visible, but the connection might feel thin or transactional.

The content itself might be good. It is the overall balance that makes it feel either calm and cohesive, or disjointed and draining.

A simple way to return to balance is to think of your content in four themes.

The Four Content Energies That Keep You Aligned

Instead of trying to remember a hundred formats and trends, you can think of your content in four core energies:

Educational – “Here’s something helpful.”
Inspirational – “You’re not alone in this.”
Fun / Entertaining – “We get to be human here.”
Business / Invitation – “Here’s how we can work together.”

You may use different words for them, but the roles are similar.

1. Educational: Clarify and Support

Educational content is where you teach, explain, and simplify. It tends to:

Answer common questions.
Break down your frameworks or methods.
Offer step-by-step guidance or reframe a familiar topic.

Educational posts build trust by showing that you know what you are talking about, and that you care enough to explain it in a calm, accessible way.

2. Inspirational: Normalize and Encourage

Inspirational content is not about clichés. It is where you:

Reflect real experiences, doubts, and desires.
Share your own lessons and perspective.
Offer reassurance and language people did not know they needed.

This content says, “You are not broken. You are not behind. There is another way to grow.” It speaks to the nervous system as much as the strategy.

3. Fun / Entertaining: Humanize and Connect

Fun content does not have to be loud or performative. It can be:

A light behind-the-scenes moment.
A playful comparison, quiz, or “you’re not the only one who does this” post.
A softer, more humorous way of talking about something you teach.

This energy is about relief. It lets your audience breathe, smile, and remember there is a person behind the account. When you keep it on-brand, it reinforces your message instead of distracting from it.

4. Business / Invitation: Clarify Your Offers

Business content is not just “hard sell posts.” It includes:

Explaining who a program or service is for.
Walking through what is inside an offer.
Sharing client wins in a grounded, honest way.
Answering FAQs or speaking to common hesitations.

These posts make it clear what you actually do, how you help, and what the next step looks like—all without pressure. They let people who are already interested feel safe moving closer.

How to Use These Four Themes in Your Content Planning

Once you see these four energies, content planning becomes less about “What am I supposed to post?” and more about “Which energy have I been missing lately?”

You might start by asking:

Have I been teaching a lot, but rarely inviting?
Have I been inspiring, but not actually explaining how to work with me?
Have I only been talking about business, and not showing any of my human side?
Have I been posting fun content, but not offering depth or direction?

Then, you can create a simple, calm rhythm.

Example of a Weekly Balance

You do not need to copy this exactly, but here is a gentle template many creators adapt:

Two educational posts – something that teaches, explains, or breaks down a concept.
One inspirational post – something that speaks to the heart and the nervous system.
One fun/relatable post – something human, playful, or behind-the-scenes.
One business/invitation post – something that highlights an offer, client story, or clear next step.

The exact numbers are less important than the awareness. The goal is to look over your week or month and see a mix that feels like the whole of you, not just one version.

Staying Aligned While You Plan

Balanced content is not just about checking boxes; it is about staying aligned with your values and energy.

Here are a few questions you can keep beside you when you plan:

Does this mix reflect how I actually want to serve people?
Or does it feel like I am posting what I “should,” instead of what feels true?
Where am I overcompensating?
Am I hiding behind education because it feels safer than making invitations?
Am I leaning only on inspiration because it is easier than explaining what I do?
What would feel calm but honest to share this week?
Not everything you are feeling has to become content—but your content will feel more alive when some of it does.
Is there room for me in this plan?
Are there days with lighter formats, repurposed posts, or simple check-ins so you are not demanding high-output energy every day?

Alignment often comes from subtraction, not addition—letting go of formats, platforms, or expectations that do not feel like you.

A Gentle Way to Start Balancing Your Content

If this all feels like a lot to implement at once, you can start very small.

Over the next week:

Choose one primary theme for each day.
Do not worry about format yet. Simply decide, “Monday will be educational, Wednesday will be inspirational,” and so on.
Plan one calm post per day using that theme.
Ask: what is one small, honest thing I could share in this category?
Add one business/invitation post for the week.
Not a hard pitch—just a clear, grounded explanation of one way someone can work with you, framed as support.

At the end of the week, look back:

Which posts felt easiest to write?
Which ones seemed to resonate more with your audience?
Where did you feel most like yourself?

Let those answers guide the next week, and the next. Balance is not something you set once; it is something you keep gently adjusting as you and your business grow.

You’re Allowed to Build This Calmly

You do not have to be everywhere.
You do not have to post constantly.
You do not have to choose between being strategic and being yourself.

When you start viewing your content through these four themes—educational, inspirational, fun, and business—you give yourself a simple framework that holds you, instead of one that squeezes you.

From there, planning becomes less about scrambling for ideas and more about choosing how you want to show up in a given season.

That is what creates content that feels like you, serves your people, and gently supports conversion—all without burning you out.

Lori Lee Shull